Conveyancing

At Houldsworth Solicitors we have a specialist conveyancing team to guide and help you through each step of selling or buying your home.   Our experienced and friendly team will do their utmost to ensure the transaction proceeds as smooth as possible from start to finish.  We will make things easier for you by giving you the support you need throughout.  A member of our team is always available by phone, online or a face to face meeting to answer any queries you may have during the transaction.

Amanda Hall Director and Solicitor is the head of our residential conveyancing department – Our Meet the Team page shows the experience and qualifications each member of the team has.  

THE PROCESS 

Please watch our video which gives you a useful guide to the selling and buying process.

Selling

We offer a complete conveyancing service to help you through every stage of selling your home, which includes:

• Working with your estate agents and buyers’ solicitors
• Writing to all parties advising we are acting on your behalf
• Drafting the necessary Contract papers
• Establishing how much you owe on any mortgage secured upon your existing property 
• Dealing with your buyers’ solicitors and answering any enquiries raised
• Attending on you to sign the contracts and other legal documents
• Negotiating a convenient date for completion of your sale
• Repaying your existing mortgages upon sale of the property and settling the estate agents fees

Buying 

• Working with the estate Agent and the Sellers Solicitor
• Searches carried out and enquiries raised
• Draft contract received and information regarding the property checked
• Receiving and checking mortgage offer is satisfactory and the conditions are met
• Sending you a detailed title report ensuring you are fully aware of everything you need to know about the property you are buying 
• Attending on you to sign the contracts and other legal documents
• Agreeing the completion date and obtaining deposit 
• Exchanging contracts
• Requesting and obtaining mortgage funds from your lender
• On completion paying balance of purchase price to seller's solicitors and ensuring release of keys
• Paying any SDLT to HM Revenue
• Registration of your property with HM Land Registry 

TIMESCALES

A standard transaction will take approximately 6 weeks from the time we are instructed.   However, every transaction is slightly different depending upon a number of factors such as:-

• The number of parties in the chain
• The other parties’ circumstances 
• The time taken for your buyer to obtain a mortgage offer, search results and surveys.   
• Whether there is a management company involved
• Other parties’ timescales

COSTS OF SELLING OR BUYING YOUR HOME

Our charges are broken down into costs and disbursements.  Disbursements are costs payable to third parties such as Land Registry fees.  We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf.

An estimate can easily be obtained by using the “get an instant quote” button. Once you insert the purchase price of the property the calculator will also inform you of the SDLT (stamp duty land tax) and Land Registry Fees payable  

We charge a fixed fee for all residential conveyancing transactions, which are based on a scale according to the property price.  There are other factors which determine the fees including whether the property is freehold or leasehold, whether a mortgage is being obtained, if it is a high value transaction or properties with special complications.   Once you have instructed us we will advise you immediately of any complications and discuss the potential impact this would have on our fees or whether any payments to third parties are required such as to management companies.

Occasionally we may need to increase your fixed fee – this may be due to but not limited to the following

• - Septic tanks
• - Private water supplies
• - Deed of variations
• - Complicated title matters
• - Adverse possession
• - Lease defects
• - Retrospective consent 
• - Conditional exchange of contracts
• - Missing documentation 
• - Transfer of part

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