Scullion News & Resources

Selling your property can be a very stressful experience. At Scullion LAW, we aim to make the process of selling your property as stress-free and smooth as possible. Below, you will find some useful information that should help you understand the conveyancing process, what we do as solicitors, and what you can do to make the process smoother for everyone.

The Conveyancing Process: Questions to Answer

When do I need to instruct a solicitor to sell my property?

We would recommend that you instruct a solicitor prior to your property going on the market. This way, the firm will be able to take your contact information and identification documents at the earliest possible time. You will also be able to speak with the solicitor who will be handling the sale before any conveyancing is undertaken.

What do I do once I have accepted an offer?

Once you have accepted an offer on your property, your estate agents will forward a copy of the offer over to your solicitor along with the Home Report. As soon as you have instructed a solicitor, forward their details to your estate agents. By doing so, the estate agents will be able to forward the acceptable offer to the correct person.

When do I make payment for the legal fees and outlays?

Please note that we will arrange to recover our legal fees and the outlays from the proceeds of the sale. The only outlay that we will require from you at the beginning of the sale is for the legal reports, which we are unable to order from the search company until we have the funds on file.

Once we have received the purchase price from the buyer’s solicitor, we will arrange to recover our legal fees and your mortgage, estate agents, factors, etc. We will thereafter verbally confirm your bank details and have the proceeds transferred to you as per our terms of business.

What information/documents will my solicitor require during the sale?

All sale transactions are different. Therefore, the below list is not an exhaustive list of the information/documents that you may be asked for from your solicitor.

  1. Mortgage account number for the mortgage secured against your property.
  2. Guarantees for any specialist work that has been carried out on your property.
  3. Paperwork for any alterations that have been carried out to your property.
  4. Paperwork for any solar panels that you have attached to the property.
  5. Details of any factor/property management company that you make regular payments to.

Do I need to attend the office to sign the missives?

During the conveyancing process, please note that you do not need to sign the missives. This is something that your solicitor will do on your behalf when they have your instructions to progress the missives.

Should I cancel my direct debit for my mortgage?

We recommend that you do not cancel your direct debit for your mortgage and allow the payments to be taken as scheduled. Any overpayment that is received by your lender will be refunded directly to you. Your lender will arrange for the direct debit to be cancelled after they have received payment of the outstanding balance from us.

Is there anyone I should notify once the sale has been completed?

We will contact the estate agents and the factors to confirm that the sale has been completed. It is your responsibility to notify the Council Tax Office and your utility provider of the sale, as they will need to update their records and arrange for the transfer of the services.

When and where should I leave the keys to the property?

It is standard practice for the keys to be left with the estate agents. You must ensure that the keys are available for the buyer to collect on the agreed date of entry.

The Conveyancing Process: Alterations

We strongly recommend that if you are going to alter your property in any way, you speak with the local authority to obtain the appropriate consents. You should ensure that you keep a record of the consents during your ownership of the property. If the alteration is minor, then the local authority may advise that no consent is required. We would recommend that you retain any correspondence from the local authority to confirm this.

If the property has been altered in any way and the surveyor makes a note of this in the Home Report, then it is a guarantee that the buyer’s solicitor will request copies of the local authority’s consents. The alteration(s) may have been carried out before your ownership of the property; however, this does not make the paperwork any less required. We would recommend that you contact the solicitor that you used to purchase the property. They should have requested copies of the consents from the seller’s solicitor at the time of your purchase.

Let your solicitor know as soon as possible if there are no local authority consents in place. Your solicitor will provide you with your options at this stage to proceed.

Best Conveyancing Solicitors

Once all the conveyancing formalities have been completed, Scullion LAW will inform you of any pending legal requirements. Our solicitors are known for being thorough, accurate, and communicative. Contact our award-winning property law team today!

Also, read this article on our website: Sell your home using these eight tips

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