Whether you're a layman looking to understand your own transaction or a lawyer needing assistance with a client's conveyancing our step by step sale and purchase guides will lead you through the process while our mini guides will break the whole thing into manageable chunks and give a deep insight into the key issues and stages. Leasehold, freehold, unregistered, registered – we've got it all covered.
Need help with a remortgage or transfer of equity / deed of gift? Our guides will walk you through the process and highlight some of the common pitfalls. Mortgages and transfers can be very simple procedures but complex issues can sometimes arise and mistakes are easily made. These guides will help you deal with them.
So you want to have a go at your own conveyancing? First you should read about the risks, then if you're still happy to proceed, our guides will take you through each stage of the process telling you what to look out for and helping you avoid falling into expensive traps. Our subscription service will give you access to all of the documents you should need for your conveyancing and we can even supply you with the Land Registry Official Copies you'll need. Our general guides will cover all the obstacles you are likely to face and offer a practical solution. Have a look at our sale and purchase guides too.
A big part of the conveyancing process is the conveyancing searches. This section tells you all about them. What they are, how and when to order them and how to interpret the results. Each search has its own guide and you'll see they are separated into Standard (should be done in every case), Regional (area specific) and Optional (not essential but often useful tools for the would be purchaser). All buyers should beware that when you buy a property, the law assumes that you have seen the information that would have been revealed by searches whether or not you have actually carried them out, so you buy the property subject to the results.
Using a conveyancer to handle your conveyancing will greatly reduce the risk to you and sometimes, particularly if you are taking out a new mortgage, you will have no choice but to instruct a conveyancer. The good news is it doesn't have to break the bank. Get a free, instant quote here. We can also help with quick easy quotes for other moving related services.
Are you looking for the documents you'll need for your conveyancing transaction? Or official copies of the title or other documents from Land Registry. We can help you. Follow the links below.
Hi, I am in a process of buying a house, in fact exchange of contracts and completion dates have been agreed but I have lost my job last Friday and I know I am supposed to let my bank(mortgage lender)to know that. However the estate agent is convincing me that we can still proceed the Exchange of Contracts and Completion at the same day. I am just worried once we exchange I will be legally bonded and then The bank will find out about me not having a job and they will reject my mortgage and will have to pay 10 percent to the seller as a penalty and having no money and no house. Can you please give me advise what to do? Thank you very much!
Hi,
This is exactly the sort of behaviour that gives estate agents such a bad name. He is asking you to commit fraud, that's a criminal offence and quite apart from the fact that as you rightly say if things go wrong on the day of completion you risk losing your deposit, if the lender discovers what you've done in future you could be repossessed even if you are not in arrears and worse still could be criminally prosecuted. Moreover, are you certain you can keep up the payments?
You should speak to your conveyancer and to your lender. Yes it is likely that you'll lose your mortgage offer and therefore the property but in my personal view it is not worth the risk. The agent is clearly thinking about nothing more than his commission and it's disgraceful!
Admin
You should certainly speak to your solicitor and disclose the facts. They will in turn disclose them to your lender. This of course may well cause the lender to withdraw the mortgage offer but failure to disclose would be fraud which, apart from the fact that it would allow the lender to potentially repossess the property even if you didn't default on payments, is a criminal offence for which you could be prosecuted.
You must tell your conveyancer, who should tell your lender. Yes you will presumably lose your mortgage offer and therefore the property you want to buy but the agent is suggesting you commit mortgage fraud which is a criminal offence for which you could go to prison. Also as you say, if it does come to light after exchange you will lose your deposit. The agent is obviously only concerned with his own fee.