We aim to make moving home as stress free as possible for our clients. No fuss, no bother. A proper, professional service.
All our conveyancing work is done by experienced, qualified solicitors. We've been doing it for over 35 years. We know what to do to make things happen and how to protect you from the worst of the horrors and irritations.
If you want solicitors who will listen to you and do what you want, when you want it, call us on 020 3633 4060.
Our office is in West London. You are welcome to visit us but you don't have to. We regularly act for clients all over the country, doing everything by post, the telephone and by email.
Buying or selling a house or a flat is something most clients do just a few times in there lives. We do it everyday. We know what we are doing .
Remember you are dealing with human beings. With all the good…and the bad.. …things that involves. Most will be scrupulously honest and fair. Others will be so worried about losing the deal that they will tell you what they think you want to hear. A very small minority will mislead you. Listen to what they say to you but always rely on your own common sense and if in doubt…double check with us. We will always be straight with you about what is going on.
If you have to move by a certain date, changing jobs, getting married, fitting in with school terms TELL US as early as possible. We will do everything we can to meet your deadline. Otherwise:
Be realistic about timing. Moving home takes on average about ten weeks. That's not because solicitors are slow and deliberately delay matters. (We don't get paid till the end so it's in our interests to speed matters up). Why it takes time is because conveyancing is all about protecting the client. The amount of money involved in buying any property is so high, the purchaser's solicitors have to carry out a whole range of enquiries, searches and other checks to protect the buyer and their mortgage lender (if there is to be a mortgage) from expensive, avoidable problems. These checks involve getting information from a range of different people and organisations, including other lawyers, local councils, private companies, building societies and banks. Some of these are efficient and well organised. Others aren't. And remember, it doesn't matter how quickly we do our job, if the people you are buying from or are selling to aren't ready, nothing can go ahead until they are.
And we are all now live in a world where every box has to be ticked. If you have a mortgage we have to do everything your mortgage lender demands however over the top or irrelevant it is. Unless we do they won't give us your mortgage money to complete the purchase.
Whether you have a mortgage or not we have to make sure everything is covered and evidenced in writing. If we don't then you may have a problem when you try to sell in 5 or 10 or 20 years time. We have to protect you and protect ourselves. We don't have an option. Those are the rules we have to operate under.
Don't count on moving on a certain date until contracts are exchanged. Whatever promises the people you are buying from or selling to make, or your mortgage lender makes don't rely on them until what they promise actually happens. More stress is caused to clients by false promises than anything else.
Common promises which are so often untrue as to ring alarm bells;
From the lender: "The mortgage offer is on its way".
From the buyer: "I'm a cash buyer"
From the seller: "I'll move out into rented accommodation so you can meet your target moving date"
Don't book to go on holiday right in the middle of the transaction. You have to be around to give instructions and sign documents.
If you know the property has anything unusual about it, for example…..it's been converted into flats, the loft has been turned into an extra bedroom or it's unclear where the garden begins or ends… let us know.
Some of the checks the buyer's solicitor carries out are routine and are done automatically. Others will be triggered off by the nature of the individual property being bought. If we are acting for you in buying, unless you have given us some pre-warning, we may not know what extra checks are needed until a copy of the title documents is examined or information is received from one of the routine checks. This can slow the transaction down. In addition it's increasingly common for mortgage lenders to include unexpected conditions in their mortgage offers which the buyer's solicitors will not know about until a copy of the offer is received.
If you are buying, don't be afraid to bargain. Some sellers are tough and won't budge a penny, particularly if the property has only just gone on the market. Some may be keen to sell and will accept an offer 5%, 10% or even more below the asking price. No harm in trying.
Try and get the seller to agree what fixtures and fittings they will be leaving at the property. They are likely to be more generous when you are still deciding whether to buy or not than after you have made an offer and it has been accepted.
Don't be shy about going back to look at the property two or three times. It will probably be one of the biggest purchases of your lives so check it out thoroughly. Go and look around the neighbourhood. Are there any noisy pubs or clubs nearby, school traffic choking the roads at the beginning and end of the school day. Is the property next door well looked after or does it look like a tip. Have a look at www.upmystreet.com to find out more about the area
If you are selling, talk to us before you do anything else. We can sort out the conveyancing paperwork required before you even find a buyer this can make the whole process quicker, easier and less stressful for you. We may even be able to negotiate a discount on your estate agents fee.
Talk to us at Sayer Moore & Co. We have acted for people buying and selling for over 35 years and are more than happy to give you advice and guidance