While conveyancing is often seen as being more important to the buyer, this makes it an essential step for the seller too. The property sale can not complete until conveyancing is done properly so expediting as quick and painless a conveyancing process as possible will help to speed up the overall sale time.

Document Gathering

Once you have completed and returned the Letter of Engagement, your conveyancer will acquire the deeds to your property from your existing lender. They will also require copies of forms pertaining to the details of your house and the fixtures, fittings, and content that are to be included in the sale.

Detail Checking

The conveyancer will then check the details, complete the relevant forms and forward this package to the buyer’s solicitor. If there are any questions regarding the forms then the conveyancer will answer these using information they have gathered and you have provided.

Financial Details

You should provide specific details of any secured loans and your solicitor will receive a statement from your lender that details how much is still outstanding on your mortgage. These figures are used on completion so that all outstanding amounts can be repaid from the proceeds of the sale before you receive what’s left.

Exchanging Contracts And Completing The Sale

Once the buyer’s solicitor has checked and confirmed all of the details in the contract, you will be called in to sign and agree a completion date with al parties. Once contracts have been exchanged, you and the buyer have entered into a legal agreement regarding the exchange of the property. On completion, your solicitor deals with the financial aspects of loans and mortgages, and then forwards the appropriate documents to the buyer’s lender.

In many respects, a conveyancer provides the backbone to the house buying and selling processes. A good conveyancer can help the process run smoothly while poorly conducted research and administrative duties can make the experience even more difficult. As such, and with more conveyancer choices than ever, it is important that you choose the best service for your circumstances.

Estate Agent’s Advice

Estate agents will often advise you of one or two local services to use, but be aware that they may not necessarily represent the best choice. Often, family solicitors are the more expensive option because they deal in many different types of legal and quasi legal processes. In contrast, a licensed conveyancer deals with nothing but this type of work. They will be accustomed to dealing with the process on a daily basis and can usually offer lower prices for an equally good or better service.

Conveyancing Factories

Conveyancing factories may not have the most romantic of title but they are becoming more common. They are essentially large businesses that deal with hundreds of customers on a monthly basis. They usually employ teams to work on single contracts and may use call centres rather than provide you with access to a single point of contact. Service levels and communication levels usually suffer as a result of these cost saving methods.

Licensed Conveyancers And Your Options

Conveyancers no longer need to be trained solicitors and this doesn’t necessarily detract from the level of service they offer. In fact, licensed conveyancers often offer greater communication and lower prices. As with many services, the lowest price doesn’t necessarily mean the best service and you will need to look on the Internet, ring around, and try to determine the service that fits your needs the best.

Cost and budget are vital components in any house sale or purchase, but when it comes to conveyancing it’s important to ensure that you use a reliable service and that you look for the most cost efficient solution rather than the cheapest quote you are provided. Prices have dropped severely since the conveyancing market was opened to competition so, considering the amount of administration work especially, the service is actually one of the cheaper components of a move.

Using a poor conveyancing firm can lead to serious problems in the moving process and may actually result in a sale or purchase falling through. For the sake of saving twenty or thirty pounds it would be disastrous to see your dream move fall apart just as you thought everything was going to plan.

The Internet offers the ideal location to find the most affordable and cost efficient conveyancing services. As well as being able to shop around for details of conveyancers, many websites offer a free online quote based on the purchase, sale, or remortgage price of your home. This convenient quote application gives you a good idea of just how much the service is going to cost and is usually a no obligation quote.

Mortgage companies and estate agents may try to advise you of a service to use, but be aware that these are usually high street or family solicitors demanding large payments but offering the companies the biggest commission for any new customers they send their way. Do your own research online to find the best and most affordable company.

Many of the searches involved in creating a House Information Pack (HIP) will have already been conducted, or partially conducted during the conveyancing process. The HIP must contain certain documents and it is the sellers legal privilege to provide a HIP to any interested, potential buyer. Completed by a qualified home inspector, it pays to have a HIP complete as early in the process as possible and it can also pay to include extra documentation over and above what must be included.

Getting A HIP From Your Conveyancer

Most conveyancers and conveyancing solicitors also sell Home Information Packs and some services may provide a discount for those customers that wish to purchase both at the same time. Do ensure that you are getting the best deal before you proceed with this dual service purchase and be aware that certain aspects of the HIP, especially the Energy Performance Certificate must be carried out by a qualified home inspector.

Including A Home Condition Report In Your HIP

A Home Condition Report is not a necessary inclusion in the HIP but it can be used to help buyers, sellers, and agents alike. The seller has the advantage of being able to show their property off to its best while the buyer receives in depth information regarding the state of the property. As part of a Home Condition Report, it is usual to receive a reinstatement cost that is used to generate insurance coverage levels for the property.

The Internet has provided consumers with a method of finding the best prices
on the best deals. This beneficial method of shopping around isn’t reserved
for electronic and household goods, as financial consumers have taken equally
well to improved access to these deals. But the term online conveyancer puts
many buyers and sellers off when it comes time to find a licensed conveyancer.

Why Online Conveyancing Works

A lot of the conveyancing process is done behind the scenes. Even when using
your local or family solicitor, you will usually only be required to visit
them once or twice throughout the entire process. The truth is, though, that
signing the documents and answering your conveyancer’s questions doesn’t necessarily
have to be done in the office – it can all be done just as easily and efficiently
at home without a face to face meeting.

The conveyancer doesn’t need to be local to completely fulfil their part in
the buying process. Administrative duties can all be conducted from their office
using fax, email, and telephone to communicate with the other parties.

Online Conveyancing Service Providers

Similarly to looking offline there are several types of conveyancing service
available.

• Conveyancing factories are large volume, low cost solutions.
  Users typically get online access to view their case status but service levels
  can suffer as a result of the mass conveyancing approach taken. Communications
  may also suffer as a result of the use of call centres rather than a single
  dedicated conveyancer.

• Specialist firms are typically the more expensive option
  and service levels do vary. However, a specialist conveyancing firm that
  comes highly recommended is likely to offer an excellent level of service.

• Conveyancing brokers are similar to insurance brokers
  in the respect that they have access to a number of services and companies.
  Once you’ve provided your details, they will determine the most appropriate
  conveyancer for your needs. Service levels can again vary so look for those
  with genuine sounding testimonials.

Online Conveyancers

Service levels and costs of conveyancers can vary greatly from one service
to another. There are essentially three types of service offering varying prices
and, again, service levels. Online conveyancing, on the whole, though provides
access to more affordable services.