Conveyancing - The Role of the Solicitor
Solicitors/Conveyancers play an essential role in the house buying process. Choose your solicitor wisely, try and have a firm recommended to you. A lot of sales fall through due to time taken for the conveyancing work to be completed. You should try and find out how experienced they are, how fast they move (which is very important) and whether or not they provide regular updates.
The process for the solicitor is as follows:
Obtain a copy of the draft contract and the title deeds from the vendor’s solicitors which proves that the sellers own the property.
Your solicitor will carry out local searches with the local authority to check for development and any other searches that may be required.
They will check all the legal documentation relating to the property you wish to buy such as title deeds.
The solicitor will raise any questions called pre-contract enquiries with the vendor’s solicitors in relation to the fixtures and fittings being left in the property and whether any alterations have been made.
Once a response has been given in relation to all the enquiries raised and your solicitors and the buyers are satisfied; the searches have all been returned positively; terms of the contract including completion dates have been agreed; and the mortgage has also been agreed, the solicitor will then prepare the contract for both parties signature.
Once both parties have signed the contracts, they are exchanged which makes the agreement legally binding. The solicitor will inform the mortgage lender of the completion date and arrange for funds to be made available on that day. They will transfer the title deeds into the buyer’s names, finalise the land registry searches and request deposit funds from the buyer.
Greene & Co have a number of solicitors who they recommend, see list below:
Cramer Pelmont
Contact: Paul Cramer
Tel: 0208 340 0091
8 Middle Lane, Crouch End, London N8 8PL
B.D. Laddie
Contact: Howard Freeman
Tel: 020 7963 8585
16-18 Denbigh Street, London SW1V 2ER
Darlington Solicitors
Contact: James Swede
Tel: 020 8951 6666
48 High Street, Edgware, Middx HA8 7EQ