Step by Step guide to buying a house

fivepound

Hi, has anyone produced a step by step guide to buying a house. I'm looking for all the possible steps (and pitfalls) that happen as soon as you put an acceptable offer on the table to the day that you move in?

i.e

1, Offer accepted
2, Buyer instructs solicitor etc etc

Can anyone help?

Doozergirl

There isn't really a step by step guide. You personally don't do much, it's up to your solicitor and the mortgage company from that point.

Your mortgage company instruct a surveyor to value the property for them. They produce a report with any recommendations and hopefully, the mortgage offer is issued.

The vendor's solicitor sends the sale contract for your solicitor to check and make any amendments

The vendor's solicitor sends the Property Information Form and Fixtures & Fittings list to their client. A copy goes to your solicitor and then comes to you.

Your solicitor sends off for local searches to check the property for any planning permissions, environmental risks etc. These come from different sources and have to be waited for.

They go through the title deeds and leases (if applicable) to check they are not defective.

Depending on the outcomes of any of the above, your solicitor may send additional enquiries to be answered.

None of these things happen in a particular set order and there are potential pitfalls anywhere. There is nothing you can do to stop things cropping up because the entire point of the conveyancing process is to identify problems!

Aslo remember if there is a chain then all of these things happen for each sale occurring so the chain only ever moves as fast as its weakest link and you have little or no control!

All you can do is be completely honest with your vendors and ask the same of them. People say all sorts of things to keep other people happy but don't realise that these false promises are exatly what cause the problems.

Don't expect things to happen too quickly and don't set silly timeframes. As a FTB it is entirely unfair to try and set the pace for everyone else so ask your solicitor what they think would be acheivable and don't set your hopes too high, especially if there is a chain. Be patient and try to accept that you will be in the house at some point, you just don't know when. If you need to give notice to the landlord then just try to set four weeks between exchange and completion.

The reason it is stressful is the lack of control. Nothing you can do about it except accept it!