DIY Conveyancing

vfm

Hi


Has anyone carried out DIY conveyancing and can they please tell me how difficult/easy it is.


I am thinking of buying a property (cash) and the property is not in a chain.


I understand financial, housing and legal terms. I have dealt with Land Registry before, carrying out a First Registration.


Thankyou in advance for any replies

G_M

It's not hard if

* you are reasonably intelligent/educated
* you are literate
* you are the kind of person who pays attention to detail
* you have time to spend both reading up/learning, and then undertaking the process

There are possible complications (which may lead you not to undertake this) eg

* you are getting a mortgage
* the property is leasehold
* the property is unregistered
* there are archaic or complex covenants in the Title

Now read:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Which-Guide-Conveyancing-Consumer-Guides/dp/085202813X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474736587&sr=8-1&keywords=diy+conveyancing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Buying-Selling-Conveyancing-Lawpack-Property/dp/1906971803/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474736613&sr=8-2&keywords=diy+conveyancing

These and similar books may be available free from your local library.

Always check publication date. The process changes periodically, and you need to be up to date!

For an overview, read:

http://www.homewardlegal.co.uk/blog/diy-conveyancing-fact-you-can-do-it-yourself

Final note: buying is riskier than selling.
* as a seller, the biggest (only?) risk is not receiving the money, and it's not hard to ensure this does not happen!

* as a seller, you risk paying, and ending up with a property that
a) is not yours
b) has onerous obligations (practical or financial) that you missed/failed to understand
c) cannot later sell due to some oversight
d) cannot sell except to a cash buyer (unmorgagable)
etc

On the plus side (and depending on your personality), it can be very satisfying on a personal level to Complete successfully.

You also learn a lot more about the property you are buying, as you will have read and checked every single document about it in great detail! It's amazing to me how many buyers just file away the documents their solcitor sends them without a glance, and sign contracts and other documents without reading/understanding them.

george278

I would agree with all of the above. I have bought and sold several properties myself and found it a straightforward process that has saved me thousands of pounds.

I am about to embark on a sale of a house that I own, my first since 2006. I am getting the impression that DIY conveyancing is not as popular as it was then. Is that due to a fall in conveyancing costs charged by solicitors?

SailorSam

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5523295

vfm

Thankyou for your replies.


Have read the links quoted and hope that I will be able to do it myself. I pay attention to detail (used to do contracts for Trading Standards) and like to learn. I wasn't that impress with the solicitor of buyers to whom we recently sold, that it what has led me to considering doing this myself.