At what point do I need to be present in the UK physically during the house purchase process?

sam.ssrs

I have had my offer accepted on the first house I will be buying. I am yet to appoint a solicitor and I know that this is something I can ask my lawyer. But I thought I would find out from experienced people on this forum.

I may need to travel outside of the UK while the solicitors go on doing their job. I understand that most of this process happens over phone/emails. At what point do I need to be physically present in the UK to do something e.g. sign documents? Or can this process be completed entirely over phone/emails?

BlackBird75

You don't NEED to be in the UK at all.

People buy UK property without ever stepping foot in this country. Indeed some people buy who may never even be allowed into this country.

But your solicitor and mortgage lender will probably want you to sign some documents. So that would be easier than arranging to have the documents posted and witnessed signing overseas etc.

sam.ssrs

BlackBird75 wrote: »

You don't NEED to be in the UK at all.

People buy UK property without ever stepping foot in this country. Indeed some people buy who may never even be allowed into this country.

But your solicitor and mortgage lender will probably want you to sign some documents. So that would be easier than arranging to have the documents posted and witnessed signing overseas etc.

I thought there would be a need to sign some documents to make the matters less complex. Do you know at what point during the process i.e. before the exchange of contract, after the exchange etc. do these things happen?

BlackBird75

sam.ssrs wrote: »

I thought there would be a need to sign some documents to make the matters less complex. Do you know at what point during the process i.e. before the exchange of contract, after the exchange etc. do these things happen?

I can't remember exactly, sorry.
But I do know it's unpredictable. So you should talk to your bank and solicitor in advance.

They should be willing to have the documents posted and signed overseas. But you may need a good witness for the signatures.

davidmcn

You can discuss with your solicitor signing a Power of Attorney to allow them (or anybody else more conveniently located than you) to sign documents on your behalf, which might be safest in case something crops up at short notice (particularly if by "travelling" you mean you'll be a moving target for any couriers trying to get a package to you).

Sanne

sam.ssrs wrote: »

I thought there would be a need to sign some documents to make the matters less complex. Do you know at what point during the process i.e. before the exchange of contract, after the exchange etc. do these things happen?

We’ve had to sign documents when instructing the solicitor and then again before exchange (contract, deeds etc).

You also need to send a certified copy of your ID and proof of address (x2 for each party) - not an issue to get this certified and posted in the UK but would check what’s acceptable from abroad.

Also needed original statements from the accounts holding the deposit, again, best to collect while in the UK.

Make sure you have all documents needed for mortgage application etc if it’s not all digital and not sorted before you travel

Lastly, check the solicitor is happy communicating by email and doesn’t send a letter for absolutely everything.

eddddy

Based on my recent experience...

My solicitor was happy to email documents. Where an original signature was required, the doc had to be printed out, signed and couriered back to the solicitor.

Some documents will need to be witnessed. It's OK for the witness to be foreign, with a foreign address - but they should really know you well enough to know you are who you say you are.


The biggest challenge I found is dealing with the solicitor's ID checks.

Plan A - you would visit the solicitor's office with your passport and proof of address

Plan B - you would visit a different solicitor's office with passport and proof of address, to get certified copies to send to your solicitor

Plan C - if you're abroad, you might be able to get a British Consulate (assuming that you're a UK citizen) to provide you with certified copies to send to your solicitor.

So ideally, get the ID stuff sorted in advance - before you leave the UK.

... Or as others suggest, give your solicitor Power of Attorney.

BlackBird75

eddddy wrote: »

Based on my recent experience...

My solicitor was happy to email documents. Where an original signature was required, the doc had to be printed out, signed and couriered back to the solicitor.

Some documents will need to be witnessed. It's OK for the witness to be foreign, with a foreign address - but they should really know you well enough to know you are who you say you are.


The biggest challenge I found is dealing with the solicitor's ID checks.

Plan A - you would visit the solicitor's office with your passport and proof of address

Plan B - you would visit a different solicitor's office with passport and proof of address, to get certified copies to send to your solicitor

Plan C - if you're abroad, you might be able to get a British Consulate (assuming that you're a UK citizen) to provide you with certified copies to send to your solicitor.

So ideally, get the ID stuff sorted in advance - before you leave the UK.

... Or as others suggest, give your solicitor Power of Attorney.

Ah, yes. I remember now.

You're assumed to be a money launderer until proven otherwise..!

PhilE

I'd highly recommend walking the street of the intended house day and night, to make sure there's nothing happening that you cannot live with.

You don't need to be there all the time, but when making such a big investment its worth investing a fair amount of time.

Rambosmum

At no point did we need to be in the UK. All documents were completed by post, email or electronically. We could have been anywhere in the world with a postal address and internet access.