Instruct Solicitors

When buying or selling a property you will need a solicitor to carry out the conveyancing. This, in layman's terms, being the legal work required to transfer the property from the seller's name to the buyer's name.

There are many solicitors practicing in most areas. You may already have a family solicitor or prefer Dowen to recommend one.

Dowen will write to your solicitor on your behalf advising them of the details of your purchase along with the seller's name and solicitor.

Conveyancing involves a considerable amount of work by the solicitors concerned.

The following gives a brief outline of what is involved.

  • Take instructions from you the client
  • Obtain the deeds from the seller or the seller's bank/building society. This allows the solicitor to confirm that the property actually belongs to the seller
  • Prepare an enquiry form, part of which confirms what is included in the sale, eg carpets & light fittings. This form will also question the seller about any known defects in the property that you should be made aware of.
  • Check on the property's legal boundaries
  • Obtain from the seller's solicitor a draft contract setting out the terms of your purchase
  • Unless the property is being sold with a HIP, carry out a local search. (You will often be asked to pay for this in advance of completion of the sale) Seaches allows the solicitor to check for any up and coming events which may affect the value of the property, eg: the construction nearby of a new road or unpleasant development, say an abattoir:
  • Dealing with the financial aspects of the sale, ie: briefly, the buyers solicitor collects any deposit from the buyer and obtains mortgage funds from the buyer's lender. The seller's solicitor will ensure that the seller's mortgage and any charges are cleared from the proceeds of the sale
  • Liaising with all parties to agree an amicable completion date that suits you and the seller