What legal help can I get whilst moving house?

It can be a big deal when you are moving homes, and you will most likely want to get some help from someone who knows the laws surrounding it. This is where conveyancing solicitors Portsmouth come in, as they are solely focused on helping people like you to buy or sell, and will have vast knowledge of the process and all the steps that are included. 

How can they help?

During the buying/selling process, there are plenty of things that your solicitor will be able to help you with. They will do the best they can to give you all of the legal advice and help that you need to successfully move. The help that your solicitor provides depends on whether you are buying or selling your home, as the process is obviously different for either of them. 

Buying a home

From the moment you decide to purchase a property, your solicitor can help you. They are firstly able to write up draft contracts (as will the sellers solicitor) and exchange them so that they can both be signed. This draft contract will include things such as which fixtures and fittings are staying in the property, and if there are any works that need to be done before the sale is completed. This exchange of draft documents really kick starts your journey of buying a new home, and certifies that you are in the process. 

Another thing that your conveyancing solicitor can do during the buying process is carry out legal property searches for you. There are a few different types, and all of them are important in ensuring that any issues with the property and surrounding area are highlighted before the actual purchase takes place. These include land registry searches, environmental searches, local authority searches and more. The fact that your solicitor can do this for you is extremely helpful, as they know exactly what to look for and who to contact, and will provide you with all of the information once collected.

Towards the end of the process, when the time comes to exchange the official documents and make the transaction, your solicitor will write up a final contract that includes all the details that have been agreed between the buyer and seller. Once these final contracts are exchanged, funds have been sent, and the keys are handed over, the sale is officially done and you own your new home! 

Selling a home

If you are selling your home, the ways in which a conveyancing solicitor helps you is different. One of the first things that they will be able to do for you is provide all of the important documents that you need to fill in in order to start the sale. An example of one of these documents would be a TA 6, which is a questionnaire that asks you things about the boundaries of your property, any proposed developments, disputes/complaints from neighbours and more. Your solicitor will use all of this information to write up a draft contract which will be sent to the buyer’s solicitor to sign, and they will also receive a draft contract from the buyer’s solicitor for you to sign.

The selling process is usually quite lengthy, and it involves a lot of back and forth communication, and your conveyancing solicitor can take care of all of this. They will let you know if the buyer raises any issues about the property that need to be discussed, and will be there if you need advice. 

Once all of the important details have been straightened out and both parties are happy, your solicitor will write up a final contract, as will the buyer’s solicitor. These will be signed, the funds will be sent, and this is when the process is complete, all you will need to do is hand over the keys and you’ll be done!