stage 1

• I review the draft contract, which is prepared by your seller’s solicitors, to identify any terms that might be a cause for concern
• I send pre-contract enquiries to the seller’s solicitors. This is a comprehensive set of questions designed to identify any issues that might affect the purchase. If you inform me of particular matters you are concerned about, I include them as well
• I send you a report explaining any issues that you need to be aware of
• I initiate the necessary searches, including local authority, water and environmental
• I obtain evidence from the seller’s solictor that the seller is the rightful owner of the property
• If you are buying the house with somebody else, I help you decide between the two ownership options: joint tenancy and tenancy in common
• I review the draft contract again in light of the results of the pre-contract enquiries and the searches, as well as your mortgage offer and the results of your survey of the property, and negotiate the terms if necessary. Apart from saving you time, doing it this way protects you from making any unintended commitments and ensures you have an experienced person fighting your corner if the seller’s team introduces any difficult requirements
• I send you a further, detailed pre-contract report explaining any issues that you need to be aware of. This includes advising you on the terms of your mortgage and reporting any matters revealed by the searches
• I send you the contract to sign
• I forward your deposit, which is usually 10% of the purchase price^†, to the seller’s solicitors
• While this is going on I keep you informed regularly of progress, and immediately if any matters arise that could be a cause of concern.

^† If you are selling in the same transaction, the deposit I receive from your buyer can be used to offset the deposit you pay to your seller