Selling a property can seem like a daunting process. In our experience, this is often due to the uncertainty of not knowing if the sale will go through until the exchange of contracts.

Our expert team of conveyancers make selling your house as simple and stress-free as possible. From your initial enquiry to the day you leave the property, our experienced team will ensure that your sale is managed smoothly from start to finish.

Selling your property – Getting started

To make sure your sale gets off to a flying start you should appoint your conveyancer as soon as you make the decision to sell. Then, with the first steps already completed, by the time you have a buyer for your property, your contract can be submitted without delay.

When it comes to selling your home, it’s essential that you choose a proactive conveyancer who will keep you informed throughout the process.

From the moment you instruct Home Property Lawyers, you are assigned a dedicated conveyancer to look after you. Our helpful and friendly team of experts work with you, your estate agents and your buyer’s solicitors to ensure the sale of your property proceeds as quickly as possible.

Stages of a selling a property
  1. We will send you a pack of information and some forms to complete and return. You will need to complete a Fixtures and Fittings Form and a Property Information Form (Protocol forms) which we will forward to your buyer’s solicitors.
  2. 2You will be asked to provide money on account for third party expenses. These can include copies of the deeds (Official Copies) & evidence of your identity and your address.
  3. Once we have your completed documents, we will get copies of the deeds from the Land Registry.
  4. We will then prepare and send a contract, your completed Protocol forms and Official Copies to your buyer’s solicitors.
  5. We will send you the contract and a plan to sign at this stage. We can then ensure the boundaries of the property you are selling are correct and have a signed copy in readiness for exchange of contracts.
  6. If you have a mortgage, we will obtain a redemption figure from your bank or building society to ensure we have enough funds to repay the mortgage on completion.
  7. Once your buyer’s solicitors have received our contract pack, they will request searches and raise enquiries regarding the property which we will discuss with you and respond to. The Buyer’s search results will take around 10-14 days, so things may be a little quiet during this time.
  8. Once the buyer has their mortgage arranged and the buyer’s solicitors have completed their enquiries and searches, they can advise their clients, have documents signed, agree a completion date and commit to moving.
  9. Upon completion we will receive the sale monies from the buyer’s solicitors. We will repay your mortgage (if any), our fees and pay your estate agent fees. The balance will then be sent to you or used in connection with a purchase if you are also buying a property.
  10. You will need to vacate the property on completion, usually by 12.30 – 1pm. You will need to ensure items referred to as staying in the Fixtures and Fittings form are left behind and that items not agreed to remain and all rubbish is removed from the property.

Why can selling a property sometimes take longer?

The process of a selling a property is quite straightforward but occasionally there are things that can complicate and delay matters, for example:

  • Several people in the chain, all with different transactions and personal circumstances to accommodate.
  • An adverse survey which down-values a property or means that estimates or essential work needs to be carried out before completion.
  • Someone in the chain unable to secure a mortgage.
  • Problems with the property title, such as missing documents, inaccurate plan, defective lease, breach of covenants or lack of necessary planning permissions or building regulations.
  • The property being a leasehold, which often requires additional information to be collected from third parties
  • Adverse search results which result in further investigations.
  • People simply changing their mind about moving.

When the above issues arise, it’s key that you have a conveyancer who will keep you informed and help find solutions to progress your sale through to the exchange of contracts.

Choosing Home Property lawyers for your sale gives you:
  • A friendly and caring expert conveyancer, assigned to you.
  • Efficient and proactive service from a team of professionals.
  • Helpful and responsive communication, keeping you informed throughout your sale.
Already have an idea of what you require?

Contact us

Call us on

01522 503 500

Get your home conveyancing quote today!

Freehold Leasehold Not sure Sorry we cannot help you this time
Next step
Dominic Reeve, Conveyancing Executive image
what our team says

“I moved to Lincoln in September 2012 to attend university where I studied English Literature. I fell in love with the city and knew when I graduated in September 2015 I didn’t want to move back to my small Suffolk village. I applied to be a Legal Administrator in the Conveyancing Department at Home Property Lawyers and was lucky enough to be offered the job, which started only 10 days after my graduation. After being in the Admin team for 6 months I was promoted to Conveyancing Assistant where I was moulded by two experienced Senior Conveyancers over the course of just under two years, learning to be a Conveyancing Executive myself. In February 2018 I was promoted to Conveyancing Executive and I can honestly say there is no job quite like it… There is nothing better than making that call at the end of the process to confirm that we have completed and hearing the excitement in a clients voice. That’s the reason I do the job! Now in 2022 having been working at Home Property Lawyers for over six and a half years I have come full circle and am in the process of buying my first home In the city. This has given me a brand new insight into the process and I can absolutely sympathise with and appreciate the stresses involved in the process which I think has really helped me to be empathetic towards my clients and make the process as smooth as it can possibly be for them.”

Dominic Reeve, Conveyancing Executive