As a partner in a firm of conveyancing lawyers I come across all kinds of clients . They can be pushy, aloof, needy, relaxed, polite or aggressive but they all in general have a common goal – they would all like the house sale or purchase to complete as quickly and as smoothly as possible and the blame for any delays will always rest on the shoulders of the conveyancing solicitors , but there are a number of things you as the client can do to help make sure delays are avoided .
Fill In The Forms
The first thing that will happen with any transaction is that your conveyancing lawyer will send you a number of forms to fill-in and return. They are pretty boring but nevertheless essential. No real work can start on the property transfer until your conveyancing lawyer has them back. If you find the forms tricky to understand, a good conveyancing lawyer will take the time to run through them with your or at the very least send you a conveyancing guide to follow . Try to think of it like this – the clock starts ticking not when you accept an offer (or have your offer accepted) but when your conveyancing lawyers receives your initial instructions.
Most of the longest delays I’ve seen with conveyancing transactions could easily have been avoided through the timely return of necessary forms by clients.
Trust Us, We’re Conveyancing Lawyers!
I’ll be frank, during your transaction every man and his dog is going to give you their two pennies worth on the conveyancing process. The UK is after all a nation of property experts . Above all else, trust your conveyancing lawyers. They are the ones that are regulated and possess the answers and guidance you can rely on . Be aware , some estate agents try to get far too involved and though they been involved in a vast number of transactions, most don’t really understand the conveyancing process well enough to be able to give advice that you should act on . Add to that the fact that they will often have their own agenda and you realise that you shouldn’t treat what they say as gospel .
As a rule, always speak first to your conveyancing lawyers before acting on the advice of a layman . If you are not happy with the advice provided then you can speak to one of your conveyancer’s superiors .
Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep
When selling a house the conveyancing process is far simpler than when you are buying and generally thus the seller’s conveyancing lawyers will leading the proccess . Because of this the buyer is often pressured by the sellers and/or estate agents to set a date for completion. You need to avoid setting this date until you have spoken to your conveyancing lawyers to find out what is realistic . Most transactions that fail do so because sellers become frustrated when deadlines which were never truly achievable in the first place are missed.
Make Yourself Easy To Contact
Try to stay as easy to contact by your conveyancing lawyers as possible, don’t go on holiday for example . Your conveyancing lawyers will be working 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday so try as best as you can to remain contactable during those hours . It is especially important that you are available on the day of completion so that any last minutes hitches can be discussed . If you are going to be away from home, or tied up in meetings, on the day of completion then you might need to propose an alternative.
Keep Your Conveyancing Lawyers Informed
Make sure you keep your conveyancing lawyers up to date with any developments in respect of the transaction. This might be proposed completion dates or changes in the price, or you might have decided to buy/sell some chattels or have a dispute with the selling agent over his fee. Your conveyancing lawyers may find certain things out from another source but don’t assume they will.
If you are going on holiday , make sure you let your conveyancing lawyers know. They may be able to get you to sign certain documents, or ask you certain questions, which will allow the transaction to progress while you are away.