First Time Buyers - top tips to ensure a pain-free journey to your dream home! - a blog from Emsleys Solicitors Head of Conveyancing, Adam Dawson

Moving house can be one of the most stressful times in your life and conveyancing can seem just a standard part of the journey, however, choosing a conveyancing team you can trust can make all the difference as Associate Director and Head of Conveyancing at Emsleys, Adam Dawson explains.

‘Property moves are something that happen only a few times in someone’s life and, if this is your first property purchase, it is understandable that the process can be challenging, especially when you have everything else going on in your life, but that’s exactly what the professionals are there to help you with and my key advice is to ensure you have professionals you can rely on.’

‘Stress points come typically when a party hasn’t gone about their house purchase in the right order or they have instructed a conveyancer that has failed to provide the pragmatic and quality service required for a smooth process. You can’t control what happens in the other areas of the chain, but you can have an impact on your part, by instructing trusted professionals, ensuring there are no unnecessary obstacles to you getting to your dream home.’

Tips for First time buyers

• Have documents ready and use email - There will be many points in the conveyancing process when you will need to respond with information required. In particular, you will need to provide current identification documents at an early stage. Having these ready and using email where appropriate will ensure the process is not delayed.
• Obtain your mortgage offer - You will want to have your mortgage offer in place as soon as possible after agreeing to purchase the property. Ensuring that you regularly liaise with your mortgage broker and provide the necessary information promptly will ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in obtaining your mortgage offer.
• Consider having a survey - The mortgage lender is likely to carry out a basic valuation of the property. However, your may wish to consider obtaining a survey at an early stage to check whether there are any physical defects to the property that you should be aware of or budget for.
• Be patient - Timings in conveyancing can be unpredictable, particularly if there are issues in other parts of the chain which you cannot control.
• Ask questions - It is important that you ask questions if you are unclear on anything or wish to discuss the next steps in the process.
• Communication is key - Try to be available and proactive with communication during the process, particularly when agreeing with the chain a date for completion of the purchase.

The team at Emsleys Solicitors strive to help make this stressful time run a little bit smoother and provide the reassurance that you are in safe hands – every step of the way.