Selling a Property

Our streamlined yet thorough process is designed to make your selling experience as smooth as possible.

Your estate agent will contact Funnell & Perring Solicitors and we will commence the process, which is summarised below.

Providing documents and information:

We will need to know where your deeds are, and will give you the following forms to fill in:

• Property Information Form, Additional Property Information Form and Buyer Information Form – these deal with issues such as boundaries, alterations to the property and utilities information.
• Fixtures and Fittings Form – this is a check-box list of all the items you are planning to leave in the property when you move out, such as carpets, light fittings, curtains and white goods.
• Leasehold Information Form (leasehold only) – this gives the buyer information in respect of how the freehold is run and provides basic information about service charges and ground rent.

We will send these forms, your deeds and a draft contract to the buyer’s solicitor.

The buyer’s solicitor will do searches on the property. These can take up to three weeks, and in the meantime the buyer may contact you to arrange for a survey

If you are selling a flat, your solicitor will contact the freeholder and get information including details of the insurance, and any anticipated expenditure in the coming year. The freeholder may make a charge for providing this information.

The buyer’s solicitor may then make enquiries in relation to the property such as planning enquiries or questions about the deeds of the property. If they are satisfied, you can then proceed to exchange contracts.

Exchange of Contracts:

Exchange of Contracts is the stage when you are legally bound to sell the property to the buyer.  This is also the point at which you agree a Completion Date. The Completion Date is the actual day you will have to vacate the property. If you are also buying a property, we will make sure the Completion Date is the same on both properties.

Once we have exchanged contracts, we will send you a transfer deed to sign. This will need to be witnessed. It is the form that will be sent to the Land Registry and will be handed over by us on completion after the transaction is finalised. We will then obtain a redemption figure for your mortgage (if you have one) and the estate agent will send their invoice. We will prepare a completion statement showing the net proceeds available to you.

Completion Date:

On the day of completion, you should try to vacate the property as early as possible. Most contracts state that the property needs to be vacated by 1pm. The keys should be taken to the estate agents, who are not permitted to give them to the buyer until they have had confirmation that the purchase monies have been received by the solicitor.

Before you leave the property for the last time, make sure you take meter readings, and leave, in an obvious place for the new owners, any brochures for appliances such as the boiler or cooker. Please also make sure that you arrange for the redirection of your mail.

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