How it works
selling
Once instructed, your specialist property solicitor will gather your title documentation and review this carefully to see if any special steps are required to for your sale to go ahead.
We will draft and issue the sale contract to your buyer with a bundle of documents. Often buyers or their solicitors have queries, and we advise on how best to deal with these.
Once everyone is ready and able to commit, contracts are exchanged, and a moving date is agreed. At legal completion we receive the purchase monies, you move out and hand over your keys to your buyer.
While you settle in to your new home, we transfer funds and complete the legal formalities including paying off mortgages and delivering title documents.
buying
There’s usually a bit more to buying property. You’re investing a lot of money, so the process involves asking questions and gathering information. Your JWS conveyancing specialist aims to uncover problems while you’re still able to withdraw from the deal.
“Buyer beware” or caveat emptor is the overriding principle. Put simply, if you buy a defective washing machine you can return it to the shop and get your money back. Not so with a property. In law it’s your responsibility to make all searches and enquiries, often including a survey, because you can’t get your money back if problems surface after the deal is done.
Our property experts will help you through any issues that arise pre contract.
After completion we we will register your purchase at Land Registry and provide you with copies of the updated title documents as soon as they are available.
Benefits of instructing Julie West Solicitors
You can feel completely confident that our solicitors will get you safely through to completion of your transaction, because we are experts.
Our solicitors have many years experience helping clients with all types of property up and down the country, and experience counts.
You may think one transaction is just like another, but the reverse is the case!
“We are in and very happy! I just wanted to thank you for making a potentially stressful process really as painless as it can be!”
Timescale
We recommend you allow at least 6 - 8 weeks. If you are in a chain of buyers and sellers, for example, the timescale can double or triple because all those transactions depend on each other.
Very rarely a sale or purchase will complete in days, for example with a cash buyer.
Sometimes you might be put under extreme pressure - or be offered a financial incentive - to complete quickly. We will do our best for you. And we will always ask “why?” Because speed without good reason is usually a sign of danger.
Our experienced conveyancing solicitors will give you a timeline for your transaction and update this regularly.
Remember, you will know what fees to expect. Our earnings do not depend on the deal going through. A JWS property expert will only advise you to proceed if it is in your best interests.
“Everyone we spoke to at JWS was polite and helpful!... my interactions with the JWS team... always left me with the feeling that they were looking out for my best interests.”
Cost
We provide a detailed estimate at the outset and will review this at regular intervals.
We will tell you if costs look likely to exceed the original estimate.
Costs can rise if the transaction takes much longer than expected'; if third party consent is needed at some stage; or if complex extra documentation is required.
Fee list
Payments to third parties (disbursements)
Selling
Private estate/management company/rent-charge information pack: £400
Title information: £7.20 (£3 plus VAT per document)
Buying
Searches: £350 - £500 depending on location
Stamp duty land tax: use gov.uk calculator here
Notice fees for transfer and charge: £125 each
Land Registry fee for registration: £20 - £140
Pre-completion bankruptcy and priority searches: £12 plus VAT
Additional
Electronic ID checks per individual: £5 plus VAT
Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)
Our specialist solicitors are accredited under CQS. The Law Society launched the CQS scheme to help consumers make an informed decision about who to instruct to assist them with residential property work.
The primary aim of the scheme is to help the public avoid advisers that are unregulated, uninsured and untrained. The scheme is also used as a badge of trust, relied upon by lenders as well as other accredited firms.
Achieving the CQS accreditation shows that we follow best practice procedures to meet the highest standards of technical expertise and service helping clients with property work.