1.Finances

It is advisable to get your finances, including your mortgage, agreed in principle as early as possible, as having to organise finances after you have found a property can result in losing out to another person who is ready to go.

2.Location, Location, Location

Decide where you want to be – the all-important location – and what type of property you require. Do you long for a Victorian terrace or a modern detached property? Will two bedrooms be enough or do you need three?

3.Register with Simpson and Partners

The next stage is to register with us either by calling or visiting one of our branches. This is where you discus your requirements and your wish list. From this your sales advisor will be able to develop this into a workable search brief.

Everything under one roof

Finances - Our recommended broker, Mortgages Go, can search the entire market to find you the best mortgage deals and rates, buildings insurance and mortgage protection.
Legal - A solicitor will be required to handle the legal paperwork involved (known as conveyancing).It is preferable to use a solicitor who knows the area that you're moving to and specialises in conveyancing. At Simpson and Partners we can arrange for you to receive a Conveyancing quotation, so that once you have found a property you are ready to go.

4.Viewings

With a clear understanding of your requirements you will receive a selection of properties that match your criteria. In order to secure a property, we recommend an early viewing. Here at Simpson and Partners we are open at times to suit you, whether it is after work or at weekends. Once you have viewed, we will call you to get feedback. This will give a more detailed picture of what you are looking for and secondly we need to update the owner on your feedback.

5.Making an offer

You have found the one! The next step is to make an offer. We will then submit this offer to the seller. Once an offer has been accepted that is when the hard work starts.

6.Sale agreed

Once your offer is accepted, you will need to instruct your solicitor to proceed immediately. At this stage it is a good idea to discuss exchange and completion dates. This is also the time to instruct your mortgage broker to proceed with your mortgage application and make arrangements for a survey.

Searches and Surveys - A draft contract is drawn up by the seller's solicitor and sent to your solicitor, who will raise some preliminary enquiries. Your solicitor will either request their own necessary searches or will use the information already provided in the seller's Home Information Pack. A survey of the property will also be booked by a surveyor on behalf of the mortgage lender to identify any structural problems and advise on the property's value.

Mortgage Offer - Once the survey has been completed and the report has been submitted a formal mortgage offer will be sent to your solicitor for you to sign and send back.

Contract approval - Once the searches are back and answers to the preliminary enquiries are received, the draft contract is approved by your solicitor. Providing there are no further enquiries, you are ready to exchange contracts.

7. Exchange of contracts

The contract then needs to be signed by you and the seller. The deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) is telegraphically transferred or paid by the buyer's solicitor in the form of a banker's draft. The completion date is then set.

8.Completion

This is generally set a few days to a few weeks after exchange of contracts, depending on each party's personal requirements. Residual monies (usually 90%) are now transferred from your solicitor to the seller's solicitor's account.

Congratulations, you are now the legal owner of your new home!