Selling your property – Why you should instruct a solicitor early

When selling a property, most sellers will wait until they have an accepted offer before they obtain a conveyancing quote from a solicitor. You may not realise that much of the legal and administrative work can begin before you find a buyer.

Here are some of the early considerations that merit instructing a solicitor early:

1. Proving your identity

Your solicitor is required by law to carry out identification checks on you as a seller to satisfy the money laundering regulations. For example, is your passport or driving licence up to date and can you readily produce a recent utility bill or bank statement?

2. Property Information

Your solicitor will need to send you numerous forms asking questions about the property. These are quite lengthy and need to be completed as fully as possible. The information you provide will help your solicitor identify questions and issues that will be raised by your buyer’s solicitor throughout the process. Early instruction allows your solicitor to identify potential problems which can hopefully be dealt with in advance.

3. Dealing with missing documents

Missing documents is a frequent cause of delay which will hinder the progress of your sale. There are many certificates and documents relating to the property that you may need to produce to the buyers. Typical examples of these are window/door installation certificates, solar panel documents, electrical, central heating and a host of different guarantees and warranties. Do you know where these are and have you still got them? If one or more of these documents are missing, your solicitor will advise you how to rectify the situation and save time later in the process.

Our team of experienced property solicitors would be pleased to assist you with any queries you may have about the conveyancing process. Please call us today on 01267 237441 or email us at mail@utk.co.uk.