Time waits for no man but frustrates the conveyancing process

Time is a slippery entity.

When you are enjoying yourself, doing something you love, being with people you like, time seems to slip by in the blink of an eye and suddenly it's all over. At least until the next time.

But, when you're up against a deadline, or you're doing something that is uncomfortable (like waiting for a job interview) or particularly unpleasant, or being dependent on someone to do something that's important to you, time seems to slow down to the pace of an arthritic tortoise.

It's also the case that preparing the details in a big project will help things to run smoother, while leaving things to fate will inevitably bring about problems, usually driven by timings on whatever it is you're trying to achieve.

And that is certainly the position when it comes to moving home.

There are so many things that need to be done. You will be contacting various organisations to confirm times and dates, setting up payments for various companies helping you to move, working out how to pack up everything and… well, the list seems endless, which is why moving home is designated as one of the top three occasions in your life that are the most stressful (alongside getting married and dealing with the death of someone close to you).

One of the problems that most home-movers think could be improved is the length of time that the conveyancing process takes. Once you've appointed your conveyancing solicitor, it can seem that everything is deathly quiet to the point that you worry that nothing is actually happening and that your solicitor might simply be sitting on their hands or working on another conveyancing case to the detriment of yours.

So, it's interesting that a recent Legal Futures story highlights a report by the Landmark Information Group that assessed the biggest gripes that a conveyancer has in successfully doing their job.

Certainly, the administrative burden and increasing regulatory requirements have had their impact, as have the high workload and the number of available people to carry out the demand for the legal work are all concerns that are in the list. 

But topping the list is their frustration with the length of time that transactions takes, not helped by the amount of effort they have to expend in chasing stakeholders in the transaction to try to move it on to the next stage - these might be other solicitors in the property chain, your seller or buyer being recalcitrant in answering questions, the mortgage lenders raising issues impacting your or your buyer's confirmation of a loan… and you!

It's very easy to point the finger and think that something is completely beyond your control, or that it's someone else's responsibility, but you can play your part in moving your transaction on to its conclusion.

With any property sale, for instance, you'll be required to furnish your solicitor with information pertinent to the home, with the two most obvious ones being the TA6 (known as the Property Information Form, which provides detailed information about the property you are selling) and the TA10 (known as the Fittings and Contents Form, and details what is included and excluded in the sale).

On the other side of the process, when you are thinking about selling a home, it's a good idea to start thinking about the responses and information you need to supply, so that, when you are presented with the forms, you can fill them in quickly and concisely, before returning them to your solicitor to pass on to your buyer's solicitor.

It will also be likely that questions might arise from your buyer, possibly in connection with the forms you have filled in, or perhaps because of something that has arisen in their survey of your property leading to a renegotiation of price. Don't leave the responses too long and, if you are in any doubt as to how any of the questions should be answered, it is always worth asking your solicitor for guidance.

When it comes to buying a property, you are in the same position as your prospective buyer: you'll no doubt have questions and will need discussions following on from the information that your seller has provided in their forms. You might also note a potentially expensive problem unearthed by your chartered surveyor that you think requires renegotiation of the agreed price to help pay for the remedial work.

You might also have a number of esoteric questions to ask about the property - the example in the Landmark report is about what is known as scope creep (that is, the transaction encompassing more than was originally envisaged) such as climate-related questions, which might need a more qualified person to answer, but inevitably adds time to the process while your conveyancer tracks down the desired response.

While it might seem obvious to you that such enquiries might come up, it may not be the case from the other side's point of view, so the earlier you can raise any objections and questions the better, because these issues can then be targeted quickly and a resolution reached far easier and more quickly.

So, be prepared to do your planning and groundwork, defining what you expect and want from your move (both selling and buying), and lining up all those you need to be involved, including your mortgage lender to get a Mortgage in Principle agreed. 

The earlier you provide questions and information, the better chance your solicitor has in helping you move the transaction on at a faster speed.

If you are thinking of moving and need to get a focused and experienced conveyancing solicitor appointed to manage the legal side of things, you should rely on the experts at Homeward Legal to help you. 

They will start work on your planned purchase as soon as you agree to the quotation and appoint them to represent you. 

Homeward Legal will also provide a quote that will not change - what you are quoted is what you pay for standard conveyancing process.

There are some unforeseen items that might arise during the purchase and/or sale, but the solicitor discusses these and their cost as they come up. 

In addition, to protect the homebuyer further, Homeward Legal operates a ‘no completion, no fee' promise, which ensures that, should the purchase or sale not go through as planned to completion status, no payment is required.

Call  to get your conveyancing quote started, or to discuss your concerns with your plans to move.

Or you can get a quick quote, using Homeward Legal's easy-to-use quote generator.