The holiday period is a notorious time for the housing market to grind to a halt...
Indeed, property lawyers often use this period as a chance to tie up loose ends. Or to prepare themselves for the inevitable housing rush in the New Year.
It is also likely that one or more parties in a conveyancing chain will be on holiday and conveyancing solicitors may also be closed between Christmas and New Year. If you’re looking for your selling/buying process to be speedy, it’s important that you consider this when you decide to move.
Understandably many house hunters and sellers are reluctant to actively pursue their purchase or sale whilst pre-occupied with Christmas stress and costs. However, if you know you are likely to need a conveyancing lawyer in the New Year, it is best to get it sorted as soon as possible.
Instruct your conveyancing lawyer early
Instructing a lawyer before accepting or making an offer is a great way to reduce conveyancing stress. Quite often people don’t realise there is some preliminary paperwork. This must be completed before the conveyancing process can really get going.
Instructing before Christmas means you will have time to begin filling in forms and sending them to your property solicitor before the housing rush in the New Year. Ultimately this gets you ahead of everyone else who is also buying and selling property during January.
Selling?
As a seller it is really important you get everything moving as fast as possible. As I am sure you know, buyers in the current market can be elusive. This increases the importance of getting the conveyancing process completed as fast as possible. And if you want to shave a good couple of weeks off of the conveyancing timescale? Instructing a solicitor and preliminary paperwork completed in advance can certainly help once you accept an offer!
Buying?
Having a solicitor instructed before you make an offer puts you in a really strong buying position. It makes you stand out as a serious purchaser to the Estate Agent and Seller. It also means that you can get the process started immediately once an offer has been accepted. Indeed, Estate Agents often want to know who your lawyer is before you place that offer.
