Residential conveyancing

Residential conveyancing services
in Warrington

Holbrook & Co make extensive use of their legal knowledge and considerable conveyancing experience. We specialise in property matters and utilise modern technology for speedier transactions, more efficient preparation of documents, and the correspondence and dispatch of searches. Above all, it is our emphasis on communication which makes our service stand out. We can handle transactions throughout England & Wales.
News on property sales

The buying process

Conveyancing, the legal process involved in the purchase, sale, or transfer of homes, buildings and/or land from one owner to another and dealing with the financial transactions, can be a complex business, both from an administrative and legal viewpoint.

The order of events can vary slightly, but there are five main stages to most transactions. With Holbrook & Co, you can follow the progress of your transaction at every stage, via our “Track your case” facility. This can benefit not only our local clients in Warrington and Cheshire, but especially those living further afield throughout England & Wales, or even those residing abroad.
House for sale

Track your case

Track My Case
Stage one: instruction

Details of the transaction are received directly from the client or via a referrer (Estate Agent, Broker etc). Terms are agreed and the process commences. This includes ID verification and anti-money laundering checks.

Stage two: pre-contract

The draft contract is received, enquiries are raised, searches are arranged, and the mortgage offer is received.

Stage three: exchange of Contracts

The contract is signed, a deposit may be paid, financial statements are prepared, the mortgage deed and deed of sale are signed, and final arrangements are made. Statistics show that Holbrook & Co reach this stage, on average, a week or two before clients of other firms.

Stage Four: completion

The balance of purchase price/fees is paid by the Client, mortgage money is paid by your Lender to us, and then the purchase money is transferred to the Seller`s Conveyancer, which triggers key release – and your purchase is complete.

Stage five: post completion

Stamp duty is paid within the HMRC timescale to avoid penalties, and the transfer of ownership is registered at the Land Registry. Holbrook and Co have the facility to register your ownership at the HM Land Registry electronically, providing a safer and quicker solution, with the added benefit that our clients can save (in most cases) half the standard registration fee. Confirmation of successful registration will be forwarded to you with any important copy documents, which you should retain for safe keeping.

Keeping you informed

“Location, location, location” may be the buzz words for Phil and Kirstie, but for Holbrook & Co it has to be “Communication, communication, communication.”
Our performance as communicators is unsurpassed. We keep clients updated by e-mail, correspondence and SMS text messages. We also ensure that clients and professional referrers are aware of the progress of every transaction by posting transaction details as they occur, onto our “Track your case” facility. We call this “transparent conveyancing” which means that we have such confidence in our performance that we are happy to let you view the transaction progress online.

Keeping you fully advised will help to ensure a smooth transaction.

Holbrook & Co have adopted the very latest case management technology to provide clients with the highest level of customer care. Online tracking allows the progress of conveyancing transactions to be checked with the simple click of the mouse. This information is available online any time of the day and is updated 24 hours a day seven days a week. It will show what stage the transaction has reached and what is outstanding.

Our aim is to keep you informed every step of the way.

How much does it cost?

We do not offer an automated estimate facility on our web site because we prefer to obtain all relevant details of the transaction in order to give an accurate estimate of fees. Probably half of the automated estimates prove to be incorrect, with expensive subsequent “add ons”.

Our estimates are transparent – we do not offer an attractive low estimate and then load it with “extras”, most of which should have been included from the start.

Holbrook & Co do a great job because we are conveyancing and property law specialists. We use our experience to help keep your costs down. You should not expect a thorough and quick service for a cut-price fee. When you pay for a service, you only get what you pay for. More significantly, you certainly don`t get what you DON`T pay for!

Most clients expect a good service for a reasonable price – We provide It!

Our standard costs start from £695.00 plus VAT and disbursements for handling a house Sale or Purchase (both Leasehold and Freehold). Disbursements include Searches (full search pack £115 (local) and £150.50 (National) , Land Registry Fees and transactional searches (£3-£7). We can provide a full written estimate on initial contact. Stamp Duty Land Tax for properties in England can be checked via the following link https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax

Frequently asked questions

Holbrook & Co Property lawyers and Conveyancers offer services throughout Warrington and Cheshire, and can deal with any house sale or purchase anywhere in England & Wales.

Q. How long will the process of buying or selling a home take?

A. The average time taken, is usually between six and eight weeks. This depends on the length of the chain (if any) and whether you are making a mortgage application.

Q. Do I need a deposit?

A. Ideally, a buyer should pay a 10% deposit, where they are obtaining a mortgage advance for 90% or less towards the purchase price. However as people sometimes borrow more than 90% from their Lender, it is common for the deposit to be reduced accordingly. If you are simultaneously selling and buying, it is usual for the deposit received from your buyer to be forwarded to your seller’s Conveyancer.

Q. If I am receiving a “gifted deposit”, do I need to make this known?

A. All incentives, including family gifts or Seller`s cashback, must be disclosed to your mortgage lender. We will do this for you.

Q. I have a Help to Buy ISA account. Are you able to assist me to deal with this?

A. We are signed up to the Help to Buy: ISA Conveyancer Portal and are able to make bonus requests etc.

Q. When do I need to arrange buildings insurance?

A. You must arrange buildings insurance from an exchange of contracts as the property will be at your risk from that time.

Q. What are pre-contract enquiries?

A. Obtaining details of any alterations/ additions to the property and ensuring that planning consents have been obtained, checking guarantees, disputes etc.

Q. Is it possible for completion to take place at the weekend?

A. No. Completion has to be geared to take place on the same day as the funds are transferred in the property transaction. Banks are only able to transfer money electronically Monday to Friday.

Q. Would it be possible for someone such as a family member to send funds to you on my behalf?

A. No. This is due to anti-money laundering regulations. We are unable to accept funds from third parties. It is important therefore that funds are first paid to you before being sent to us directly from your own bank account.

Q. What is the difference between a freehold and a leasehold property?

A. A Freehold property is one where you own the property and the land on which the property is built outright. A leasehold property is when you rent the land on which the property is built. Leases can be granted for any number of years but commonly they are from 99 to 999 years. At the end of the Lease you would be able to negotiate an extension of the term of the lease, so that in practical terms, it can never run out. However, some Lenders are unwilling to lend on lease terms of less than 95 years.

Q. What should I do in readiness for my house move?

A. Once you have your completion date, you will need to think about organising moving in, and ensure that you:
Contact gas, electricity, water and telephone suppliers to arrange connection or continuity of service;
Contact anyone who writes to you regularly with your change of address. You can also get post redirected to your new address for a period for the payment of a fee.
 Don’t forget to tell your employer, current account provider, investment/pension providers, DVLA, TV licensing, children’s schools, doctor, dentist, and anyone else who may need to know that you have moved.

If you have any queries about our residential conveyancing services, contact Holbrook & Co on
01925 444 422 and resolve them today.

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