Exchange of contracts

Before signing the contract, the documents relating to your purchase will be explained to you either in person when you attend the office, or in the form of a property report which is sent to you by post. Provided you are happy with the terms of the purchase, you will be asked to sign the contract and return this to us (if this process has been done by post) together with your deposit monies.

Contracts can then be exchanged when your seller is ready. This is the point of no return and you need to be certain that you wish to buy the home! The exchange itself is carried out during a telephone conversation between both sets of solicitors and it is at this stage that the completion date will be written into the contract. Completion normally takes one or more weeks after exchange, but it can be sooner if not on the same day as exchange (known as a simultaneous exchange and completion). It is important to let us know your preferred completion date as early as possible. Also, if you agree a date direct with your seller, please check with us that the proposed date is realistic.

Insurance of the property will be your responsibility from exchange of contracts. In terms of arranging insurance, it might be that your mortgage lender is arranging for cover on your behalf. If this is not the case, then you must let us have details of your insurance cover before exchange of contracts as we are required under the terms of the mortgage to check that cover is properly in place.