do i find a solicitor before making an offer on a property?

*confuses (not confused)

And you think UKIP voters are thick!

yes, yes i do. is that your answer then?

i have a degree in computer engineering, i dont have a degree in buying a house.
never even spoke to an estate agent or solicitor once in my entire life.
how does that make me thick?

obviously ukip voters are more used to dealing with solicitors, and we all know why that is!

I have dealt with solicitors on many occasions,none of which concerned whether I would be spending any time at Her Majesty's pleasure.

So what is your next stupid generalisation?

No need to bob , but the minute your offer's accepted they'll push you hard & want name /address of solicitor etc ...

so at least decide who you will use before hand

the deal takes a while (they might take a month to accept an offer) & even after you instruct solicitor it's not sealed until the exchange of contract (another month or so) when you pay

Just remember you can always back out

If you need a chat just message me ok

I made Tons of offers !!

One is no good btw , also backed out of at least 5 offers accepted also , it's all a game

thats what i meant really. seeing as ive never used a solicitor, the estate agent may ask who im using and ive got no idea.

im not really sure about surveys cos ive read the cheaper ones only give you a valuation and basic stuff that i can find out myself for nothing. and the full survey seems a bit of a waste of money, so long as i have a good look round the place myself. not sure. think id either want the full builders survey or none at all. dont care how much the place is worth, its fairly obvious what its roughly worth anyway.

i see. how easy is it to find out lease situations? not just how long the lease is, but for houses if you can buy the freehold. not keen on buying a house where the owner doesnt own the freehold, for obvious reasons. its something the estate agents seem to sweep under the carpet and never mention in the adverts/brochures.

as a cash buyer (if you are) you don't need any surveys done !

you just pay land registery & small things that aren't worth worrying about (flats cost more as you pay leaseholders transfer)

They'll always tell you you should but don't listen to them , unless the house is really dodgy , old mining area etc

Just remember the rest of the street have had them done already

most houses are freehold

they must tell you , just ring & ask questions !!

Repossessions are what you should go after , make offers , nothing to lose !

but may not know exact fee's for flat leases that are repossessed  , they're lazy bstrds tbh

use your own initiative & ring others for sale to enquire

yeah thats my thinking too. as long as the roof looks ok and theres no cracks or crumbling in the walls i think a survey is a poor value insurance bet. the house is pretty much gonna be exactly the same as next doors house.

just go with the most reputable solicitor in your area , they all cost very much the same , just ring & tell them your making offers & ask if they'll represent you , they want your business , but they're not interested until an offer's accepted anyway

yeah its just a few houses ive looked at online are leasehold. god knows why. i know my stepdads house was leasehold and it was never a council house, he eventually bought the freehold for about 500 quid i think. bit weird.

and a DEF word of advice !


DON'T USE IN HOUSE ESTATE AGENTS SOLICITORS , ALWAYS GET YOUR OWN

im guessing any solicitor will badger me into getting a survey done. seeing as it earns them cash.

NO Solicitors aren't interested , they do what You want !

it's estate agents that you need to be wary of !!!!!

my Solicitor told me 'i'm sick of that woman bloody ringing me'

she firmly stated ' if she rings you again , don't answer , just phone me '

your solicitor is your friend

oh cool. why did the estate agent keep hassling you??

because they want the deal sealed , to keep you as a customer , they lied to me , the bloke was almost being repossessed so was a sticky situation , and took Months !!

solicitor even said 'this is madness .. just offer them 10 k less or tell them your walking away'


they're pretty cool if you get a good one tbh

oh jeez. what would happen if you paid and it turned out he didnt own the property cos it just been reposessed? are you covered?

that's what solicitors are for , they check everything before you sign

it was being sold by the Bank , but he still had to sign to verify everything

he was just not answering anybodies calls imo

there was a few hundred quid fee needed paying , he wouldn't pay it , estate agent said maybe you should just pay it to get it sorted faster

I lowered my offer by 2.5k

ive seen a few places that look mid-renovation. presumably the owner has run out of money? or been evicted and wrecked some of the rooms moving out quick?

Lots will have been rented , always ask is it rented or owner occupied , note if the owner shows you around

Be very careful of wrecks though , don't take on more than you can handle

it's very dif when you own it & is costing you thousands to pay dodgy tradesman , like me i can't do too much myself tbh

i was thinking unless i get a newly renovated property or a recnt new-build it would be best to get a complete rewiring job done and new boiler/radiators etc. dont really wanna take chances with that kinda stuff. would cost a fortune though im sure.

anything in mint condition , they'll be asking top money for no doubt !

a run down house will a much better investment , but they do cost tons to get as you want it , the bonus is you have the time , like me i can build units , kitchens , bathrooms , paint , decorate , but the main jobs you have to pay fair money to get the tradesmen in

it's a lot more difficult on your own than you'd imagine , just putting a bathroom cabinet up on your own is a nightmare

my uncle does a bit of diy stuff. hes not good, but hes cheap. and no worse than i am lol. hes just quicker than me. so long as i get it clean, saf and painted that'll do then do bits one by one.

once you're in you'll want it doing though

I looked at a few , just make sure you know how muc it'll all cost , rewiring 2-3k , new central heating 2-3k , windows 2-3k

It all adds up , just try & get the best you can find , there's some desperate sellers around , but the trouble is others buyers aren't daft , they know what it's worth to them too

you're free to make offers without any solicitor


and you pay the Solicitor when it's sealed , not the guy , or the agent

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/conveyancing/

Make the offer first

then find your solicitor...but don't leave it too long as nothing is down on paper

if you go through estate agent, they would recommend a solicitor for you, if you cannot find your own

you can back out right up to exchange of contracts

pretty much the same as moonbeam said

gl

A word of warning about leasehold properties. Especially if you are a cash buyer.
The time left on the lease is crucial factor in the valuation of the property.
A mortgage cannot be obtained on a leasehold property with less than a certain number of years left on the lease. Even leases with perhaps below seventy years left on them might attract special rates.

The value of the property will diminish as the number of years left on the lease dwindles.

A healthy number of years left on a lease is a must. So that you can extend it if need be without incurring to much cost.

The leasehold system really seams archaic and bizarre.
Owners should be (with some exceptions in special areas) able to buy the land out at a fair price.

as archaic and bizarre as my spelling of "seems"