Why Hire a Solicitor When Buying a Property?

Posted on 23rd October 2023

Why Hire a Solicitor When Buying a Property?

Buying a home can be an emotional rollercoaster, and the paperwork and negotiations can overwhelm you. Thankfully, there is a way to make this process much more straightforward: by hiring a solicitor to do the hard work for you. In this article, we will discuss why you should hire a solicitor when buying a property:

They Handle All the Paperwork

One of the very first things a property solicitor will do for you is contact the seller’s property solicitor or conveyancer on your behalf. During this interaction, your progressive law firm solicitor will request a draft copy of the title of the property, the contract and any other protocol documents, such as the Leasehold Information Form, the Seller’s Property Information Form and the Fittings and Contents Form.

Your solicitor will start work on your case as soon as all these documents are received. They will go through all of the forms, making sure that everything is ready for the purchase to go through. If they find any issues with the documentation during this process, they will raise them with the seller’s solicitor.

While it is possible to check paperwork without the help of a solicitor, you are much more likely to make mistakes. This can slow down the process or lead to the property falling through altogether.

They Perform Searches on the Property

Before purchasing a property, ensuring the property is a good investment is essential. While a survey can help with this, it isn’t the only way to ensure you are purchasing the right property for you. Another way to ensure a property is a sound investment is by doing legal searches of the property, including:

Local authority search – this search provides you with information about the property in question and the local area.
Flood risk analysis – this reveals whether a property is at risk of flooding, whether it be from a river, groundwater, or something else.
Water authority search – this is a compulsory search that a mortgage lender will require. It ensures the property is safe from damp, leaking or flooding caused by public drains or waterways.
Environmental search – this type of search looks at historical records for your property and the surrounding area. It checks the past use for the land on which the property is situated.
Check the title plan and title register with the Land Registry – these documents provide evidence of ownership.

Unfortunately, these searches aren’t easy to complete. This is where a property solicitor comes in. A property solicitor will do these searches for you and spot potential problems before you purchase the property.

They Help You Overcome Issues

As mentioned above, solicitors can help you overcome more technical issues that might arise during the house purchase. This might include things like boundary disputes, rights of way, easements, or other issues involving the land the house is on.

A home purchase is one of the most significant transactions you will ever make. For this reason, it’s vital to hire a solicitor to help you purchase a property. They will ensure that the house you buy is a worthwhile investment and deal with any issues arising during the purchase.