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Buying Home Tips
The process of buying a house
When you find the house of your dreams, the buying process is as follows;
 Make an offer & appoint a Solicitor
When your offer has been accepted, the seller will need your solicitor’s details. Your solicitor handles the conveyancing, which covers all legal aspects of purchasing a property. - Finalise Mortgage Arrangements
You now need to finalise your mortgage. Most lenders will also carry out a valuation on the property - not a survey, just a basic valuation.
- Organise a property survey
Now you can arrange a property survey, which is a detailed check of the property. This is optional but highly recommended.
- Exchange contracts
Your solicitor will have carried out all the necessary searches between the offer and exchange of contracts. Once the contract terms have been agreed, the contracts can be exchanged and the deposit paid.
- Complete
When your solicitor has completed the purchase on your behalf and the property is vacant for possession.
Home Information Packs (HIPS)
Since 14 December 2007 every home put on the market must have a Home Information Pack, with some exceptions.
The Home Information Pack (HIP) brings together key information needed by buyers and sellers at the very start of the home-buying and selling process, and ensures that important information about improving the energy efficiency of homes is available when a property is sold.
Copies of a property’s HIP are free to buyers, although a reasonable charge may be made for copying and postage.
As a buyer you should always:
- ask to see the Pack on the property you’re interested in, and check that it's complete.
- check to see if any of the compulsory documents are missing and that there is a satisfactory explanation, along with an assurance that the missing items will be provided as soon as possible.
- find out whether a Home Condition Report was commissioned as part of the Pack.
- give a copy of the pack to your solicitor - this could save you time and money.
HIP Contents:
- Home Information Pack Index
- Energy Performance Certificate
- Sale statement
- Standard searches
- Evidence of title
- Additional information for leasehold and commonhold sales, where appropriate.
Other documents can be included, such as a Home Condition Report, an environmental or flood risk search and other information that would be of interest to a potential buyer as defined in the regulations.
For more information on HIPs, please go to www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/consumer/
Safety Tips for Buyers
- All communication between sellers and buyers is done through the HWD website, which means that all communication is anonymous unless and until either party wishes to disclose more detail.
- If you arrange a viewing, always tell someone else where you are going and approximately what time you will be home.
- If you can, take someone with you when viewing a property.
- Finally - use your common sense. If you’re not sure about going in to someone’s house, then don’t; your instincts are often right.
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