Communication, Communication, Communication

There are many things to consider when thinking of buying property. Kirsty and Phil and in fact every estate agent that I have ever met keep banging on about location. Their mantra of Location, Location, Location is one that I am sure you have heard ad nauseam. I completely agree that if you find the right property in the right location at the right time, you should not have any problem when it comes to selling your des res. Having said all of that, just as the disgraced Lance Armstrong would have you believe that it is not all about the bike, I am sure that Phil Spencer and his mates would also agree it's not just about location.

Once you have swept up the champagne corks and have come down from the high of getting your offer accepted, I am afraid that we will have to get started on the conveyancing. It might be a bit bumpy before you are savouring your next sip of the Old Widow. At this stage, it may be that your parents sage advice will creep into your head – “apart from death and taxes, stress when buying a property are the only certainties in life” - but it does not need to be like that!

There are a number of reasons why a transaction can be stressful. Lack of time given to complete the transaction is an important consideration and I would say that you should give yourself at least 6/8 weeks. Long gone are the days when you could phone your mortgage broker and expect an offer of loan to wing its way to you in a couple of days. I would however say that I believe that a lack of communication is probably the fundamental reason why a transaction becomes unnecessarily stressful.

I need to make sure by that I communicate effectively with all of the main protagonists in the process.

The Mortgage Broker

I need to know that the mortgage is progressing satisfactorily. Without a mortgage offer in place, my advice is not to conclude missives as the penalties are significant for failing to complete on time. If I do not communicate with the mortgage broker how am I going to know when I can conclude missives.

The Solicitor

I need to communicate with the solicitor to advise them of any issues with the title deeds, alteration documentation, searches etc.. Unless I effectively communicate with the other side’s solicitors then how are they going to know that they have a problem. Most of the time these problems can be resolved but take time. Again if a solicitor fails to do this or is slow to do so then this will have an impact on the timings of the transaction.

The Client

I need to speak with the client to advise him how his transaction is progressing. I need to be transparent with him and bring to his attention any issues which may have an adverse effect upon timings or indeed whether or not the transaction can in fact complete. Keeping the client up to date is one of the most important aspects of the transaction. I very much take the view that an informed client is going to be less stressed than one who does not have the up-to-date information in relation to his transaction. Communicating information to the client is a key element to the success of a transaction. If you have not given the client the necessary information, how can you possibly manage his expectations.

Why would a client want come back and use your services or indeed recommend you to their friends and family if they have had an unnecessarily stressful transaction? It does not make any sense. It is for this reason that when I act on behalf of a client in any conveyancing transaction, communication is the most important aspect in ensuring a smooth transition from one champagne moment to the next.

I would be delighted to discuss any transaction that you have and explain to you how I feel that I can ensure that your next transaction is stress free.