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Conveyancing Solicitors in Colchester
If you have plans to move homes in Colchester, then you will want to be sure that you have got the right support in place to make your transaction a success.
At Bird & Co, our expert conveyancing solicitors can work alongside you to make sure that the conveyancing process is made as straightforward as possible, helping you to move ahead with confidence.
We offer all of our clients a tailored conveyancing service that is easily accessible, no matter what your individual circumstances are. We appreciate that there are plenty of potential hurdles that can end up disrupting a conveyancing transaction, so we will use our wealth of combined experience to carefully guide you through your case from start to finish.
We are able to offer a fast and efficient online conveyancing service. This means we can make the conveyancing process even more straightforward, as well as being able to support a wide pool of clients from across Colchester and the wider Essex area, including Lexden, Braiswick and Highwoods.
Get in touch with a member of our conveyancing team in Colchester by giving us a call, or get a quote online.
How our conveyancing solicitors in Colchester can help you
Our team of expert conveyancing solicitors in Colchester have a wide range of expertise, including:
- Buying and selling your home
- Advice for first time buyers, such as:
- Remortgaging
- Equity release
- Advice about buying as joint tenants or tenants in common
- Buying and selling listed property
- Buying and selling leasehold property
- Collective enfranchisement and buying the freehold of a house
- Lease extension
- Transfer of equity
- Gifting property and Deeds of Gift
- Buy to let conveyancing
- Buying and selling land
- Commercial conveyancing
- Stamp Duty advice
We are also on the panel for most major lenders. This means that we can support your conveyancing transaction whether you are working with a national firm or a local building society.
Why choose Bird & Co’s conveyancing solicitors in Colchester?
At Bird & Co, we specialise in online conveyancing. This means that we can guide you through your transaction remotely and you won’t need to visit us at our physical offices.
Our conveyancing solicitors in Colchester offer a reliable conveyancing service that is designed to make each step as simple and stress-free as possible. This will allow you to complete your transaction with minimal fuss.
You will always be able to contact our team when you have a query about your case, and you will be provided with a direct email address for the solicitor who is handling your case.
As a firm, we are accredited with the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme. This assures that we will:
- Provide high quality legal advice
- Get your conveyancing transaction completed as efficiently as possible
- Provide top quality customer service and respond to queries quickly
- Keep you regularly updated and never leave you in the dark about the status of your transaction
- Be upfront and honest about your fees – we will provide you with an accurate quote before you instruct us so that you can decide whether we are right for you
We are also Lexcel accredited by the Law Society. This demonstrates our commitment to delivering the highest levels of customer service and practice management.
Why instruct our online conveyancers instead of a conveyancer in Colchester?
There are a number of benefits to working with our conveyancing solicitors in Colchester. These include:
- We have in-depth knowledge of the national property market, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the local Colchester market. This gives us an edge over other firms who only deal with local transactions.
- Our online systems have been developed with sensitive communication in mind. We ensure that our clients are well protected when they use our online conveyancing service. We do this by carrying out secure procedures such as encrypting emails, configuring our devices and putting malware protection in place.
- We can get your conveyancing done quickly and efficiently. When you work with our online conveyancers, there are far fewer delays to contend with, as everything can be completed remotely.
- Online conveyancing tends to be more cost-effective. Traditional conveyancing work tends to incur additional costs. These aren’t present when you work with our online conveyancers.
- We have dealt with property transactions around the country, even for clients who are on the other side of the world. We regularly use video conferencing to talk to our clients, including if they are currently outside the UK.
- Our legal obligations to you remain the same as if we were meeting in person as there are no differences to the general conveyancing process. We are fully insured just in case.
Our conveyancing fees – how much does our conveyancing cost in Colchester?
We are able to offer fixed fees for straightforward conveyancing work. This means that you will have a clear idea how much your conveyancing will cost from the outset, helping to avoid any unexpected surprises further down the road. If additional fees are required to complete your transaction, you will be informed by your solicitor.
Other costs associated with the conveyancing process are called disbursements. Disbursements can range from conveyancing searches, to registering a transaction at HM Land Registry.
You may also need to consider how your transaction will be affected by tax such as Stamp Duty Land Tax or Capital Gains Tax. If this is the case, your solicitor will help you to calculate how much tax is owed and file the return with HMRC.
Conveyancing FAQs
How does the conveyancing process work in Colchester?
There are three stages to the conveyancing process that you should be aware of. These are:
- Offer and acceptance
- Exchange of contracts
- Completion
When the buyer and seller agree on an offer for a home, they will agree to enter into a contract. Until the contract is signed and exchanged, the transaction is not legally binding and either party can choose to pull out.
The buyer will then carry out a number of checks with the help of their conveyancer. Checks could include:
- Reviewing property information provided by the seller and making further enquiries if necessary (done by the conveyancing solicitor)
- Conducting conveyancing property searches, such as local authority checks (done by the conveyancing solicitor)
- Carrying out an independent survey (done by the buyer)
The buyer will also apply for a mortgage at this stage (if applicable).
Once the property checks have been completed and both parties are happy to proceed, contracts will be signed and exchanged. This is the point at which the transaction becomes legally binding. If anyone pulls out, they will likely receive a penalty, unless they are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
Completion is where the transaction becomes official. A transfer deed is submitted to HM Land Registry and the seller will be required to leave the property.
How long does conveyancing take in Colchester?
Every conveyancing transaction is different, and the time it takes to reach completion will depend on a number of different factors. That being said, if everything goes ahead smoothly, you can expect a typical transaction to take around 12-14 weeks.
Delays can often occur further along the property chain, which means that it is not always possible to be in full control when it comes to completing a transaction. If it looks as though it will take longer than expected to reach completion, your conveyancer will keep you informed and run you through your options.
What searches are involved in conveyancing in Colchester?
If you are buying a property in Colchester, your conveyancer will need to carry out various checks.
The three main types of conveyancing checks are:
- Local authority checks – to check the surrounding area for planning, pollution, highway pollution, or other related issues
- Environmental searches – to check for issues such as flooding or land contamination
- Water and drainage searches – to check matters such as water and drainage access
Further checks may be required, depending on the type of property in question and where it is located. If this is the case, your solicitor will keep you informed.
Is it better to use a conveyancing solicitor in Colchester or a conveyancer?
Whether it is more beneficial to use a conveyancing solicitor or a conveyancer during residential conveyancing in Colchester is often dependent on your circumstances and budget, however, there are also some differences between the two which are worth taking into consideration.
Conveyancers and conveyancing solicitors are both qualified to assist with property transactions, but a conveyancing solicitor can also provide assistance with other legal matters due to additional qualifications they hold.
What documents does a property solicitor in Colchester need for conveyancing?
Your property solicitor in Colchester will need a number of different documents during the conveyancing process, but exactly which documents are required depends on the type of transaction.
When buying a property, your property solicitor in Colchester will need documents, such as:
- Identification documentation, including passport or driving license and proof of address
- Proof of funds, such as bank statements
- The official offer of mortgage
When selling a property, your Colchester conveyancing solicitors will need:
- Proof of ownership
- Seller’s Property Information Form
- Certificates, guarantees and planning permission documentation
- Fitting and contents form
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
- Leasehold or freehold information
- Details of the mortgage
How do you instruct our conveyancing solicitors in Colchester?
Should you need assistance with conveyancing in Colchester, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our conveyancing team in Colchester by giving us a call, or get a quote online.
Our Colchester conveyancing team will be able to run through the initial stages of your conveyancing transaction and, once your file is opened, your conveyancer will take care of all of the legal details related to your transaction.
Whether you are moving to, from, or across Colchester, our conveyancing solicitors will be able to lend their expertise.
Get in touch with our conveyancing solicitors in Colchester
Get in touch with our conveyancing solicitors in Colchester by giving us a call, or get a quote online.