For Buyers

How long will the legal process take?

There are many factors determining how long it will take from sale agreed to completion; the length of chain above and below you, whether there are mortgages involved in the purchase and the time of year (e.g. bank holidays). As a general rule of thumb, the sales process take on average 8-10 weeks.

Do I need a survey?

If you are purchasing without a mortgage the choice is yours as to whether or not to have a survey. The age and condition of the property should be taken into account when making this decision. Many purchasers choose to have a homebuyers survey for peace of mind.

When do I need to arrange building insurance?

Unless the lender is arranging the insurance or the property is a leasehold in which case the insurance is dealt with by the landlord, this must be arranged from exchange of contracts as the property will be at your risk from that time.

What happens on completion?

Your solicitor will transfer the balance of the purchase money to the seller's solicitor, once received they will call the estate agents to release the keys to you.

How much Stamp Duty will I have to pay?

You pay stamp duty at different rates on portions of the price according to the following:

• Zero on the first £125,000 of the property price
• 2% on the next £125,000
• 5% on the next £675,000
• 10% on the next £575,000
• 12% on the rest (above £1.5 million)

We were given an honest opinion and kept informed throughout the process.

Mrs C & Mrs H

I would highly recommend Gilbert & Cleveland. The whole process was handled with professionalism, efficiency and friendliness.

Miss F