Ladybird Living – Your London Estate Agent

Ladybird Living
buying-process

Top Tip : If your purchase will involve selling your current home or asset, it is advisable to advertise your current property before beginning the search for a new property. Being ready to sell means you are less likely to miss out on your dream home.

How much can you afford?

Before you begin searching it is advisable to arrange your finances and, if required, have a mortgage agreed in principle. We would be glad to recommend mortgage brokers that have access to the entire market, as well as exclusive deals and rates to help find you the best mortgage available.

With hundreds of new listings going live each week, we can help you find the right property that fits your requirements. Fill in our Free Property Sourcing Form, and one of our negotiators will revert with options that match your criteria, sometimes off-market or through our many partners throughout London.

We will chauffeur you to your viewings, ensuring you arrive in a relaxed frame of mind, and accompany you throughout so that we are on hand to answer any questions immediately and advise where necessary.

Instructing a solicitor

A successful purchase relies on an efficient and experienced solicitor. We would be glad to recommend solicitors known for their expertise, speed and efficiency.

Placing an offer

Once you find your perfect property you can make an offer. Let us know if there any special conditions of the offer and we will communicate this to the seller. At this point you may need to demonstrate that you can proceed by providing evidence of your mortgage in principle and solicitor details. There are no legal obligations on either side until contracts are signed.

Agreeing the sale

Once the offer has been accepted, the solicitors will finalise all the legalities of the sale and an exchange of contracts will take place. Before exchange, the deposit will be sent over to your solicitor and a date set for completion. We will help and guide you through the whole process, and ensure:

Conveyancing process

As part of the conveyancing process your solicitor will do the following:
- Raise any enquiries on receipt of the draft contract from the seller's solicitor
- Request their own local searches
- Agree on a date for exchange of contracts
We will assist your solicitor and negotiate throughout the process, keeping you informed every step of the way.

A survey of the property will be booked by a surveyor on behalf of the mortgage lender to identify any structural problems and advise on the property's value. After the mortgage valuation report is received, a formal mortgage offer will be sent to you and your solicitor, which you will need to sign before it is returned. There are no legal obligations until contracts are signed.

Exchange of contracts and completion

Exchange of contracts occurs when all enquiries have been confirmed and agreed. Once the contract has been signed by both parties the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) will be transferred online or paid in the form of a banker's draft from your solicitor to the seller's solicitor. The completion date is then set by mutual agreement.

Completion is when the residual monies (usually 90%) are transferred from your solicitor to the seller's solicitor's account. Keys are released once the money has cleared in the seller's account.

Congratulations, you are now the legal owner of your property!