First-Time Buyer Solicitors
Buying your first home is a major milestone, and it helps when the legal process is smooth and straightforward. JMW's residential conveyancing solicitors specialise in supporting people with their first property purchase, and offer legal services at all stages of the process.
By providing the professional legal guidance you need to go from an initial offer to collecting your keys, we make the first house conveyancing process as easy as possible for you, and we will provide the legal documents you need to protect yourself in your new purchase. We focus on transparency, efficiency, and proactive communication to complete your property purchase effectively, and provide clear advice on any risks we have identified before you legally commit to your purchase.
We know that first-time buyers often need additional support during the home-buying process, and our combination of expertise in property law and experience in helping many people in this position means that we can offer the guidance and support you need. To learn more about how JMW can help, or to start the process, contact us today. Call our experienced residential real estate team on 0345 872 6666 or use our online enquiry form to get in touch today.
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How JMW Can Help
JMW’s team manages every aspect of the legal work involved in buying your first home. From the moment your offer is accepted to the final registration of your ownership with HM Land Registry, we simplify the journey by providing direct, professional updates at every stage. Through our conveyancing services, we aim to look after your best interests and enable you to buy your first home while minimising any surprises. While buying a new property is not always straightforward, JMW will make sure that the legal work proceeds as smoothly as possible.
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and have been accredited by the Law Society for conveyancing quality, both of which demonstrate that we adhere to the highest professional standards. Our team has decades of combined experience that allows us to anticipate problems before they arise, address them proactively, and keep things simple for your first purchase.
As a full service law firm, JMW offers more of the services you need than a conveyancing firm can. We can draw on the expertise of solicitors who specialise in boundary disputes, planning permission and other relevant areas of the law to ensure that your property purchase is legally secure, and to set you up for the future you want. This includes addressing specific concerns such as lease extensions, or issues with title deeds, to prevent hidden costs from arising during the process.
Meet the Team
JMW's residential conveyancing team comprises specialists dedicated to helping first-time buyers navigate the property market. We take care of all of the legal formalities, from carrying out property surveys to identify any potential concerns, to transferring ownership and registering the new legal owner after completion.
What Is the Conveyancing Process?
The house buying process begins when you seek a mortgage in principle and start to look at properties you may wish to purchase, but the legal aspect starts when you instruct a solicitor and make an offer on a particular home. While you can also have a licensed conveyancer carry out the legal process for you, an experienced conveyancing solicitor provides a broader range of legal expertise that is often invaluable if legal issues arise regarding boundary agreements or detailed trusts.
Upon instruction, we will need certain identification documents from you to satisfy anti-money laundering regulations. Then, when you have made an offer on a property and it has been accepted, we request documents from the seller's solicitor including a draft contract, the property's title deeds, and various protocol forms such as the fittings and contents form and the property information form.
Reviewing the documents
Your mortgage lender will send us a copy of your mortgage offer, and we will check to make sure any conditions are met.
If you are using a Help to Buy ISA or a Lifetime ISA, we can check against the legal requirements to claim your government bonus, and start this process. If everything is in order, we will then proceed with local authority searches and other enquiries to identify any concerns that might affect your purchase.
Property searches and enquiries
Property searches allow us to uncover information about the property that may not be visible during a standard survey. We conduct several essential searches, including:
- Local authority searches to identify planned developments nearby, such as new roads, or planning restrictions on the property.
- An environmental search to check for risks like contaminated land, subsidence, or flood risks.
- A drainage search to confirm that the property is connected to the mains water supply and public sewers.
- A chancel repair liability search, which will highlight any historical obligation to contribute to local church repairs.
The exact nature of the searches we will carry out depends on the specifics of the property you wish to purchase, and additional checks may be needed in some areas to confirm that there are no significant risks that could affect the transaction.
If searches highlight legal issues, we can raise specific enquiries with the seller's solicitor regarding anything from building regulations to maintenance responsibilities. You do not proceed until you are satisfied with the answers.
Specific enquiries for a leasehold property
When purchasing a leasehold property, we need to examine aspects like the terms of the lease, the remaining length, and any service charges or ground rent, to protect you from financial claims. We will also enquire about planned major works that could result in costs after you move in.
We will then review all of the legal paperwork, including the title deeds and the results of all property searches, to verify that the seller has the legal right to sell and that no restrictive covenants exist that would affect the value of the property or your enjoyment of your new home.
Exchanging contracts
The exchange of contracts is the point at which the transaction becomes legally binding. Before this happens, you need to arrange for buildings insurance to start and provide your deposit, which is typically 10 per cent of the purchase price but may differ according to the terms of your mortgage agreement.
Once both parties are ready, we exchange contracts and fix a completion date. Between exchange and completion, we carry out final pre-completion searches and request the mortgage funds from your lender. We also prepare a final financial statement showing the remaining balance required to complete the home purchase.
Completion day
On completion day, we transfer the purchase price to the seller's solicitor. Once they confirm receipt, they authorise the estate agents to release the keys. Following completion, we register your ownership with HM Land Registry and pay any necessary Stamp Duty Land Tax. The sellers of the first property in the chain will need to move first, and a first-time buyer will always be at the bottom of the chain, so it is worth bearing in mind that delays can arise on your completion date.
FAQs on Buying Your First Home
- How much should a solicitor cost for a first-time buyer?
For a first time buyer, conveyancing fees and the disbursements you need to budget for - such as the costs for property searches and HM Land Registry fees - can be daunting. To make this simpler, JMW offers fixed fee conveyancing and a transparent fee structure at the outset of the process. In this way, we make things simple and clarify exactly what you are paying for, so you can budget for your purchase effectively.
- When should I instruct a first-time buyer solicitor?
You should instruct a solicitor as soon as possible during the process. The legal work begins when you make an offer on a property and it is accepted, but an experienced solicitor can advise you on a range of relevant subjects and give more support to first-time buyers who are not sure what to expect.
Having a solicitor ready before you make an offer allows the estate agents to issue the memorandum of sale quickly, signalling to the seller that you are a prepared buyer, and means that the process can move more efficiently in many cases.
- Do I need buildings insurance before I move in?
You should arrange buildings insurance to begin from the date of the exchange of contracts. Upon the exchange of contracts, you are legally committed to the purchase and the risk for the structure usually passes to you, which means that you would be liable for any damage from this point forward. Further, mortgage lenders require proof of insurance before releasing funds.
- How do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax?
First-time buyers are currently exempt from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on properties under £300,000. For properties valued at more than £300,000, your solicitor will calculate the exact amount owed and handle the payment of SDLT on your behalf. This includes submitting the necessary return to HMRC and paying the correct amount from the funds provided.
- How long does the house buying process take for first-time buyers?
The process typically takes between 8 to 16 weeks, although this varies based on the chain and the speed of local authority searches. Leasehold property transactions require additional legal steps, which we manage proactively, but this can mean that the process takes longer. There can also be delays caused by the property chain, or the seller's solicitor failing to respond promptly to outstanding enquiries.
At JMW, our team will stay in touch and provide regular updates to keep you in the loop about how the process is progressing, and what you need to do as we near a completion date. We proactively work to maintain momentum by identifying potential bottlenecks early, and taking steps to mitigate them.
Talk to Us
If you are ready to buy your first home, or have questions about what the process may involve, contact JMW today. Our experience in supporting buyers at all stages of their journey in buying property means that we can help you take your first step onto the property ladder, and make your dream home a reality.
Call us on 0345 872 6666 or fill in our online enquiry form, and a member of our residential conveyancing team will get back to you to discuss your purchase.
