Jump to main content

Frequently asked questions: Buying & selling houses

Contact us for a quote:

Telephone on:

  • 0117 978 6039 (South Bristol)
  • 0117 923 2141 (North Bristol)

Or by email to:

When it comes to buying and selling your property, you need a conveyancing solicitor who is quick, responsive and effective.  At Barcan Woodward solicitors in Bristol we pride ourselves on our quality of service to deliver – and exceed – your expectations of the conveyancing process.  At the same time, we are able to offer a highly competitively priced service for a no-nonsense approach.  We provide a complete estimate, with no hidden “add ons”.

We have a highly regarded conveyancing legal team who have a wealth of experience in dealing with all aspects of property transactions.  Whilst some property purchases may be similar, we recognise that you may have requirements over and above concerns about your property.   We aim, therefore, to offer a personalised service to ensure that we can respond to each client’s needs, quickly and efficiently.

We can provide a tailored quotation for you either by telephone or by email; please contact us via the above details for an instant response.

Conveyancing Team

Giles Woodward (Consultant) gjw@barcanwoodward.co.uk 0117 923 2141
Andrew Dobie (Partner) gad@barcanwoodward.co.uk 0117 963 5237
Julie Scott (Partner) jhs@barcanwoodward.co.uk 0117 923 2141
Caughlin Crosby (Legal Executive) ccc@barcanwoodward.co.uk 0117 978 6039
Jessica Lippiat (Legal Executive) jxl@barcanwoodward.co.uk 0117 923 2141

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much will it cost?

This depends on several factors.  We will give you a tailored quotation on request, which will give you a full account of all the costs you will incur, including all the disbursements you will need to pay, such as stamp duty land tax.  We will also email this to you on request so that you have written confirmation of the quotation we have provided

Back to Top

How long will it take?

This depends primarily on you being prepared.  You should refer to our links below, depending on whether you are buying or selling.  This will help you to get all the information together you need, and ensure that you have put in place all actions necessary to progress your sale or purchase

Back to Top

What do I have to do on my sale?

You need to provide a Home Information Pack

We can provide this for you for a one-off cost through our recommended supplier. 

You need to choose an Estate Agent

It is sensible to get at least 3 local agents to value your property; you will find that valuations may vary and you need to choose wisely the valuation that you think most accurately reflects the value of your property to ensure a sale.  You should also bear in mind the commission that you pay them since these can vary.  If you would like us to recommend an agent, please let us know

You need to notify your mortgage company

You should get a rough guide as to what is owing on your mortgage

You need to complete some standard forms to provide to the buyer

Please click on the link below to download the forms for you to complete and return to us

From then on, we will guide you through the process of selling your property by giving you a detailed estimate of costs and giving you comprehensive advice of what you need.  You can ask us any questions you like about the selling process

Back to Top

What do I have to do on my purchase?

You need to consider how you are going to fund your purchase

You will need to decide how you are first of all going to pay the deposit; this is usually 5 or 10% of the purchase price, payable on exchange.  It is separate from your mortgage and so needs to be paid for from your savings or some other source.  We will need this to be paid in cleared funds before we are able to exchange contracts.  If you are selling your house as well as buying, you should be able to utilise the deposit you receive on exchanging contracts on your sale to cover all or part of the cost of the deposit you need to provide on your purchase

You then need to consider a mortgage

This will allow you to complete your purchase of the property if you do not have the available funds.  It is preferable to get your mortgage arranged as early as possible, since this can cause delays if the mortgage offer is not received by us

You need to get a survey

Your mortgage company will insist that you get a valuation carried out on the property. It is however a good idea to get a more detailed survey which should tell you if there are any problems and whether any repairs need to be carried out which you will need to budget for

From then on, we will guide you through the process of buying your property by giving you a detailed estimate of the costs involved and giving you comprehensive advice on what you need. You can ask us any questions you like about the process.

Back to Top

How do I go about a remortgage?

We deal with all types of mortgages and all the lenders. We can advise you on your mortgagee’s requirements, and take you through the process

Back to Top

I am divorcing my partner; how does this affect my house?

Do you wish to add or remove a person from the title of your property, or as some people say, “from the deeds”? This can usually be dealt with quickly and without complications. Please contact Caughlin Crosby of our Conveyancing Team (South Bristol) on 0117 9786039 or Jessica Lippiat (North Bristol) on 0117 923 2141

However, where a separation or divorce is involved you will need to discuss your legal rights and any settlement figures with a solicitor before proceeding with a transfer of the property.

Please contact our family law department::

Richard Howell by e-mail roh@barcanwoodward.co.uk orby telephone on 0117 923 2141 or view our pages on Family Law Solicitors

Chris Miller by e-mail cmm@barcanwoodward.co.uk or by telephone on 0117 963 5237

Alternatively click here

Back to Top

Do I need to make a will when I buy a house?

The simple answer is, yes! If you already have a will, then you also might like to think about amending it since your financial position will almost certainly have changed and you may have widened your responsibility to others. To discuss either making a will, or revising an existing one, please contact our Will Solicitors in Bristol, Caughlin Crosby on 0117 978 6039 or Giles Woodward on 0117 923 2141

Please contact:

Giles Woodward or Andrew Dobie for more details

Contact Giles by e-mail gjw@barcanwoodward.co.uk or by telephone on 0117 923 2141;

Contact Andrew by e-mail gad@barcanwoodward.co.uk or by telephone on 0117 963 5237

Alternatively click here

Back to Top

Copyright ©2009 Barcan Woodward Solicitors