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Buying in Chesterfield, Sheffield, Dronfield and Mansfield


Common questions when buying a house

An investor has pulled out causing our chain to collapse, what can we do?

The current market and national economy is so uncertain that people may choose to wait and indeed remove their risk by pulling out of the transaction.  Although there is no reason not to carry on as normal in terms of the legal process we have to consider slower transaction times or hesitant investors or buyers.

At what point in the process is it legally binding?

You can withdraw from a sale or purchase up until the point contracts have been exchanged. Any deposits paid after exchange of contract will then by non-refundable. After contracts are exchanged you are then responsible for the property you are buying and should arrange suitable insurance from this date.

How long are local searches valid for?

A local authority search completed for a house purchase is valid for 3 months.

How long does the conveyancing process take on average?

We usually say 8-12 weeks for an average sale or purchase. Queries and concerns can often come out of the local authority searches which need further investigation and sometimes this leads to re-approval from the Mortgage lender. This can add further time into the process.

What happens if the house I am buying has quarantined owners in it?

Unfortunately, in this situation the seller will not be able to give vacant possession, which will lead to completion delays.  As a preventative measure, as per question 1, we can offer to exchange contracts and complete on the same day, which ensures that contracts are only exchanged if all parties in the chain are able to move on that day, thus reducing the risk to all parties.  This can be more stressful so we ask that clients be sensible and accommodating of the situation.

What happens if we can’t produce certificates for work we’ve had done on the house we’re selling?

You can indemnify the work by taking out an insurance policy. This means that you can not be held liable for any future fault on the work that was done. We can arrange this for you

What is Stamp Duty and how much will I have to pay?

Stamp Duty is a tax levied by HM Government on a transfer of property. For residential single property ownership this tax is calculated at 5% for the portion of the property value between £250,001 and £925,000, 10% for the portion between £925,001 and £1,500,000 and 12% for the portion £1,500,001 and over. Duty may also be chargeable on any rental charge (leases only) - this affects both residential and commercial leases where different thresholds are applied. There are different rates for First time buyers and "second homes/buy to let".

See our stamp duty page for more details

What is the difference between Joint Tenants and Tenants in Common?

Tenants is Common is where two or more people are entitled to the proceeds of sale in distinct shares - on the death of one, his/her interest will not pass to the survivor(s) but will be part of his/her estate. Joint Tenants are on the other hand 50/50 Co-owners of land - when one of them dies, his/her rights of ownership pass to the survivor(s).

Flying Start

We know how important time is to you, especially when moving house.

Our new Flying Start portal allows you to complete the initial part of the process online at your convenience. You can agree your quote, sign the T&Cs, complete a selfie online ID check and fill out your initial paperwork from your phone.

Key Benefits

  • Speeds up the conveyancing process - Typically saves 2 weeks on the average transaction.
  • Safe & Secure - Two-factor authentication so you can be assured your information is always secure.
  • Quick & Convenient - Complete your initial documentation online,  meaning that you don't need to print, sign or post important documents back to us.
  • Easily provide ID - Full integration with a state-of-the-art selfie I.D. verification tool, meaning you don't need to visit the office to provide ID.
  • Secure Communication - Easily communicate with our team directly through the portal.

We would like to thank our solicitor acting for us Richard, he did a great job and was very easy to speak to and very friendly. Extremely professional and we would use him again in the future.

Mr & Mrs S, Sheffield

Great service from start to finish. Josh kept us updated throughout the process and was always very prompt with responses. Highly recommended.

Mr & Mrs B, Mansfield

Josh was very competent and understanding. He was friendly and tried very hard to help things go smoothly, he never made you feel as though you were being a nuisance. Lovely person. Thank you

Mr & Mrs P, Mansfield

Very happy with the service, Richard Joy has been excellent.

Mr L, Sheffield

Josh was excellent and would definitely use his services again.

We were always helped with all questions and he was friendly and approachable.

Mr B & Miss C, Mansfield

I would like to thank you for your assistance, i would highly recommend you to friends and colleagues alike.

Mr & Mrs P, Old Whittington

Banner Jones have been super, and you in particular have been amazing. You have kept in touch throughout and bent over backwards to help!!

Ms C, Chapeltown

Great service, very prompt, everything explained in detail. Thank you Josh and his team.

Mr & Mrs M, Mansfield

Hollie was really great! What a great team, thank you very much!

Mr & Mrs H, Mansfield

House moves are very stressful. First rate service. I was put at ease with everything and the way our move was handled. I would highly recomend Banner Jones.

Mr & Mrs B, Chesterfield

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We know that buying a property is a huge commitment and choosing the right solicitor is just as important.  At Banner Jones, we have helped thousands of people in Sheffield, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Dronfield and across the country to purchase their new home.

For a free, no obligation conveyancing quote complete the short form to the right or call our New Business Team on 0330 017 6309

 

We take data privacy very seriously, and we want you to understand and feel confident about how we collect, store and handle your personal data. If you’d like to find out more you can read our Privacy Policy.

Talk to our team

We take data privacy very seriously, and we want you to understand and feel confident about how we collect, store and handle your personal data. If you’d like to find out more you can read our Privacy Policy.