This week is National Conveyancing Week (NCW) in the UK.
Between the 17th and 21st of March 2025, NCW’s organisers the Conveyancing Foundation are holding various in-person and online events for estate agents, mortgage brokers and home movers to help people gain a better understanding of the role conveyancers play in the home moving process.
At Larcomes, we are proud to support the NCW2025 campaign.
To mark the event, in this blog our experienced Residential Conveyancers give their top tips to help a property sale go smoothly.
- Prepare your home for viewings.
A first-time house viewing in England and Wales typically takes an average of around 20 to 30 minutes.
This means that first impressions count.
Before putting their property on the market, a seller should ensure their home looks as good as it possibly can so it will appeal to a wide range of potential buyers.
Preparing your home for sale could include:
- Enhancing its curb appeal. The first thing a buyer sees is the exterior of your house. Ensure gardens are tidied, grass is mown, and fences aren’t broken. Investing in some colourful plants can create a welcoming entrance that will set a positive tone.
- Decluttering. Removing large pieces of furniture and clearing away ornaments, photos and other personal items can make rooms feel bigger and fresher.
- Address repairs and maintenance. Taking care of any necessary minor repairs, such as leaky taps, cracked tiles or broken lights can make a big difference.
- Deep cleaning. Ensuring all rooms are clean and tidy will make your home more appealing to buyers.
- Toning down the décor. Design features or bold colours that are too unique can be off-putting to buyers. Consider neutral tones so your home has wide ranging appeal.
- Ensure all your paperwork is in order.
Sellers have a legal obligation to provide any pertinent information that may influence a prospective buyer’s decision about the sale.
As part of this, sellers need to complete several forms relating to their property and provide various supporting documentation.
This includes the TA6 Property Information Form, which asks for disclosures on a range of subjects, including information about any structural changes the seller may have made to the property, certain guarantees and warranties, and information about environmental matters, such as its energy performance rating.
Sellers must also submit any relevant documents, for example, planning permissions, building regulation compliance certificates and written notices advising a change of use of land nearby.
Sellers must complete the TA6 Form accurately and to the best of their knowledge. Any omissions can be red flags for buyers and knowingly excluding information could leave them open to problems later on, as a recent case heard at the High Court showed.
Having all the relevant information to hand means you can turn around the necessary paperwork quickly and reduces the likelihood of delays.
- Instruct a specialist conveyancer.
A conveyancer plays a pivotal role in a property sale. Instructing an experienced conveyancer at the outset can save you time, money, and stress as the transaction unfolds.
Your conveyancer will handle the legal side of your property sale and will also serve as a key point of contact throughout the transaction.
Perhaps more than any other area of law, conveyancing needs regular contact between the client, their legal representative and the estate agent to minimise delays and ease your stress.
A good conveyancer will inform you of the progress of your house purchase and liaise with the other parties involved, making sure everything is in place for a successful completion.
If you are looking for an experienced and reliable conveyancer to help with your property sale, or purchase, please get in touch with our team. Call us on 023 9244 8100 (Portsmouth) or 023 9224 6666 (Waterlooville) or click here to make an online enquiry.
- Choose the best buyer.
The best buyer is not necessarily the one who offers the most money.
If you have multiple offers on the table, other questions to consider when deciding which buyer to go with could include:
- How are they financing the purchase?
- Are they first-time buyers?
- Do they have a related transaction?
- How long is the conveyancing chain?
The simpler and more straightforward the transaction, the more chance of it running smoothly.
- Set a completion date.
Completion is the stage of the conveyancing process when a property officially changes ownership.
On completion day, your solicitor arranges the transfer of the balance of the sale price to the seller and obtains the signed transfer deeds and other documents relating to the transfer of title.
Agreeing on a completion day in advance means everyone is working towards the same date and can help to keep things moving.
Residential Conveyancing Solicitors Portsmouth
At Larcomes, our residential property conveyancing team has extensive experience helping buyers and sellers with their property purchase and sale and will ensure your transaction is carried out as smoothly and cost-effectively as possible.
We make sure the necessary legal steps are taken to buy or sell your property and that the matter is completed quickly and efficiently whilst ensuring you are kept up to date through the legal process.
We recognise that buying or selling your property can be a stressful experience and our goal is to remove the stress by providing a friendly and quality responsive service.
Our conveyancing department is accredited by the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). This is a quality standard for residential conveyancing practices which recognises the highest practice management standards and is a mark of excellence for the home-buying process.
If you are looking for a reliable and professional conveyancer to assist with your move, give Larcomes a call today. You can reach us on 023 9244 8100 (Portsmouth) or 023 9224 6666 (Waterlooville).
To find out more about our specialist conveyancing law team, please click here.
Please note that this article is not intended as legal or professional advice. It is for general guidance only, and updates to the law may have changed since it was published.
