Moving home is an exciting time, but it can also feel overwhelming. There is a property to sell, a property to buy, an existing mortgage to redeem, often a chain to coordinate, and a moving date that has to work for everyone involved. What clients need from a moving house solicitor is someone who can run both sides together, push the legal work forward without delay, and keep you informed through the parts that are out of your hands. That is what our property team is built to deliver. We act for clients across Northern Ireland, including couples upsizing, families relocating, downsizers, and clients moving between regions, and we coordinate the sale and the purchase so that nothing falls between the cracks.
To speak to our experts please call us on 028 2766 6698 or Make An Online Enquiry.
If you are selling
If you are selling your first property, our first time buyer solicitors can also advise on the wider conveyancing process.
On the sale side, our job is to put the property in a position where the buyer’s solicitor can be satisfied with the title and have their pre-contract enquiries answered without delay. We request your title documents from the lender, prepare the replies to enquiries, deal with the buyer’s solicitor as the work progresses, agree the contract, and arrange for the redemption of your existing mortgage on completion.
Common issues to get ahead of on the sale side include missing planning approvals for extensions or alterations, building control certificates for older works, boundary discrepancies, and outstanding charges on the title. It is far easier to deal with these before the property is on the market than under time pressure once a buyer is in place. If you are thinking about selling, a conversation with us at that early stage can save real time later.
If you are buying
On the purchase side of a conveyancing transaction, the legal work starts from the moment your offer is accepted. We order property and statutory searches, review the title supplied by the seller’s solicitor, raise pre-contract enquiries on anything that needs explaining, review your mortgage offer, and agree the contract. Where the property has never been registered, your purchase will trigger a first registration with Land and Property Services, and we will handle that as part of the overall transaction.
We will tell you when to consider a separate homebuyer’s report or full structural survey, particularly on older properties, and we will keep you informed on the practical questions that come up – what is included, what is excluded, when funds need to be available, and what to expect on completion day. After completion, we register your ownership with Land and Property Services, submit the Stamp Duty Land Tax return where it applies, and send you the final documentation for your records.
Running the sale and the purchase together
Most moves involve both sides happening at once, with the equity from the sale funding the deposit on the purchase. We act on both files in tandem, dealing with the other solicitors, your new lender and your existing one on the redemption, and the estate agents on either side. Different considerations may apply where the property is being purchased as a buy to let investment. Our aim is to get to a position where you can complete the sale and the purchase on the same day, with funds flowing in the right order and your keys ready to swap. If that is not possible, for example if you are buying before you have sold, or selling before you have found a new home, we will talk you through the options, including bridging finance where it makes sense. The process differs from a buy to let purchase, where landlord obligations and tenancy issues also need to be considered.
Most moves carry a real-world deadline behind them, such as a school term, a new job, or the end of a tenancy, and we go over and above to ensure that your move happens when you need it to.
Moving house solicitor
As your moving house solicitor, our role is to keep the sale and the purchase moving, and to be straight with you when something needs your attention. We deal with the estate agents, your lenders, your mortgage broker, and the other solicitors on both files, and we keep you informed at every stage.
Our moving house solicitors are committed to providing top-quality client care at competitive rates. We will be on hand to deal with any queries or concerns as they arise, go out of our way to put your mind at ease, and ensure that you feel in control from start to finish.
If you are planning a move, our moving house solicitors are on hand to provide the advice and guidance you need. We will talk you through what is involved on your sale, your purchase, and how we can keep both moving.