Conveyancing in Exeter Q & As

Transport and public service information if you are buying or selling residential property in Exeter

• By road: Excellent major road access via the M5 and the A30.
• By rail: The nearest train station is Exeter St. Thomas.
• By air: The nearest airport is Exeter Airport.
• Hospital: Heavitree, Gladstone Road, Exeter, EX1 2ED.
• Council: Exeter City Council (exeter.gov.uk).

Are your conveyancing solicitors able to handle fast completions on the legal conveyancing of auction properties in Exeter?

Yes. Homeward Legal’s team are property auction specialists and frequently perform conveyancing work for sellers at auction. Our team of auction property lawyers have previously been instructed by buyers at Exeter property auctions including Acuitus, Allsop (Commercial), Allsop (Residential), Auction House London. Award Property, Barnett Ross, Baxtons, Brendons Auctioneers, Countrywide Property Auctions, and Drivers Norris. Wise auction buyers appoint a conveyancing lawyer as early as possible to review the legal documents in detail well in advance of the auction day. The lawyer will complete all legal work for your Exeter property within a four-week timeframe, which is a legal requirement for an auction transaction.

We are buying a house on recently-developed, ex-industrial-use land. Is the topsoil likely to be contaminated?

Restrictions exist to limit top-soil contamination but some contaminants will remain in the environment for decades. The local authority will be able to provide more detail on cases of contamination, and your lawyer will order an environmental search, which should clarify any such issues that exist.

I have found a number of helpful books about doing the legal work yourself (e.g. A Practical Approach to Conveyancing by Robert Abbey and Mark Richards). So do I have to use a property lawyer in Exeter for my home move?

You can certainly do the greater part, if not all, of the conveyancing without using an Exeter conveyancing solicitor, should you decide to attempt your own legal work. However, all solicitors would warn that this is dangerous, because have-a-go conveyancers will not be covered by the appropriate insurance which practising legal firms are obliged to pay as a standard part of their operation.

Please confirm how I can get out of paying HMRC stamp duty on the purchase of my house in Exeter?

Any scheme aimed at stamp duty reduction is not recommended for any property purchases. These schemes are very expensive, uneconomical and unreliable. Should the scheme fail, you could be charged up to 100% of the duty owed. If in doubt, talk to your conveyancing lawyer or call Homeward Legal to discuss with our property experts.

What is the average time that I should expect my assigned conveyancer to take in exchanging all the legal processes for the lower floor of my new-build house in Exeter?

Getting contracts exchanged can take anywhere from 1 month to twelve weeks which can depend on any number of issues (e.g. the speed of the vendor's lawyer in completing their tasks, or renegotiations).

Do we need to appoint the property solicitor suggested by the estate agent in Sunbury?

Estate agents can influence a conveyancing solicitor if they refer a large number of clients to them. Agents may choose to refer clients to the specific solicitor, because the lawyer might reduce delays in the conveyancing process, or the decision may be governed by the attractiveness of the solicitor’s referral revenue stream. It is worth comparing an agent referral against alternatives (such as local solicitors or online firms) as the agent may prefer to propose the solicitor, who is willing to pay the highest referral fee but not be the best value for you. Use the Homeward Legal quote calculator for a fixed-fee price quote, which is covered by our ‘No Move, No Fee’ guarantee. Or you can call us on 0800 038 6699.

At what point do we need to arrange a conveyancing solicitor for our purchase in Exeter?

Simply instructing a conveyancing lawyer as soon as possible is a wise move, because the legal work can then start straight away. Prompt instruction of a solicitor could mitigate the risk of your sale or purchase falling though.

The property seller has unfortunately added unsightly dormer windows on the home, which we think may breach St. Sidwell’s conservation area rules. What should we do?

The property solicitor will carry out searches, in order to identify whether the property is affected by a designated conservation area and, if so, whether any alterations have the required consent from Exeter council.