10 STEPS TO BUYING A HOME IN SCOTLAND

  1. Contact a solicitor – explain your plans give him or her all your details to enable a file to be opened – the solicitor can then move quickly when you are ready to buy.
  2. Arrange your finance - “in principle” with a lender. Caesar and Howie can help you with this. You need to know how much you can borrow so you can work out what homes are within your price range.
  3. Find the house/flat you want – there are lots of ways to do this – various websites, newspapers and selling agents publish properties for sale each week.  When you have decided which home you want to offer for contact your solicitor immediately. Scottish homes often sell very quickly so do not delay!
  4. Decide on your price - in consultation with your solicitor and have the solicitor send in your formal offer to the seller’s agent. In Scotland the contract is composed by letters between the solicitors. You do not need to sign anything at this point.
  5. Price is acceptable - if you are told your offer is acceptable you usually then instruct a valuation of the property just to confirm it is of sufficient value for the loan you want.
  6. Valuation is OK - assuming this, the solicitors then conclude the contract making it legally binding on both sides with a fixed Date of Entry which is the date the price is paid and the home transferred to your name (the buyer).
  7. Formal loan offer - before the date of entry you receive details from the lender and a copy goes to your (the buyers) Solicitor.
  8. Checking Titles - your solicitor checks the sellers title and many other aspects of the property and prepares the document of transfer for the seller to sign.
  9. Orders the money - your solicitor orders the money from the lender, and gets any deposit from you (the buyer) and pays the money over in return for the transfer document which has been signed by the seller.
  10. New deed recorded - your solicitor records the new deed in the Scottish Land Register which is the final act necessary to give you (the buyer) full ownership.

Confused by any of the terms used here? Try our jargon buster for an easy to understand explanation of some of the more complicated meanings.

Please view a list of our partners who can assist you with buying your first home in the UK

Caesar and Howie staff help buyers at every step of the way – we have guidance notes in polish and help throughout the process is given by our Home Buying Advisors.

 

Phone us now on: 0845 855 9900, or simply email us your questions.