Buyers Information
Buyers Information

Buyers Information

Buying your home can be a stressful experience, particularly if you are unsure of the process. However, at John Francis, we endeavour to remove the worry from the process and we will make it as simple and straightforward as possible

BUYING GUIDE

Registering your details

To find your ideal property, we need to know as much as possible about your requirements. You can let us know what these are by registering online, by phone or by visiting any one of our 19 residential offices where our staff can assist you with your search.

Viewing hours

Our normal office hours are Monday to Friday 09:00-17:30 and Saturday 9:00-16:00 (subject to some variation between offices). Please speak to a member of staff who will be happy to arrange a time that suits you during or outside our normal office hours.

Arranging a mortgage

Do you know what you can borrow and what deposit you need to provide? Before starting to look at property why not check that you’re looking in the right price range? If you know and have spoken to a bank or building society, it might be worth an informal chat with one of our mortgage advisors - if only for peace of mind!

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

A fee will be payable for arranging your mortgage. Your Mortgage Consultant will confirm the amount before you choose to proceed.

Mortgage availability depends upon your circumstances.

 

Making an offer

When you have found the right property you will want to make an offer. This is done through us; we communicate all offers to the seller and you verbally and in writing. If your offer is not accepted and you are still interested, negotiations will continue to take place.

Offer accepted

Once the offer is accepted we will notify you and your Solicitor in writing. If you do not have a Solicitor, we will happily recommend one to you. At this point we will also confirm the position on future marketing of the property.  It is usual to allow further viewings when a sale is progressing, not to encourage gazumping , but just to provide for a first reserve , if needed!

You will need to complete your mortgage application form (if applicable) as soon as possible and pay the valuation fee.

Once you have instructed your Solicitor, the legal process will begin. At the same time, your lender will process your application, carry out the survey, and issue your mortgage offer.

Exchanging contracts

When your Solicitor has completed all of his or her enquiries, is satisfied with all matters raised, and has a copy of your mortgage offer (if applicable), you will be asked to sign your contract and pay a 10% deposit. You will agree a date for completion that is acceptable to both the seller and yourself and proceed to exchange contracts.

Completion

On the day of completion your Solicitor will send the balance of the purchase price to the Seller's Solicitor. Once the Seller's Solicitor confirms to us that the funds have been received, we can then release the keys to you and you can begin to enjoy your new home.