Q. What is the updated Government advice from the 13th of May 2020 about moving house?
A. From the 13th of May 2020, the Government has updated their advice about the housing market. This now means that restrictions have been lifted on being able to move house as long as this is done safely and all social distancing advice is followed.
This is welcome news for anyone who has had a house sale or purchase that has been placed on hold and for those people looking to put a property on the market or make a new house purchase.
We are now able to fully move ahead with our Conveyancing legal services and support those clients with house sales and purchases that were on hold and those that are wanting to start a new sale or purchase.
Q. Can house viewings now take place?
A. Yes, Estate Agents can return to work today (if they are able to at short notice). As the housing market slowly starts to move again, house viewings and show home viewings can both restart (this is being recommended by the Government as virtual viewings to start with) and whilst following social distancing advice.
Q. Will a Surveyor be able to value my property?
A. Yes, Surveyors can return to work today (if they are able to at short notice) and house valuations can take place whilst following social distancing advice.
Q. Are Removal companies working now?
A. Each individual company who will have their own policies and procedures in place in order to help you safely move house whilst following social distancing rules. The best thing is to contact your Removal Company and discuss your individual case with them.
Q. Are Fidler & Pepper staff working on Conveyancing cases?
A. We are following Government advice and due to this our offices are currently closed to the public whilst they are being made Covid Secure and to ensure we are following social distancing advice. Our staff are continuing to work from home during this time. Please contact your case handler by email and they will respond to you as quickly as they can. If they are out of the office taking furlough leave, then your email will be picked up by another member of our team who will continue managing your case during this time.
Q. What if my case handler is on furlough leave?
A. Don’t worry, your case will have been passed to a member of the team still working from home. If you don’t know who this is, email conveyancing@fidler.co.uk and a member of the team will come back to you.
Q. What will happen now to my house sale or purchase?
A. We have been advised by the Government that house buyers and sellers can now start to move home and plan to complete on their house sales and purchases. Please be patient whilst our staff make progress on cases. We will update you as soon as there is information to share and we will continue to keep you informed by either by phone, email, letter and our 24/7 online Case Tracker.
There are many parties involved in the Conveyancing process and we will continue to work with everyone as efficiently as we can. Whilst it is our priority to keep your case moving, we are aware that other Solicitors, Removal Companies, Lenders and property chains may be waiting for information and could be experiencing delays.
We all need to be patient and work together to make progress as efficiently as we can. It is essential that all parties involved ensure that all strict social distancing advice and guidelines are followed.
Q. How quickly can I Complete on the purchase or sale of my property?
A. We will be working as quickly as we can to move your case along to Completion stage. We are working within the restraints of the process and we may be impacted by unavoidable delays from other companies. For example, some Lenders have extended the amount of time it takes to access mortgage funds, which will impact our process and may cause delays. Please be reassured that everyone within the industry will be working hard and working together over the coming weeks to reduce delays and turnaround times.
Q. What if I or people in my moving chain are affected by the Coronavirus?
A. For anyone that is self-isolating, affected by Coronavirus or following medical advice, this will mean that they are unable to move house for the time being.
Q. My mortgage offer is about to expire but my Completion has been delayed. What should I do?
A. You should contact your Lender or the Broker that arranged your mortgage application. Most Lenders are willing to extend their offers at this time. Let us know once you have had confirmation that your offer is being extended.
Q. I have received documents I need to sign in front of a witness what should I do?
A. You should make sure you are following the Government social distancing rules, so if this means you cannot get your signatures witnessed at present, then you should keep these safe at home until the restrictions are lifted. You may need to think about slightly different ways you can witness signatures. For example, you might be able to sign a document, while a friend or neighbour watches you sign from a safe distance and then you could leave the document step back to a safe distance yourself whilst they sign it as your witness.
Q. Can I get a Conveyancing quote?
A. Yes. We will be happy to provide you with a Conveyancing quote. Simply visit www.fidler.co.uk for an instant quote or call us on 01623 45 11 11 and our staff will be happy to help you.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. We are looking forward to helping both existing and new clients with their house sales and purchases.