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• Choosing and reserving your new home

  

  When you have decided on your new Halbren home the first step is to formally reserve the Property. Our Sales Consultant will advise you of the required reservation fee and you will be asked to make out a cheque, payable to Halbren Homes Limited.

  Once you have reserved your chosen plot you have a further 28 days to proceed to Exchange of Contracts. Our sales and support staff will be available to help you with any queries you may have throughout the process.

  We undertake not to change either the agreed sale price or the terms of the sale for this 28 day period. Upon practical completion of the sale the reservation fee paid by you is deducted from the balance due.

  If you have any difficulties in arranging for exchange of contracts to take place within the stipulated 28 day period you should advise us immediately.

  Halbren reserves the right to put your home back on the market if exchange of contracts has not taken place within the stipulated 28 day reservation period unless an alternative timeframe has been agreed in writing.

• Engage a Solicitor to Act

  

  The next thing you should consider is the appointment of a Solicitor to act for you in the purchase of your new home.

  Please note we do not make specific recommendations about which Solicitor you should use however we do advise you to ensure that the Solicitor you choose is approved by the Law Society of England & Wales.

  A list of practicing Solicitors is available online at www.solicitors-online.com or through your local Citizens Advice Bureau. Once engaged to act on your behalf your Solicitor should contact ours who will supply your Solicitor with all the contract documentation relating to your new property. This will include conveyance details, site drawings and the terms and conditions of the sale.

  It is vital that you both Engage a Solicitor and arrange a new Mortgage (if required) as soon as possible in the process. This will allow plenty of time for all the necessary formalities to be completed within the 28 day reservation period.

• Applying for a New Mortgage

  

  If you do not already have a mortgage agreed in principle it is vital that you apply for your new mortgage as quickly as possible after reserving your plot and engaging your Solicitor.

  A mortgage application can typically take two or three weeks to process and in addition to the payment of a Survey / Valuation fee you should be prepared to supply the prospective lender with full details of your income, savings, existing financial commitments, employment details etc. Most lenders will also want to see bank statements of your existing Bank account going back over the past 6 months or so.

  Halbren's selling agents will be pleased to give you contact details of some Independent Financial Advisors who will be able to give you specific Mortgage advice, if required.

• Customising your New Halbren Home

  

  If you have reserved your new Halbren home either off plan or at an early stage you may be able to customise the look of your new home by choosing from the selection of options available for the specification of your new home.

  The extent of choice will be governed by the type of property and the stage the building is at when you place your reservation.

  Our selling agents will be able to discuss available options with you at the time you make your reservation.

• Legal Searches

  

  As part of the Conveyancing process your Solicitor will carry out a review of the search results for both your property and the area. These searches, known as local searches, are obtained from the local authority, amongst others, and will provide full details of the site on which your new home is built.

  The search results will cover various topics such as the previous use of the land, services etc. and will also comment on important aspects like any land contamination and any planning decisions or other proposals which may affect your new home.

  Any Issues highlighted by these searches should be addressed at this stage and will be advised to you by your Solicitor.

  Your Solicitor will also have carried out a full review of the Sellers Contract for Sale and all other documentation at this point. Any concerns the Solicitor has will be raised with you throughout the process. Any issues you may have around these matters should also be clarified by your Solicitor.

• Obtaining your new Mortgage Offer

  

  At this stage in the process you should be in receipt of a formal offer of a Mortgage, which should be read carefully then signed and returned to the lender, in order to accept the offer - provided you are happy with the terms.

  Once you have received and accepted your new Mortgage offer you should advise the Halbren selling agent you have been dealing with that an offer is in place.

  You should send a copy of the mortgage offer letter to your Solicitor.

• Draft Contract Stage

  

  As soon as your Solicitor has carried out a full review of the Contract of Sale - and has received satisfactory answers to any questions - you will be asked to sign the contract to confirm your acceptance to the terms and conditions set out within it.

  Halbren suggest you arrange an appointment with your Solicitor and sign the contract in their presence. By doing this your Solicitor will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the contract. It will also give you the chance to ask any other questions you may have about any other aspect of the purchase procedure and clarification as to what happens next, between the signing of contracts and practical legal completion.

  Upon exchange of contracts you will be required to pay the agreed deposit, normally 10% of the purchase price. You will need to ensure that your Solicitor is in receipt of cleared funds prior to the formal exchange of contracts. If you intend to issue a personal cheque for the deposit payment please bear in mind that it will take several days for it to clear. We recommend you agree in advance with your Solicitor the best method and timing of the deposit payment.

• Legal Exchange of Contracts

  

  You will be advised by your Solicitor once contracts have been exchanged. From this point you are legally committed to purchasing the property.

  Upon exchange of contracts your Solicitor will send your deposit to our Solicitors.

• Pre Completion Visit

  

  You will be contacted by a member of the Halbren team to arrange an appointment for you to visit your new home prior to moving in. This will enable us to demonstrate how all the equipment fitted in your new home operates.

  During this pre-completion visit we will give you information about the property layout; the location of the central heating boiler and controls together with a run through of the operation of all fitted equipment and appliances.

• Practical Legal Completion

  

  Once your Solicitor and ours have completed all the necessary paperwork, your Solicitor will request the balance of the completion monies from your lender in readiness for Practical Legal Completion.

  We will not be able to welcome you to your new home or give you the keys until all the monies due under the purchase agreement have been received.

  A member of the Halbren team will arrange to meet you to confirm receipt of funds and also present you with the keys and handover your new Halbren Home.

  You will be asked to confirm that all fixtures and fittings are fully operative by signing a checklist. You will be given a copy of the checklist for your own records.