What does it mean when you have exchanged contracts?
Exchange of contracts is when the two legal firms representing the buyer and seller swap signed contracts, and the buyer pays a deposit. At this point, an agreement to buy or sell a property becomes legally binding: once the buyer and the seller have exchanged contracts, they can’t back out of the deal.
What happens after contracts have been exchanged?
Once you have exchanged contracts you will be in a legally binding contract to buy the property. If you do not, you will lose your deposit and you can be sued. Equally though, the seller has to sell or you can keep their deposit and sue them.
How do you know when you’ve exchanged contracts?
During the exchange of contracts, both solicitors or conveyancers will read out the contracts over the phone in a recorded conversation. They will make sure the contracts are the same and then post them to each other. Once contracts have been exchanged you’re legally bound to buy the property.
How long after contracts are exchanged is completion?
You can expect to wait between 1 day and 3 weeks between exchange and completion. However, in some circumstances, buyers and sellers agree to exchange and complete on the same day or wait longer – sometimes even months. Either way, if you have just exchanged contracts (or about to) on a house sale, congratulations!
Can I move in after exchange of contracts?
What happens after exchange? When exchanging contracts, the “completion” date is also confirmed. The completion date, put simply, is moving day. It’s the date on which the seller must vacate the property and the buyer will get the keys and can move in.
Do solicitors tell you when contracts are exchanged?
On the day of exchange, the solicitor or conveyancer at the bottom of the chain has to contact the next one up and confirm to them that they’re in receipt of a signed contract of sale and deposit funds and also confirm the terms of the sale and completion date.
Why do solicitors take so long to exchange contracts?
But, why do solicitors take so long to exchange contracts? The truth is there can be numerous reasons from them simply being bad at their job or having too many clients to handle, through to instructions from the seller, delays in obtaining searches, and even unresponsive buyers.
Can a sale fall through after exchange?
A buyer or seller can pull out at any point up to exchange of contracts, without having to pay any damages to the innocent party. If a buyer or seller pulls out after exchange of contracts, the party in breach will be liable for damages and will forfeit the deposit provided on exchange.
Can you pull out of buying a house after exchanging contracts?
The simple answer to the question is that you can withdraw or reject an offer on a property at any time up to the exchange of contracts. After exchange of contracts you will have entered into a legally binding contract and you will be subject to the terms of that contract.
Who owns a house between exchange and completion?
Normally it’s the buyer who is responsible for repairs after exchange of contracts, as they will be taking ownership once completion has taken place and, like we said earlier, are legally responsible for the property.
Why is there a gap between exchange and completion?
Why is there a gap between exchange and completion? It is time for both parties to finalise the purchase without any future problems; they have time to get everything in order before completion.