Have you managed to get a mortgage for your new home? Congratulations! You can prepare yourself for the exchange of the contracts at the solicitor. Here you sign the contract and the mortgage documents, and the keys will go to the new owner. A festive happening!
You have probably looked forward to this day for months. It started with the first viewing of the house, which made you fall in love with the house. When your offer got accepted it was time for a first modest party! After signing the draft contract you managed to get a mortgage. After weeks of waiting, wishing, and fearing, it is finally time to exchange contracts and get your keys.
On the day of exchanging the contracts your new house is officially transferred to you. Together with the seller you survey the house one last time. This is the time to take a good look around to see if the seller has left everything as agreed upon in the draft contract. Have all goods been removed from the house, from all cupboards and closets? Are the fixtures and fittings that were supposed to be left behind actually there? Is the house clean and are possible repairs carried out? If so, the time to go the solicitor is here.
Has your new house been left according to the draft contract, you and the seller can go the solicitor. Here you will exchange contracts. The solicitor will read out the contracts in its entirety or an abbreviated version of it. The solicitor will date the contract. After signing and exchanging the contract, the house is officially yours. When you have gotten a new mortgage, you will also have to sign the documents for this at the solicitor. Then, the solicitor can transfer the money to the seller immediately. After all these formalities you can shake hands with the solicitor and the seller and take the keys of your new home and leave.
After the transfer you can finally enter your own new house whenever you want to. While you are walking around, you can probably already imagine which colour goes on which wall and where your furniture needs to go. Perhaps you want to renovate (part of) your house or construct a garden, so your new house can become your dream home. Is your new house just as you wanted? Then it is time to contact the movers. When to movers have done their work and your own household effects are in your new house, you can finally call it your “home”!
