Buying a house

[spotit3]

I am buying my son's house and am quite happy that everything is O.K. as I did all the groundwork for him when he bought it a couple of years ago.

We have agreed a price of �160,000. Can I do it through a solicitor without paying for any searches etc as they are unnecessary and I would like to save money.

[Oneeyedvic]

If you are buying for cash (ie a mortgage company is not involved) then you should be able to complete without searches. Your solicitor will recommend against this and may ask you to sign a disclaimer saying theat you were told to but chose not to.

If you are using a mortgage company you will need to have searched done.

[Oneeyedtic]

If you are buying for cash (ie a mortgage lender is not involved) and you are satisfied in all matters as you say then you can effect the purchase without going near or employing a solicitor at all. It is a simple matter involving a name change on the Register at the Land Registry. Click here to locate your local District Registry Office and telephone them to confirm the procedure. It simply involves completing their (easy) Form TR 1 which can be downloaded from their website and sending them �40.

[Didwot]

Don't forget to fill in the Stamp Duty Land Tax form, and pay the Stamp Duty.

[Oneeyedtic]

The LR will explain Stamp Duty to you when you phone them. However, it is 1% on �160000 whether you are in a Disadvantaged or General Area. Or you can phone [phone] to discuss SD direct and at the same time obtain the necessary form (SD 60).

[erimus1]

For the sake of a couple of hundred quid, I would do a search if I were you - remember that things do get missed in searches, and if that is the case when your son made the original purchase of the land, you could come unstuck. If, however, you have paid for searches, and employed a conveyancer, then any mistakes will be insured against.