Government Gives Green Light To Property Sales Continuing Despite Third National Lockdown
The first time we were plunged into a national lockdown due to the coronavirus, almost everything ground to a halt – including the ability of buyers and sellers to move home. This time around, thankfully, we have been given much greater freedom and a clear mandate from the government that property transactions can still proceed, subject to them being conducted in a Covid secure way.
This is great news for those looking to move home this year, and particularly for buyers who want to complete their purchase before 31 March in order to take advantage of the temporary changes to stamp duty land tax rules which could shave thousands of pounds off their property purchase costs.
How we can help
As experienced conveyancing experts, Step Legal have been keeping abreast of all Covid related developments and consistently refining our service to ensure that clients can continue to proceed with their proposed transactions.
In particular, we have taken steps to ensure that:
- Our offices can remain open, by following the government’s latest guidance on the implementation of Covid safe working practices;
- Our IT systems are set up to facilitate client meetings via zoom and skype when in-person meetings are not possible, for example where you or someone in your household are experiencing coronavirus symptoms and have to self-isolate;
- Our team have access to all of the resources that they need in order to conduct transactions remotely, including online property searches and money transfer platforms;
- Our sale and purchase agreements have been amended to cater for Covid related issues that might crop up during the conveyancing process, for example by including flexibility to allow proposed completion dates to be changed if someone involved in a transaction falls ill or if the government suddenly decides to tighten controls;
- Our team have been trained in how to offer extra support to clients who have been classified as clinically vulnerable; and
- Our capacity has been increased so that we can deal with more transactions, given the government’s advice that people wanting to access legal services during the lockdown should try to use local law firms wherever possible.
We have also worked hard to keep abreast of new Covid rules governing the activities of estate agents, surveyors and removal firms, which means that we are in a position to offer practical advice and support should you encounter any difficulties when trying to access these services.
Price pledge
Despite the obvious additional costs incurred in having to adjust our service offering to ensure that our staff and clients remain safe, and that property transactions can proceed as planned, we have made a firm commitment not to pass these onto our clients by increasing our conveyancing fees. This means that you can continue to access our home buying and home selling service for the same price charged before the pandemic began, which will be welcome news if your finances are currently being squeezed.
Need our help?
If you are thinking about moving home in 2021, or indeed buying a second home so that you have somewhere to escape to for holidays once lockdown has ended, why not call us today on 0800 1956412 to see how we can help? We offer a free initial telephone consultation and you can find out in advance how much our service will cost by using our online conveyancing costs calculator.
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