| HOMEBUYING
GUIDE
Buying
in Scotland
Buying a home in Scotland follows different rules. For a start, solicitors
can act as estate agents and properties are sold by bidding on an
offers-over or fixed-price basis.
Unlike the system
south of the border, buyers tend to offer over the asking price
rather than below it and bids are made in secret. As a buyer you
ask your solicitor to register your interest with the seller of
a property who will then notify you of the closing date for bids.
Potential buyers
have their survey done before they make an offer and once an offer
has been accepted it is a binding agreement (called conclusion of
missives).
If you or the
seller backs out after that then compensation becomes due. As a
result there's very little gazumping in Scotland once an offer has
been accepted. Searches and enquiries are carried out using a central
system of property registration, instead of via local authorities,
so the process is much quicker. No money is handed over until the
final settlement day so no deposit is required
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