Lynne Lancaster gives some important advice for all those rushing to buy or sell a property by 31st March next year.
When time is short, as it now is in relation to a property sale or purchase completing before the end of the stamp duty tax holiday - March 2021.

Sadly, four months is not very long in property sale and purchase terms. Finding a property and a buyer, arranging searches, drawing up contracts and sorting out finance all mop up a great deal of time. Not to mention any chain which may be involved. So if you are looking to try and meet the deadline then it needs careful planning and execution.

There are particular measures you can take to speed things along: hire the A-team.

Choose a great estate agent: not just one who will find a buyer, but one who will do all they can to see the sale through, using their experience, tenacity, patience, charm, persuasion and sheer stubborn determination that estate agents deploy in order to ensure a sale gets to exchange and completion.

Choose a great solicitor. In our digital age it is, perversely, taking longer to complete a property sale and purchase than ever. So, on a scale of effectiveness with an unmotivated, inexperienced conveyancer against a local lawyer who regularly pulls extra hours to get things done then you want/need to lean towards the latter.

Choose a great mortgage broker. Of course you can arrange a mortgage yourself, but in a race against time a broker will know where to go to speed things up and how to push things along.

An A-team might cost you a bit more. But it could be a drop in the ocean compared with the savings in tax if you beat the deadline.

Moving can still be stressful, especially when working to a crucial deadline, but put the right team in place now and your worries will be fewer and your chances of success greatly improved.

Lynne Lancaster, Head of Estate Agency.