Guide to Buying
It is easy to feel overwhelmed and daunted by the thought of buying a property but with the wealth of local knowledge, the team here at Ken Macdonald & Co will prove invaluable in explaining the whole process step by step.

Noting interest
When you have seen a property you like, you should contact the selling agents to 'note interest' on the property as soon as possible. Noting an interest on a property is where you express a genuine interest in the property without being at the stage of being able to submit an offer. It informs the seller of the interest and guarantees that the party who has noted interest will be informed of any changes or developments.

Closing date
A property that has a number of notes of interest and is being sold at 'offers over' may have a closing date set for bids - a deadline by which all offers have to be submitted. Any ‘noted interest’ would be advised not to submit an offer until they have had the property surveyed. You should contact a Scottish solicitor who will discuss with you the survey report and, using this and other information, such as comparative prices for the area, you can decide exactly how much to offer. The date of entry is also included in the offer (the date on which you pay for the house and receive the keys) as well as any conditions you wish to impose upon the seller. ‘Clean’ offers, where conditions such as a survey report or mortgage application are purified, are viewed favourably. Again, your Solicitor can talk you through this process.

The seller will usually accept the highest offer, but is not obliged to accept the highest or, indeed, any offer. Other factors may come into play, such as the entry date which best suits. Once all offers have been sent to the seller, and their instructions have been received, the selling solicitor will inform all the firms who submitted offers to advise them of the outcome.