FAQs
How will you take the stress away?
How much do I pay and when?
Are you an estate agent?
Will you call me?
Will you visit me?
Does it matter that I haven’t checked the amount of mortgage I can get?
What if I don’t need a mortgage?
My finances are rather complex and I need several different types mortgages, can I still receive the one Olive service?
What if I don’t need a removal service?
I am out of the country a lot, will this still work?
I hate chasing solicitors! Will you do this for me?
What if my purchase is delayed by chains and other unforeseen circumstances, will you still stick with me?
What if I don’t like champagne?!
How do I get going?
How will you take the stress away?
Quite simply we act almost like a wedding planner, organising everything from house viewings to surveys, chasing down every aspect of your move and pushing it forward on your behalf. This way; we stay in touch with everyone in the process and give you regular updates on everything from one source. This means you no longer have to spend your free time chasing down estate agents, solicitors and mortgage companies. We do all this and update you with all the information you need to know by a method you choose and at a time that suits you. This helps de-stress the process because we take the brunt of the pain for you, allowing you to sit back, relax and concentrate on what colour to paint your new walls.
How much do I pay and when?
To make things as easy as possible, we take payment when you pay the solicitor the stamp duty and legal fees. If you do not require the conveyancing step of the Olive Service, we will take payment after completion. The fee we charge varies between £200 - £400 according to the number of services you take up with us. The more services you choose, the cheaper your service becomes. We have to charge more if you take up less services because we achieve smaller savings, which are transferred to you. We also believe that the overhead of managing a tied together process (such as our Full Olive Service) is significantly less than managing unknown suppliers. Therefore choosing more Olive Services means our cost of managing the process falls which again is returned to you. Obviously, exact quotes will be given at the beginning of the consultation.
Are you an estate agent?
No, we do not sell property and therefore do not receive a percentage cut from your house sale. Although we assist you with the selling process by providing Home Information Packs and the necessary legal requirements, we only offer a consultancy service on the selling options available to you, be it choosing the appropriate estate agent or selling privately. By not selling homes directly, we are able to specialise in the management of moving home, reducing the stress of the event for you and allowing you to be completely flexible in your choice of selling options. We are an independent service that has no formal relationships with estate agents.
Will you call me?
Of course we will! We will be in contact with you every step of the way, keeping you informed as often as you wish on the progress of your purchase. You can choose how we keep you updated, whether its email, phone calls, updates on your My Olive space, letters or SMS texts. Sadly we have not yet mastered the carrier pigeon!
We have found that keeping the channels of communication open between all parties is a critical aspect that keeps the home buying process moving. This is where we come in. Instead of you having to call your solicitor, the estate agent, the removal company, maybe even the seller’s solicitor, we’ll call them all for you and then let you know the latest progress. From this we become your one point of contact, a trusted friend who can take on the hassles of home buying on your behalf.
Will you visit me?
Yes, if you would like us to. The Olive Service is your service, so you tell us how you like it. We know how busy life can get so if we can make things that little bit easier by visiting you at home or in the office, we will. Alternatively, if you would like to visit us, our head office is just outside the centre of Oxford.
Does it matter that I haven’t checked the amount of mortgage I can get?
No, we can help you with that. Part of the mortgage search step will help you find out much of a loan you are entitled to.
What if I don’t need a mortgage?
That’s easy; we’ll just miss out the Mortgages step of your Olive Service.
My finances are rather complex and I need several different types mortgages, can I still receive the one Olive service?
Absolutely, this is no problem at all. Our independent mortgage consultants are experienced in dealing with complex situations and we can help you buy the mortgage products that suit your needs.
What if I don’t need a removal service?
It’s easy; we’ll take the removal services out of your Olive package.
I am out of the country a lot, will this still work?
Yes it certainly will and we could really help you out with your moving experience. When you’re out of the country, we can research houses, book you in for viewings, chase down mortgage companies and solicitors, book in removal companies and then let you know the latest via email, updates on your ‘My Olive’ space or a call at a time suited to you (we can wake up at 3am if needs be)!
I hate chasing solicitors! Will you do this for me?
Yes! It is one of the questions we are asked the most. Property law can often be rather complex and conveyancing is usually the area where the pace slows down. Talking to all the solicitors involved and encouraging the use of quick and efficient response methods is but one of the tactics Olive employs to keep things moving. We also find that making you fully aware of why certain aspects are taking a little longer then expected can help ease the frustration you may be feeling.
What if my purchase is delayed by chains and other unforeseen circumstances, will you still stick with me?
Yes, every step of the way. House purchases vary dramatically in the length of time they take and we will be with you throughout the entire process. With us on board we can help speed up steps in the process because we are dedicated full time to making your purchase as efficient as possible.
What if I don’t like champagne?!
Simple! When you move in, to celebrate the start of a new home, you can choose a bottle of any drink that you enjoy when in a celebratory mood!
How do I get going?
It’s easy; just use the contact us page on the website and we’ll get in touch within one working day to have a no obligation initial consultation. Remember it is your own tailored service, so tell us how you would like it to work.