The Edinburgh Conveyancers Forum has been set up by several firms of Solicitors involved in the residential property market in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas in order to discuss and address the practical issues that arise in the purchase and sale process.

Over 50 firms have now joined the Forum and it is proving to be a very productive and vocal body. Its principal aims are to encourage practical solutions to help the whole process of buying and selling residential properties, hopefully to the benefit of all clients who are buying and selling property.

The most significant development that the Forum has promoted is the introduction of the Edinburgh Standard Offer and Edinburgh Standard Clauses. The second edition of the Standard Clauses has been utilised from 1st July 2006.

It is hoped that the Standard Offer and Standard Clauses will be used by most solicitors in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. The aim is to simplify the conveyancing process by achieving “conclusion of missives” quicker than has recently been the case, to the benefit of both the buyer and the seller. Once missives have been concluded there then exists a legally binding contract upon which either party can rely.

The Standard Offer makes reference to the Edinburgh Standard Clauses (2007 Edition) and incorporates them as conditions of the offer. Your solicitor may have advised you that the missives that you are entering into are based on the Edinburgh Standard Clauses, a copy of which you can access below.

The form of Standard Offer and the Standard Clauses are designed for use with residential property and should not be considered for other types of property such as shops or offices.

It is hoped by the member firms of the Edinburgh Conveyancers Forum that the introduction of the Edinburgh Standard Offer will result in the process of conclusion of missives becoming much more straightforward with few of the inherent delays that were involved under the previous system.

The speed and ease of conclusion missives (and clauses with which both the solicitor and the client can become familiar) are enormous benefits. Edinburgh now has the tool to make this a reality.

New clauses take effect from 1st October 2009.

Combined Standard Offer
Purification Letter
Combined Standard Clauses (2009 Edition) Registered Extract
Client Guide

A guidance letter from the City of Edinburgh District Council has been obtained in respect of Retrospective Works to Listed Buildings - see below.
Guidance Letter - Retrospective Works to Listed Buildings.pdf

A guidance note has also been issued by the Council - see below.
Guidance Note

The office bearers of the Forum are: