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Moving house is one of the more stressful events in our lives for most of us so it makes sense to get all the help you can with the various stages throughout the process. Some of the people you are likely to ask for help are mortgage brokers, conveyancers and surveyors.

What does a mortgage broker do?
A mortgage broker is a financial advisor with specialist knowledge in the area of mortgages. He or she should be able to find the best mortgage to suit your particular circumstances. This will mean that you don't have to spend time and effort searching through all possible lenders for the best deal and in understanding what the different mortgage products mean -- the mortgage broker will do all of this for you. Mortgage brokers may be tied to a particular lender so they are only able to offer you products from that source. There are also independent or 'whole of market' mortgage brokers who, as the name suggests, can search the whole mortgage market to find the best product for you.

What does a conveyancer do?
A conveyancer is responsible for carrying out the legal and administrative aspects associated with the transfer of property from one owner to another. This includes searches, land registry, stamp duty and home information packs. This work can either be carried out by a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer.

What does a surveyor do?
A surveyor will assess the property you are planning to buy and give you and your mortgage lender a report on its condition. In most cases, the mortgage lender will request a survey but this is often only a property inspection to help with the mortgage valuation and is not particularly detailed. If you wish, you can employ a surveyor to provide you with a more detailed survey which can either be a Homebuyer's report or a full Building survey. The Homebuyer's report is probably the one to choose if the property is in reasonable condition and built within about the last 30 years. The Building report is useful if the property is very old, has been extensively altered, is in need of major structural repair or if you are planning to carry out a conversion or renovation.

How to find a mortgage broker, conveyance or surveyor
A good place to look for mortgage brokers, conveyancers and surveyors in your area is a classified adverts website. These sites can provide a list of professionals for you to choose from as well as some information about their experience, the services they provide and their contact details. Of course, it is also always worthwhile asking for personal recommendations, particularly if you know someone who was pleased with the quality of service they received from a particular mortgage broker, conveyancer or surveyor during a recent house purchase.

Qualifications
Mortgage brokers must be authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Check that the mortgage broker that you choose is authorised by the FSA by using the FSA Firm Check Service available on the FSA website.

Conveyancers must be licensed. You can check that they are listed by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers on their website. If you are employing a solicitor to do your conveyancing then make sure that they are registered with the Law Society.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) also has a list of members available so it is advisable to check if the surveyors that you are considering are listed with the RICS, again using the website.

Costs of a mortgage broker, conveyancers and surveyors
Mortgage brokers should be able to save you time. They might also save you money in the long run by providing expert advice about mortgages which you may not have the time to discover for yourself. Tied mortgage brokers do not usually require a fee to be paid up-front as they will be paid on a commission basis by the lender with which they are associated. Independent mortgage brokers will probably ask for a one-off fee which varies between different brokers. You should therefore ask for quotes from a number of different brokers before deciding which one to choose. The FSA requires that all fees are clearly indicated in communication with clients.

It is crucial that the legal side of any house move is completed properly so it is almost invariably worth employing a professional to handle this part of the process. Costs will vary so do get several quotes before you make your final decision as to which conveyancer or solicitor to choose. Also make sure that you understand precisely what costs the quote covers. Remember that it is illegal for a conveyancer to charge for their services if they are not licensed.

The costs for surveys will also vary significantly between different surveyors so you should get several quotes. Here, the type of survey you request will determine costs as a Building survey is far more expensive than a Homebuyer's report. However, you do need to consider that spending the money at this stage for a detailed survey could actually save you a great deal of money (and heartache) in the future.

When you are buying and / or selling a home, unless you have personal expertise in these fields, you should seriously consider employing the services of a mortgage broker, conveyance and / or a surveyor. You need to put some time and effort into making sure that you choose the right professionals to suit your particular circumstances, thus helping to minimise the stress in what is inherently a stressful process.