One thing that first-time buyers tend not to think about when signing the numerous dotted lines attached to their mortgage is that, one day, they will become second-time buyers and be forced to do it all again, writes Una McCaffrey.

And of course the nature of first-timing (buyers are young, properties are small and growing families have not yet appeared) is that the second rung on the ladder often approaches sooner rather than later.

When this happens, the erstwhile innocent first-timer suddenly becomes a cutthroat selling machine, whereby negotiating the highest price possible for their once-beloved nest takes on massive importance. Running alongside this sale process is a relatively tedious series of administrative steps, all of which must be taken when a sale is agreed.

The most important thing to do at this stage is appoint a solicitor to look after the conveyancing aspect of the deal. Most solicitors charge a percentage of the sale price as their fee, while others apply a fixed charge.

The latter category will often offer the best value, with a number of lawyers dedicating themselves to high-volume, low-cost business.

Some will, for example, levy a fee of less than €1,000 plus VAT and other official charges called outlays. The final choice of solicitor should however always be based on service levels, with friends and family usually in a position to offer good advice in this regard. A quick scan of consumer website, www.askaboutmoney.com, will also help on the guidance front.

Once the solicitor has been selected and the fee negotiated, he or she should be able to direct the vendor through the remainder of the sale deal.

The first step here is for the seller to sign an authority which allows the solicitor to get his or her hands on the property's title deeds. This will mean that the original lender, who will have been keeping the deeds under lock and key as security for the loan, can release the documents.

The vendor should also make sure that the solicitor is aware of what exactly is included in the sale agreement. This will ensure that confusion over who owns the cooker or the curtains is avoided at a later date.

Ms Sarah Wellband of mortgage broker REA, who is involved in this sort of procedure every day, assures vendors that is generally very straightforward. Crucially, she says, the solicitor will handle "the money side" of the deal, thereby leaving the seller to concentrate on the physical practicalities of moving.

Once the deeds have been released, the solicitor will draw up a contract and get in touch with the buyer's solicitor. The deal should be done within a couple of months, by which time the vendor should be ready to move into their new property and take on their new homeloan.

In Ms Wellband's experience, it is common for second-timers to go back to their existing lender when negotiating their new mortgage, even though this may not always offer the best value. "We would always advise shopping around for a mortgage in the same way as buying any other product," she says.

In some cases however, it will simply be easier to stick with the old lender, particularly if the customer has unusual financial circumstances, such as being self-employed or having recently accepted redundancy.

"A track record certainly can help if the application is in any way unusual, although again a good broker should be able to 'make a case' to the best lender," Ms Wellband advises.

In such cases, mortgage records and bank statements will be used to support the argument. When the mortgage is finally agreed, the new property's deeds will, as before, be lodged with the lender until the loan has been entirely paid off either through a further sale or simply through the passage of time.

When this happens, the title deeds will be returned to the borrower upon payment of a small release fee. Homeowners must then decide what he or she wants to do with the precious documents. One option in this circumstance is to pay an ongoing fee to lock them in a safety deposit box. Another alternative, however, is to leave a tiny balance on your mortgage, say €1, so that the deeds are kept free of charge by the lender.