Buyers Conveyancing / Legal Costs if There's an HIP for the Property

tommcdonna

I've been getting quotes for conveyancing / legal costs involved with a house purchase (we're FTB's, so only a purchase).

Seems the only significant difference in costs between my local solicitors and online is due to the local solicitors saying I need to pay for Local Authority and Environment checks, whereas all the online quotes say I don't need to pay for them as they're already in the HIP.

Local solicitors are aware there is a HIP in place, so who's correct?

If it makes any difference, we will be setting up a mortgage at the same time. Maybe that's why the searches have to be re-done?

Richard_Webster

Official local searches are slightly more detailed in certain respects, so some solicitors take the view that private search company searches are not good enough.

Unless my client's lender requires an official search (HSBC/First Direct) then I think in most cases that the slightly more detailed information available in some cases is not worth the extra cost. It is a judgement call.

However I would say that you are generally better to use a local solicitor then an "on-line" one, even if he does charge you for a local search.

ayde_bury

I would avoid a call centre based conveyancer - currently using Countrywide Property Lawyers based in Manchester - I'm in the South East. They've forgot to redo expired HIP surveys, never call you back, have an online tracking system that never updates. So were now 17 days past the original agreed exchange date, cheapest certainly is not the best.

Next time it's a local company that I can walk into and not incurr the stress and pain of telephone chasing.

DVardysShadow

Hah, Countrywide! As I never tire of saying, i dealt with them once as my seller's solicitor. It did not go through, in part due to their delays. I swore to myself that if ever anyone we were buying from or selling to used them, we would pull out unless they changed solicitor.

david29dpo

Local always! As the solicitor has not seen the HIP, he is not to know if the searches are useable so most quote for new ones. Make sure your solicitor actually gets it as well, i have seen a few cases where the HIP has never reached the buyers solicitor so to keep the ball rolling, they get new ones anyway.