Solicitor Fees

Chris_Quartly

I've had a preliminary quote from a solicitor should I wish to use them, I was wondering if it sounded reasonable? I'd set aisde £3000 for fees so that's fine in that regard, they're local as well which is a benefit. My father used them in the past and said they were ok.

This firm's professional fees 525.00

SDLT fee 40.00
TT fee 30.00
VAT @ 17.5% thereon 104.13
Local Authority Search 120.00
Environmental Search 55.99
Land Registry fee 200.00

Chancel Repair Search 17.63
Land Registry Search 8.00
Bankruptcy Search 4.00
Stamp Duty 1,680.00
Total for purchase 2,784.75

GDB2222

You can probably get it done more cheaply by an online outfit. If you look at the total of £2,800, the solicitor's fee is only a drop in the bucket. It's not a fortune, but they can probably do a reasonable job based on that fee. If you go for the cheapest, you are likely not to get good service.

SmlSave

Are you buying for £168,000.00? Is it a Freehold property? If so then £525 seems high to me - look for £475.

Cheeky so-n-so's charging for preparing the SDLT!

Is there no HIP on the property? If there is then you shouldn't need a Local Land Search.

Do you need an Enviromental search and Chancel search?

I'm sure the Land Regsirty search is £4 unless its a new build.

I'm not sure if I'd go for an online conveyancer - you can't exactly corner them at their office if they're not answering their calls!

livalicious

I recently got a quote from an online conveyancer too. We used them before when we had another purchase which unfortunately fell through.

Our quote is more or less the same as yours, only difference is the sol's fees are £275 + VAT, land registry fees £280. Its a fixed fee, on a no sale - no fee basis, and comes to £2839 in total

Have you looked through their list of other possible costs not quoted. My initial quote said 0* for searches (based on whether there was a HIP in place or not.) When I got the actual paperwork, i looked at the breakdown of their disbursements, and they said that if the searches are less than a year old they would have to be done again, or if the lender requires it, at £160 for local and drainage searches and £99 + vat to do the searches.

Im more than likely going to have to do the searches again because they were done 6 months ago by the vendor and I read that they have to be done again if more than 3 months, so thats an extra £271 on top of that.

And they also charge £100 if you have to change lenders (im assuming this is if your mortgage application gets turned down and u have to apply with another lender??)

So really what I thought were fixed fees, arent really, but because the sol's fees are cheaper than others, I suppose I cant really grumble about the extra costs.

Im a bit green about this whole process, but I would recommend double checking the fine print to see if thats definitely all you will be paying.

Eric1

Chris_Quartly wrote: »

This firm's professional fees 525.00
SDLT fee 40.00
TT fee 30.00

IMHO, their real fee is 525 (+VAT) + 40+30
Get more quotes to compare.

Richard_Webster

And they also charge £100 if you have to change lenders (im assuming this is if your mortgage application gets turned down and u have to apply with another lender??)

Are you sure it isn't £100 for acting for the lender, rather than for changing lenders (which seems weird) - so they always got another £100 whenever someone is getting a mortgage? A common scam.

livalicious

Just checked the paperwork and it definitely says (under additional charges) Change of Mortgage Lender (each new offer).

They also state that if searches are required then depending on what searches need to be done, the minimum being local and drainage at £160. Which i understand we would have to pay for if the lender requires it or out of date, but they also state that they charge £99.50 + VAT for acquiring and checking these searches. Would this not be already be included in the solicitors fee as first quoted? Do all solicitors charge this as an extra, not the searches but actually doing the work needed on them?

G_M

If you get other quotes to compare this is a useful checklist..

timmyt

Chris_Quartly wrote: »

I've had a preliminary quote from a solicitor should I wish to use them, I was wondering if it sounded reasonable? I'd set aisde £3000 for fees so that's fine in that regard, they're local as well which is a benefit. My father used them in the past and said they were ok.

This firm's professional fees 525.00

SDLT fee 40.00- lazy as thatis the lawyers charge to fill in the stamp duty form - should be included in what they do - so their charge is already up to £565
TT fee 30.00 - all lawyers charge this
VAT @ 17.5% thereon 104.13
Local Authority Search 120.00 - only if HIP is older than 6 months at completion, and do not pay them for getting the fresh search or checking it! Crazy.
Environmental Search 55.99 - you need this
Land Registry fee 200.00

Chancel Repair Search 17.63 - you need this too as both this an enviro have virtuall become standard so possible negligent if do not do it, as reasonable prudent conveyancer would
Land Registry Search 8.00
Bankruptcy Search 4.00
Stamp Duty 1,680.00
Total for purchase 2,784.75

But on the face of it, sounds fine. If your dad used them then surely that is a good recommendation, but sure get other quotes...but don't go cheap on the lawyer...they are the cucial part in the house buying process, reward them to do a good job.....and ask ....will the one person acting throughout (1st thing to check) be a qualified or senior? For that price they should be

Richard_Webster

Just checked the paperwork and it definitely says (under additional charges) Change of Mortgage Lender (each new offer).

They also state that if searches are required then depending on what searches need to be done, the minimum being local and drainage at £160. Which i understand we would have to pay for if the lender requires it or out of date, but they also state that they charge £99.50 + VAT for acquiring and checking these searches. Would this not be already be included in the solicitors fee as first quoted? Do all solicitors charge this as an extra, not the searches but actually doing the work needed on them?

The item is bold is another scam to charge extra and is very naughty.

steve237

I have just sold my home and can tell you my experiences having rung 6 local solicitors on Friday.

The cheapest was £395 for sale and £395 for purchase (plus VAT). The most expensive was £495 for each.

Ultimately I went for one who had a really good local reputation and her fees were 395 + 440. I got her to match 395 for both and instructed her to proceed today. She assured no hidden fees and no requirement for local search fees as HIPs are only 3 weeks old.

This is a firm in Northwich, Cheshire.