Solicitors Fees?

shoe_gal_84

Hi,
I haven't used the forums for a very long time, so bear with me!

My partner and I are looking to move house, he has his own mortgage and I pay him monthly rent. We are going to sell his house and get a joint mortgage and I am just after some advice on solicitors fees.

My friend is training to be a solicitor and has given me a quote, but it seems quite expensive with all the surveys/searches etc.

I'm totally new when it comes to all this so wondering if anyone has any idea of the sort of fees to expect?

The house we are selling is £120,000 and the one we are hoping to buy is £140,000.

Thanks

azkaban420

My solicitor is charging £550+ vat for his actual fee, plus costs and disbursements for surveys and searches. These (I can't remember off the top of my head exactly) are usually pretty much at cost, and they are just passing the charge onto us really.

Hope this helps, and I will try to dig out the breakdown of the searches and stuff...

Az

shoe_gal_84

Thanks Azkaban - do you know if this is the total fee for buying and selling or just for one?

Many thanks.

G_M

Get some alternative quotes - local firms and/or online but make sure they include all the same things. To be aware what hidden extras to look for read this.

lottie176

My solicitor is charging £495+vat. Plus searches. Think the total final bill was around £850. Sounds to me that a lot of solicitors charge similar prices.

I haven't gone with an online firm (they are usually cheaper) as I have heard they can be a nightmare to work with and when you try to call they dont pick up or just dont call you back and the whole process takes much longer as well as being much more stressful!

shoe_gal_84

Thanks, just a quick question - the ones that are £495 or so + VAT, is that just for buying, or just for selling? Assuming it's not for both?

daisbuys

My partners cousin is training to be a solicitor, not sure in what area though?

Could he organise a sale and purchase outside of his company??

G_M

Anyone can do conveyancing for anyone else.

However only a qualified solicitor/comveyancer can charge a fee for do so!

Richard_Webster

Really the thing to do is to ring round a number of local solicitors and get their estimates in writing with a full breakdown and details of any extras, optional or otherwise.

Then compare the figures, consider what the people were like on the 'phone when you spoke to them, and if anything confuses you ring them up again to ask what particular items are for and why they are important. Ask whether the particular searches etc mentioned are compulsory and if not what use they are.