How hard is conveyancing?

Richard_Webster

With regards to debates about curtains and light fittings etc I lose patience very quickly. People should pick the phone up to the vendor/buyer and just agree it between themselves, then TELL the conveyancer what you have agreed so they can stick it in the paperwork. (The expression is to "Instruct a solicitor" after all). If the seller doesn't comply with what you've agreed and they take all the curtains and fittings and god knows what that you agreed would be left in the house, you'll find that your chances of redress are nearing zero. Yes, it's possible but I would debate whether it is worth the hassle. Far better to use that old fashioned thing called trust to work with the other side and reach agreement.

Do you really think that solicitors want to get involved in this level of detail? We only do it because a lot of buyer clients expect it.

mutter

rxbishop wrote: »

!!!!!!.
.............. if I could charge upwards of a grand a pop..............

Not so sure if you could.

Our local firm of Solicitors quoted £500 for our (hopefully straightforward) sale, and though I understand it's just one of their 'underlings' doing the routine form filling etc, at least they have properly qualified legal backup if there's some unforseen hitch.

There are plenty of online companies offering to do it for less - around £300 or so if I remember rightly from when I was googling around, but I've read some adverse forum posts regarding these companies and I don't think I'd be prepared to take the risk with such an important task.

PasturesNew

I know a fully qualified solicitor who always instructs a firm of solicitors/conveyancers to undertake their house buying/selling. "I've got somebody to sue if it's done wrong" is what they say ... they specialise in a different area of law and don't want the hassle/time nor the responsibility of absolutely having to get it spot on.

If the OP really wants to save money, I'd suggest buying a breadmaker ... you can save more money, more safely, over 2-3 years with a breadmaker than skimping on conveyancing.

kalico

The lowest quote I got from an internet comparison site was £244. The comparison site takes a £70 commission.

Just for your reference of what it can be done for. This is a firm of solicitors, so it'd be fair to hope it's done correctly or their insurance would cover any !!!!-up.

G_M

kalico wrote: »

The lowest quote I got from an internet comparison site was £244. The comparison site takes a £70 commission.

Just for your reference of what it can be done for. This is a firm of solicitors, so it'd be fair to hope it's done correctly or their insurance would cover any !!!!-up.

I'd be interested to see this 'quote'. I can pretty well guarantee that in the small print you'll find a list of 'extras' that most decent solicitors include in their upfront quote:
* acting for the mortgage lender too? Included?
* completing the SDLT return? Included?
* Indemnity insurance?
* Photocopying? (yes, some cheap firms charge extra for this!)
etc etc

I guarantee by the time you've compared genuine like-for-like this internet quote will double in price. It just looks good value to sucker you in.

kalico

G_M wrote: »

I'd be interested to see this 'quote'. I can pretty well guarantee that in the small print you'll find a list of 'extras' that most decent solicitors include in their upfront quote:
* acting for the mortgage lender too? Included?
* completing the SDLT return? Included?
* Indemnity insurance?
* Photocopying? (yes, some cheap firms charge extra for this!)
etc etc

I guarantee by the time you've compared genuine like-for-like this internet quote will double in price. It just looks good value to sucker you in.

Hi G_M,

The quote does include those items, excepting Indemnity Insurance, which I'm informed would only be an issue if there was a defect in the property title. And of course the point of having Registered Land is to remove that issue.

timmyt

rxbishop wrote: »

!!!!!!.

I mean for a professional lawyer must be a doddle, get their technique they know what they are doing as they are 'many' highly legally trained in the law, which is why they are able to do it so efficiently down filling in the forms and that, doing the searches, must be quick as hell. If I could be bothered doing all the old pony at university, reckon I'd be tempted to just do that all the time if I could charge upwards of a grand tell me where! lawyers are the cheapest of the surveyors, removal company, mortgage advisers, estate agents, mortgage companies etc...and they have no disclaimers a pop. Sod doing all the other time consuming, tricky legal aid, divorce, corporate law stuff. Churn out a couple of conveyancing jobs a week and you're laughing people with that attitude are the reason why the rest of us who actually know what we are doing are paying such high professional indemnity insurance . Keep the overheads down and sun yourself on the med for half the year.

remember than even 'professional' conveyancers make mistake after mistake after mistake. it is a complicated area, where the simplest of mistakes can mean huge loss.

often a shame for lawyers who charge say £500 for 12 weeks of work, and miss the smallest of something that means the client asks for their loss of £500 leaving the lawyer having worked for often 12 weeks for free.

lawyers charge the least in the home moving expereince, but they are the most important, or you will end up with nothing for your money on a purchase.

DON'T attempt it yourself, as all you are doing is putting extra work on the other lawyer who may well have to charge more legal fees to their own client who will not be pleased, and any buyer from you will wnder if you are going cheap by not getting a professional, where else have you don DIY.

Yes I am a lawyer with a vested interest, but I see mistakes by DIYers and even other solicitors.

G_M

Yes I am a lawyer with a vested interest, but I see mistakes by DIYers and even other solicitors.

I am a DIYer. I too see mistakes by DIYers AND other solicitors.

My last sale, we were Exchanging/Completing on the same day. The buyer's solicitor transferred the full funds into my account before we had even Exchanged Contracts. I could have swanned off, but being an honest Joe I went to the agreed meeting and Exchanged/Completed as planned.

I'm glad you acknowledge the fallability of solicitors, but resent the over-generalising about DIYers.

Richard_Webster

My last sale, we were Exchanging/Completing on the same day. The buyer's solicitor transferred the full funds into my account before we had even Exchanged Contracts. I could have swanned off, but being an honest Joe I went to the agreed meeting and Exchanged/Completed as planned.

Ouch! Sloppy solicitor - should have insisted you came to his office and only transferred the funds once you had handed over the signed documents and his clients were happy there were going to get possession of the property.

angrypirate

PasturesNew wrote: »

I know a fully qualified solicitor who always instructs a firm of solicitors/conveyancers to undertake their house buying/selling. "I've got somebody to sue if it's done wrong" is what they say ... they specialise in a different area of law and don't want the hassle/time nor the responsibility of absolutely having to get it spot on.

If the OP really wants to save money, I'd suggest buying a breadmaker ... you can save more money, more safely, over 2-3 years with a breadmaker than skimping on conveyancing.

Exactly what my girlfriend says - and shes a lawyer too. She could do it herself or even get her own firm to do it if she wanted to, however if something goes wrong, the last person she would want to sue is her own firm....