Quotes for conveyancing

Silicon_Geezer

Hi,
I live in North London, am in the process of buying a house, and am currently getting some quotes for the conveyancing.

So far I have two quotes from local solicitors, which were both almost exactly £1,250 including VAT and disbursements.

I also got a quote from ConveyQuote.com, which was £691 including VAT and disbursements, but not including searches.

One of the local solicitors gave me a disbursement breakdown, which included £150 for searches (ConveyQuote suggest that they will be between £120-£250), so I suppose the quote is probably about £840-£940.

I am also going to get a quote from a solicitor who is some distance from me, but who has done work for my parents.

I just wondered if anybody had any thoughts on the quotes that I have received, and also whether I should get a conveyancer or a solicitor.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd never use an online conveyancer. You never deal with a named individual, usually a team of paralegals and people have found that they don't get a response within a reasonable time to emails either.

I'd be much more inclined to instruct a solicitor upon a recommendation even if it was more expensive. This is going to be the most expensive purchase of your life to date, so skimping for the sake of a couple of hundred quid would be a false economy imo

A grand including disbursements seems about right to me.

Silicon_Geezer

Thanks.

I got the impression from the ConveyQuote website that they just match up the client with the conveyancing firm and that, once I instructed, I would then be contacted directly by the firm that I would be dealing with.

It is quite likely that I have gotten the wrong end of the stick though.

G_M

Always get a full breakdown of the quote, what's included, and what's an 'extra'. AND an accurate quote for disbursements. Tell them which local authority and they should give a precise figure for searches.

More here.

timmyt

Silicon_Geezer wrote: »

Hi,
I live in North London, am in the process of buying a house, and am currently getting some quotes for the conveyancing.

So far I have two quotes from local solicitors, which were both almost exactly £1,250 including VAT and disbursements.

I also got a quote from ConveyQuote.com, which was £691 including VAT and disbursements, but not including searches.

One of the local solicitors gave me a disbursement breakdown, which included £150 for searches (ConveyQuote suggest that they will be between £120-£250), so I suppose the quote is probably about £840-£940.

I am also going to get a quote from a solicitor who is some distance from me, but who has done work for my parents.

I just wondered if anybody had any thoughts on the quotes that I have received, and also whether I should get a conveyancer or a solicitor.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Yes but,

1. you dont say whether you have actually found out who in the firm will be doing the work - are you getting an actual Solicitor or Legal Executive, or just an unqualified with dubious training.....you never know unless you ask, as firms make more profit by making you think you get a solicitor

2. you dont need a local solicitor as no solicitor visits the property and 'local information' is a nonsense. all conveyancers do the same searches, and it is all done by post. BUT NEVER use an internet conveyancer. I always say 'here today, dot come tomorrow' should anything happen, and goodness knows who really is doing your work.

timmyt

Silicon_Geezer wrote: »

Thanks.

I got the impression from the ConveyQuote website that they just match up the client with the conveyancing firm and that, once I instructed, I would then be contacted directly by the firm that I would be dealing with.

It is quite likely that I have gotten the wrong end of the stick though.

if any company did that, what do they take from that law firm they match you up to as their fee...say they quote you £600, do they take £200 from the legal firm they match you to - meaning the legal firm only get £400....ouch...what calibre person will you get to make the £400 bring them a profit :eek:

Silicon_Geezer

timmyt wrote: »

Yes but,

1. you dont say whether you have actually found out who in the firm will be doing the work - are you getting an actual Solicitor or Legal Executive, or just an unqualified with dubious training.....you never know unless you ask, as firms make more profit by making you think you get a solicitor

Thanks, I'll make sure that I ask.

timmyt wrote: »

2. you dont need a local solicitor as no solicitor visits the property and 'local information' is a nonsense. all conveyancers do the same searches, and it is all done by post. BUT NEVER use an internet conveyancer. I always say 'here today, dot come tomorrow' should anything happen, and goodness knows who really is doing your work.

Thanks again. I am waiting to hear back from the remote firm, and was going to ask them if they see any practical issues with doing it remotely. I wasn't sure whether there would be delays if I needed to sign things, for example.

poorlittlefish

I was thinking of using ConveyQuote as they gave a competitive quote but I had a few questions about exactly what else might end up being added to the bill. I tried a few times to get through to them but the phone just rang and rang. That didn't fill me with confidence so I decided to look elsewhere.

G_M

trebor007 wrote: »

They are also known as conveylaw . . . . . they have a thread on here under that name

I'm guessing the OP will have long-since chosen a conveyancer - this thread is 3 months old!

Hoof_Hearted

Well, I used an online conveyancer to sell. I have nothing but praise for them. You do have a named contact and their response time to queries is much better than the solicitor we are using to buy. Even in a traditional solicitor's firm not all the low level work is done by a qualified person, so this argument is a bit of a red herring. I am happy for a paralegal to find the information as long as a solicitor has an overview. The company I used was Fwdlaw Associates of Newport Gwent. I agree with Timmy, there is not much advantage to using a local solicitor.

pinkhearts_2

Hi there,

We are currently using Ross Coates based in Ipswich, they have been fab and a fantastic price. They are office based so do have offices but theres no need to be local, as everything is done via the post and phone calls.

We are exchanging next week and its all been sorted in 5 weeks with a chain. have nothing but praise for them,well worth getting a quote, they are extremly good value!