very cheap Conveyancing Solicitors Quotes online

5abi

Has anyone done a comparison on property conveyance qoutes? I came across this site from google.

http://www.reallymoving.com/quote-forms/conveyancing.aspx

Where I entered some details and it gave me some really cheap quotes. I called one of them up and they confirmed that the prices are correct and thats exactly what I will be charged.

Any experience with this sort of thing?

The results revealed these companies with really cheap prices. Like £299 etc:

• Action Conveyancing
• RMNJ Conveyancing Solicitors
• Quality Conveyancing Limited
• Beaumont Legal

Is this safe to go with or do you get what you pay for with these online services?


On top of these, one of the companies also told me that I could save about £1000 on my stamp duty through some sort of a relief scheme that I can sign up to. This happens alongside the conveyance procedures and its pretty much guaranteed.

Some advice would be very useful. Many thanks.

Richard_Webster

one of the companies also told me that I could save about £1000 on my stamp duty through some sort of a relief scheme that I can sign up to. This happens alongside the conveyance procedures and its pretty much guaranteed.

to result in a follow up letter from HMRC asking for unpaid SDLT and penalties for late payment!

Read all the small print in their terms and conditions and query what the items are.

googler

Any conveyancing solicitor will need to confirm your identity, and see photo and address ID for you - passport, driving licence, bank statements etc

There was a thread here recently where someone posted this kind of thing off to a remote solicitor, and they sent them back to the wrong person.

I'd always want to deal with a sol face to face, where they have on onstreet presence I can walk into, and walk out of with my documents in hand...... regardless of apparent savings.

girl_withno_name

googler wrote: »

Any conveyancing solicitor will need to confirm your identity, and see photo and address ID for you - passport, driving licence, bank statements etc

There was a thread here recently where someone posted this kind of thing off to a remote solicitor, and they sent them back to the wrong person.

I'd always want to deal with a sol face to face, where they have on onstreet presence I can walk into, and walk out of with my documents in hand...... regardless of apparent savings.

I'm currently dealing with one of these companies and haven't posted any original documents to them - they were photocopied and verified by an independent individual (they had to be, for example, a lawyer, doctor, accountant, etc.)

My experience has been that the level of service, even within the same company, can depend on the individual you deal with. Initially our solicitor was on holidays, but I was impressed with the colleague who picked up our file and the process seemed to move quite swiftly. However, we're now back to dealing with our original solicitor and we haven't heard from them in over a week (despite chasing emails) and some queries have been outstanding for a fortnight.

5abi

Ok, so the advice is not to go with these people? I got quotes from them pretty much immediately.

The saving on the stamp duty was given to me as a choice and I was told there is another team who will work on that.

What is this saving all about? Is there such a relief? and what loophole are these guys going to exploit?

girl_withno_name

There is 'Disadvantaged Areas Relief', they might be talking about this? However, I wouldn't have thought this was specific to solicitors...

Information here:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sdlt/reliefs-exemptions/disadvantaged-areas.htm#1

Postcode search here:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/so/dar/dar-search.htm

G_M

When looking at quotes, always look for hidden extras.

Being told on the phone "that's what you'll pay" is meaningless - what matters is what is writen in the contract/terms of business you sign up to.

Read here.

cattie

Do a search on these forums for some of these names and you will see at least 2 of them have had a lot of negative comments.

jozbo

G_M wrote: »

When looking at quotes, always look for hidden extras.

Being told on the phone "that's what you'll pay" is meaningless - what matters is what is writen in the contract/terms of business you sign up to.

This is true. We instructed a local solicitor to act for our house purchase, the fee that we were quoted on the phone plus 'disbursements' expanded hugely when we got the written quote. Aside from expected search fees and SDLT, they had seperately itemised their indemnity insurance at £150, stationery at £50 and placed us in the higher band of land registry incurring an extra £80. All on top of a £699 fee (excl VAT.) :eek:

Needless to say, we swiftly switched to a sol recommended by a friend and although far away in distance, he promptly replies to calls and emails and is very helpful so far.

I would be very suspicious of a fee as low as £299. I do think you get what you pay for with a solicitor - just watch the hidden extras and try and get a personal recommendation if possible.

Richard_Webster

Every now and again I get a "know it all" phoning me who wants to know my conveyancing fees - "just the figure for your costs, I know all the rest...."

I ask him about the transaction - the kind of property, the price, the area (search fees vary) and the identity of his proposed mortgage lender, because these are all factors that could make a difference to what I charge and what extra disbursements to others might be involved. "Why do you have to ask me all, this I just want a price...?"

They often put the phone down and frankly I am happy not to deal with them. Someone will tell them "£299 plus for conveyancing on the purchase" and they will think they have done well, but as they didn't bother to listen or ask any more they might get stung for another £150 for the mortgage work, £80 for the SDLT form, £50 for professional indemnity and if it was on a marina development with service charges (which if he had bothered to tell me I would have warned him about) there would additional notice fees to the managing agent related to that....

Icecold_2

I have never used an online company so can't really comment on them, I have always used a high street conveyancer because it is nice to be able to sit face to face and discuss any issues.

Knowing some issues which have been rooted out by a quality, experienced conveyancer I do wonder what gets missed going the cut price route

My personal view is that a house purchase is such a huge expense that it is a false economy to cut corners on your legal expert.

Good luck whatever you decide :beer: