First time buyer - Solicitors

wallaj

Hi,

We are looking to buy our first property, and we are somewhat surprised still by all the costs involved (even after we thought we had saved up a good deposit etc!!!)

As try-hard moneysaver I have phoned/e-mailed around for a few quotes for conveyancing and they vary quite a lot e.g.

Local Solicitors - c. £1100 + stamp duty
National Solicitor (freefone) - £944 + stamp duty
Online quote - £460 + stamp duty

Does anybody have any experience with any of the Solicitor types above or can recommend someone?

This seems like a huge difference for what I can see, is basically the same thing. Does every Solicitor check the same lists, or are you paying more for their speed?

Every step of the way seems like one rip-off after another (e.g. £40 transfer fee????) - It is very frustrating knowing our hands our tied but any amount I can save will make me feel better!!

Many Thanks!!

deb_buffy

i would say you get what you pay for. We have used a national solicitor and was quoted just over £1000 for our purchase and since then it has gone up by £300 because they didnt include searches which a local solicitor would know for our area. Our vendor has used a local solicitor which was quite expensive when i got a quote from them but they have been really quick at getting back with enquires(sp!!) and have been very helpful.

Its personal choice of do you want to be on the phone all the time chasing them up because they are not local and dont know the area or someone who knows the area and can get on with things. Try and find a friend or family member who has resently bought a house ask them for a recommendation for a good solicitor.

Hope this is helpful.

[Deleted User]

seems a bit pricey, keep ringing around also ask in estate agents.

I paid 450 quid for a local solicitor and the price was fixed and included other stuff like searches etc. Was only 1 year ago.

englishdesi

I recommend onlineconveyancing.co.uk, no problem whatsoever and far cheaper than the high street.

kne

Local is better because you can pay them a visit when they take too long. Lies over the phone are far too easy (perhaps I just picked a slow one!) :-]

indiegirl_2

Shoosmiths operate in your area and dealt with my parents' vendors last year - they were v efficient at pulling things together (shame that my parents' own solicitors weren't as good).

Ask friends, family, colleagues for any recommendations and ring around for some more quotes... my solicitor isn't the cheapest but has a good reputation, unfortunately for you she operates in MK only!

I second kne's recommendation about local being better - it's reassuring to be able to visit the offices to drop paperwork in (and to be sure that it arrived!)

Norahbatty

Hi, you could try reallymoving.com they give you 4 - as far as I remember -online quotes. If you have the time you could contact local agents and get them to give you their best quotes, they are in competition for your business and should be able to do a deal. Good luck.

Melissa177

Do any of the quotes include searches? The quotes in the 1K range sound to me like they include searches (which I paid 400 for when I bought a property).

Then there is the land registry form return, "sundries", VAT, and other bits and bobs.

Ask for a breakdown of what the quotes include.