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Pay searches before mortgage valuation?

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
in Mortgages & endowments
Solicitors keep 'reminding' me to pay the search fees however my mortgage valuation hasn't been done because they can't read a bloody fax and my mortgage man is away until Thursday. Should I pay the search fees £280 now or wait till mortgage offer?

Comments

  • Dave_Ham
    Dave_Ham Posts: 6,045 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Wait. Sounds like estate agents solicitors
    I am a Mortgage Broker
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Broker, so you need to take my word for it.
    This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser code of conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Solicitor requires the money in order to start the searches once the mortgage offer is received. If the mortgage application fails the money will be refunded.
  • Din85
    Din85 Posts: 145 Forumite
    I waited until i had a mortgage offer in hand.
  • lee111s
    lee111s Posts: 2,987 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    My solicitor never asked for any fees upfront. I was billed upon completion.
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    lee111s wrote: »
    My solicitor never asked for any fees upfront. I was billed upon completion.

    Not a fee. It's a disbursement. The solicitor requires the monies to pay for the searches upfront.
  • Dave_Ham
    Dave_Ham Posts: 6,045 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Sorry typed in haste to a degree. By all means send them a cheque for them to clear, but give written instructions that they are not to undertake any searches or incur cost until you have told them or they have received a mortgage offer.

    Still sounds like EA solicitors though
    I am a Mortgage Broker
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Broker, so you need to take my word for it.
    This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser code of conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • lee111s
    lee111s Posts: 2,987 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thrugelmir wrote: »
    Not a fee. It's a disbursement. The solicitor requires the monies to pay for the searches upfront.

    Nope, I paid nothing until the end. My total bill was something around £800 and this wasn't paid until a few days after completion. Maybe my solicitor is different to most :)
This discussion has been closed.
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