buying conveyancing, is this to much?

georgiesmum

I am in the process of buying a new build retirement flat. When I received it the EA quoted "about £650 " from the solicitor that they are using for all the flats. However, on receiving documents from the solicitor they have said £1,568. There are also a list of extra chargs that they may need to make.
Surely this is too dear. I am not obliged to use their solicitor (I checked) but fear it may stop me from getting the flat if i don't.
Any help appreciated. thanks

Threebabes

Is that not including the stamp duty?

The_Earl_of_Streatham

I have recently paid just over £800 inc VAT for my local solicitor to do the business on a freehold house (outside London so the value wasn't astronomical). I get the impression leaseholds are a bit more complex but it shouldn't double that sort of price.

You don't have to use their solicitor and I would suggest you don't. They should be sufficiently anxious to sell the flat not to make a fuss, and (speculating here) they may be in breach of some regulation or code of practice if they insist you use theirs.

Someone will surely be along soon with better information.

georgiesmum

Threebabes wrote: »

Is that not including the stamp duty?

No, no stamp duty, although on the list ther is a £90 charge for processing stamp duty. Now they know all the flats are below £100,000 so why would they be charging that?
Seems very odd to me.

Yorkie1

£90 for processing stamp duty (i.e. returning the documents to HMRC, which I believe is compulsory in all purchases even if SDLT isn't chargeable) is a lot. Many decent solicitors don't charge for it separately, and those that do, charge about £75 (which is still a lot!).

I would investigate using a different solicitor.

plumfin

I paid £880 for a £120K house. Seemed about right, like The Earl says. Yours sounds very high, sorry

Annie1960

georgiesmum wrote: »

No, no stamp duty, although on the list ther is a £90 charge for processing stamp duty. Now they know all the flats are below £100,000 so why would they be charging that?
Seems very odd to me.

Get your own solicitor.

georgiesmum

Thank you for all of your replies. Helped me a lot.I will not be using him and if i lose the flat so be it, there will be other flats (i hope )
I will be staying with a relative till i find one anyway.

Annie1960

georgiesmum wrote: »

Thank you for all of your replies. Helped me a lot.I will not be using him and if i lose the flat so be it, there will be other flats (i hope )
I will be staying with a relative till i find one anyway.

Why do you think you would lose the flat? EAs are specifically forbidden from forcing you to use a solicitor recommended by them.

http://www.tpos.co.uk/downloads/TPO_Guidance_Buyer_4pp_A5.pdf