What problems arise from using EA's recommended conveyancing solicitor?

freda

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor. I have got 5 quotes, 3 from local solicitors, one from London and Country's solicitors and one from my EA's solicitors.

L&C came in cheapest, and my EA solicitor agreed to match the price.

Which leaves the 3 local solicitors £400 more expensive than the EA's solicitor.

Why do people advise using a local solicitor, and is it worth £400 more?

So far, the EA solicitor has answered my emails within a couple of hours and always answers the phone (I prefer email though). They say that there would be no particular delay on paperwork that needs signing as they work by fax, email, post and also the EA premises in town will send them any necessary documentation.

So what would I be paying £400 more for if I went with a local one?

(The EA's solicitor is DC Law Solicitors, via a company called 'Move with Us', if that helps)

Pixie5740

Local solictors should know and understand the local area in which you are buying.

freda

Excuse me if its a dim question, but what do they need to know and understand that is specific to my local area, that searches etc won't throw up?

kingstreet

As long as you are comparing like with like?

Any extra fees carefully dressed up as disbursements, such as acting for mortgage lender, or completion of stamp duty return where local firms tend to include such activities in their headline fee?

How is the estate agent referral fee included?

Check carefully all your quotes and go into this with your eyes open. A conveyancing warehouse is exactly that. It can cope with the easy mechanical stuff, but what happens if there are unseen issues later in the process?

Need a mortgage, who is/isn't on your lender's panel?

freda

I've asked if they are on the major lender's panels, they said they were.

I've added up all of the fees, VAT, disbursements and additional extras listed on all of the quotes I've had to compare them. They are hard to compare on individual entries, as some 'search' fees are listed as one large fee, while others list each individual search (for example). I have compared the total for each quote, not the headline fees.

The EA referral fee is about £400, that is paid by the conveyancing company, not us.

What sort of unseen issues would cause a problem if I were using a conveyancing 'warehouse', but not cause a problem were I using a local solicitor? - I don't know enough about the process to be able to foresee any sort of problems at all, tbh!

kingstreet

If you use a local solicitor, you will have a legal exec doing the legwork with a solicitor a couple of doors away. If you use a warehouse, the operation is cheap/pile it high and you won't get the same attention if you do get issues.

There's a £400 referral fee to the EA, but you're not paying it? Who is? It has to come out of the fees you are paying the conveyancer, so find it difficult to believe they cane be so cheap they can pay away that amount and still charge so little, you're still hundreds below other quotes.

FWIW in our area, a typical purchase costs about £500 + VAT + disbursements and the SDLT form and acting for lender are included in that. There is simply no scope to pay a £400 referral fee out of that, so I'm surprised at what you are saying.

AdrianC

freda wrote: »

The EA referral fee is about £400, that is paid by the conveyancing company, not us.

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

The "recommended" solicitor say they're going to do the job for EIGHT HUNDRED pounds less than anybody else is. £400 less out of your pocket, plus £400 from what does leave your pocket then goes to the EA. (Yes, that referral fee IS your money)

And no warning bells are going yet?

AndyT678

freda wrote: »

Excuse me if its a dim question, but what do they need to know and understand that is specific to my local area, that searches etc won't throw up?

For example mine knew of a plan to build a large housing estate on the field at the back of a house I thought about buying before a formal planning application had been made.

He also knows all the local agents and other sols and is good at using his relationships to get information quickly.

And if he ever was causing a problem I know where to go and find him to give him what for.

No way I would use anybody else now.

dannim12345

I went with a local solicitor and really glad I did. It feels like she is on my side e.g. closely looking into enquirers not just processing the sell as quickly & easily as possible.

As its local I can also pop in & drop letters in meaning no delay. However this solicitor wasn't £800 more than online/EA quotes... It was a competitive price.