Conveyancing - who to choose?

jonewer

We are looking to buy a house and need to appoint a solicitors. We have no experience of this type of thing- our building society have recommended someone but we have no idea if they are a good deal or not.

Are there any moneysavingexperts out there with advice on finding good value solicitors for conveyancing?

jonewer

bump - anyone?

diddlydum

Get quotes from several places, look at the hidden extras (the place I used to work at charged £60 for filling in the SDLT form- it took us about 20 seconds), and don't touch a factory firm with a bargepole.

I worked for a factory firm, and whilst the initial quote looked fantastic, the extras were a horrific rip-off. I won't say which firm I worked for because it doesn't matter, they're all the same.

Recommended firms are usually giving a big fat kick-back to the lender or agent, too.

Richard_Webster

diddlydum wrote: »

Get quotes from several places, look at the hidden extras (the place I used to work at charged £60 for filling in the SDLT form- it took us about 20 seconds), and don't touch a factory firm with a bargepole.

I worked for a factory firm, and whilst the initial quote looked fantastic, the extras were a horrific rip-off. I won't say which firm I worked for because it doesn't matter, they're all the same.

Recommended firms are usually giving a big fat kick-back to the lender or agent, too.

I agree.

Have a look at my post at the end of the following thread which analyses some of the extras a particular firm has:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=493524

As a conveyancing solicitor I believe the information given in the post to be useful but I accept no liability except to fee-paying clients

Mish_Mash

I have just moved. I used the Thompsons Partnership solicitors in Plymouth (I live in London). They were very good and efficient (we completed after 8 weeks). They kept in touch via letter but always took my calls. I have now recommended them to my sister who is using them to buy her flat.

Regarding costs, they were the most competitive solicitors I found. They charged me in total (for both my sale and purchase inc of all costs i.e. searches etc) £1400. Their costs for sale were approx £320 inc VAT and £320 inc VAT for my purchase. Costs could be cheaper if you are selling/buying a freehold property and you are an Amicus union member.

Background info re Thompsons - they are a very large law firm and they do a lot of business with the Amicus trade union - that's how I found out about them. They are, by all accounts, a very good law firm.

Their details are below.

Plymouth - Thompsons Partnership (Conveyancing)
125 North Hill, Plymouth, PL4 8JY
Telephone: 01752 660700
Fax: 01752 674337

Phirefly

Can't recommend Abode enough. They provided us with far and away the cheapest quote (which was the price we paid) and the service from the firm of solicitors they matched us with was second to none. We completed in 31 days from offer accepted.

abode

jonewer

OK, now I'm confoozed. Are conveyance-ers and Solicitors different animals? I's always assumed that it was the solicitor who did the conveyancing. Do I need to appoint both a conveyancor and a solicitor..?

diddlydum

Solicitors sometimes do conveyancing, but Licensed Conveyancers can also legally do conveyancing. In bigger firms the person handling your file is likely to have no legal qualification (other than a degree), and will simply be supervised by a licensed conveyancer or solicitor.

Certainly I was a fee-earner for a large solicitor's firm, and the only qualification I've got is a law degree.

livalicious

I second Phirefly's recommendation, we are using Abode conveyancing, and so far they have been brilliant!

jonewer

Hmmm...

Still a bit confused but have obtained these:

From the mortgage provider

Official Copies Of Title Register £6.00
Stamp Duty Land Tax # £8550.00
Completion of Land Transaction form (inc. VAT)£58.75
Official Land Registry Searches £6.00
Client Identification Search (inc. VAT) £11.76
Land Charges Searches (Bankruptcy) £4.00
Local Search / Drainage Search / Environmental Search £245.26
Land Registry £220.00
Bank Transfer Fees (inc. VAT) £ 23.50
Subtotal £9125.27
Solicitor's Fees Conveyancing Fees £345.00
VAT £60.37
Total Amount Payable £9530.64


And from the recommended adobe:

breakdown of costs & disbursements£
total fees 300
local authority & drainage searches 207.3
*IMPORTANT - NEW*: chancel repair liability11.75
coal mining searchnot requiredlimestone mining search not required
cheshire brine search not required
china clay mining search not required
tin mining search not required
land registry searches 6
value added tax52.50
stamp duty 8550
land registry fees 220
bank telegraphic transfer [if required by lender] 35.25
TOTAL PRICE you will pay9382.80


Is there anything important missing from these quotes?
I guess what I'm really driving at though is - If I go ahead with either of these, will I have to appoint anyone else IN ADDITION to these or will they take care of everything (except the survey and mortgage) for me?

Sorry if its a dumb question but you learn by doing and I havent done this before!

simoningram

I'm also debating over which conveyancing firm to use, so far I have all these quotes for Sale @ £165,000 and purchase @ £215,000:-

SolicitorPriceCunningtons £3,046.00 Conveyancy warehouse £3,162.25 LocationConveyancing.com £3,199.00 AA £3,204.66 Adobe £3,260.00 Adams Taylor Solicitors £3,262.16 ARC Property Solicitors £3,262.16 Lawcomm Solicitors £3,262.16 Gordon O'Brien Solicitors £3,266.16 Simpson Millar Solicitors £3,266.16 Lambert Pugh £3,366.00 Beaumont Legal £3,417.00 Layard Horsfall £3,446.39 Corts £3,557.13 Tollers £3,900.00 Cato (Local firm) £4,010.00

After reading reviews on here I'm discounting Cunningtons, Conveyancy Warehouse and AA. Now considering Adobe and Simpson Millar both seem to include everything, Simpson Millar in particular appear to have a no Sale/purchase no fee policy regardless of who pulls out which does seem attractive. Local solicitors are coming in at £600 - £700 more expensive and to be honest we are both out at work all day and would struggle to visit should we need to. Does anybody have any experience of these ignoring the top 4?

Thanks