First contact with solicitor

Hedgehog99

I have two potential solicitors to choose from, but neither can give me a quote for selling & buying until I know the agreed sale and purchase prices and the address of my next house.

When I bought this place, the EA was straight on to the solicitor before I had had the chance to talk to them - an approach I don't like , but gather is pretty much the norm. It means there's no chance to get quotes and choose then?

...but, having accepted an offer, I wouldn't want to be waiting for quotes anyway:-S

So how does it usually work?

tacpot12

You tell the estate agent you already have a solicitor lined up when you make your offer. When it is accepted, you then get a quote from your solicitors.

If you want to select a solicitor before you put your offer in, get a quote from them based on the same postcode and the maximum property value. Pick a post code in the centre of your search area. You just ask for a new quote when you know the correct details of the property you are buying.

marksoton

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

I have two potential solicitors to choose from, but neither can give me a quote for selling & buying until I know the agreed sale and purchase prices and the address of my next house.

When I bought this place, the EA was straight on to the solicitor before I had had the chance to talk to them - an approach I don't like

Then i'd suggest i wouldn't want them representing me.

Tell the EA to shove it and get your own independent solicitor.

eddddy

Why do you have just 2 potential solicitors to choose from?

It sounds like they're 'playing games'.

Over the years I have asked dozens of solicitors for conveyancing quotes, and they generally provide them immediately.

Tell them the price you expect to sell for and the price you expect to buy for. If either turns out to be significantly different, check the impact on fees when the time comes.


You will also have to say whether you expect the property you buy to be leasehold or freehold (as the quote will differ), whether you will be getting a mortgage etc.

AdrianC

If your potential solicitors are being this awkward this early, find another. It's that simple.

They can certainly give you ballpark figures at this stage - and may even offer you a flat-price, no-deal-no-fee package based on generalities such as leasehold or freehold. If it's on a time-and-materials basis, then they can't give you a price before starting work anyway, because of what might pop up during their work.

As a buyer, why on earth would you let your seller's representative choose the person whose job is to poke holes in what the seller is selling you?

TBagpuss

Do as edddy says. Get quotes based on what you expect to be buying and selling for and then check them once you have definite figures.
The request for postcodes may mke a diference in relation to searches - both cost and timescales involved.

Hedgehog99

Thanks to all for their replies.

I should clarify - I have two solicitors to choose from based on location and friends' recommendations. I had just hoped they might give me a rough idea of cost, but yes, they both work on a time and materials basis.

Last time I was an FTB so I only did the purchasing. This time I'm selling & buying and it's a long time since I moved here, so I just wanted a rough idea for my budget.

AdrianC

Selling will be a small amount of work compared to buying.

AnotherJoe

I'm sure the last couple of times I bought and sold it was as a fixed fee and the prices of the houses were irrelevant. Is this a new thing ? On the face if it there's the same amount of work selling, say a £300k house or a £350k one.

G_M

If they are both going to quote on a time/materials basis, find 2 other solicitors.

Get fixed fee quotes.

having said that, any quote WILL be dependant to some extent on price and location. In fact a solicitor who wants to know the location will provide a more accurate quote than one who doesn't so is doing a better job - Local authority searches vary enourmously in price from council to council

As tacpot suggests, give them a figure for your top price, and a local authority area or address and get quotes to compare based on that.

Once you have a purchase agreed you can amend the details and the quote will be adjusted but you'll at least know which solicitor you like best.