Which solicitors/conveyancers?!

JamesBro

Hi there,

At long last, I've found a house and have had an offer accepted. Now the hard work starts!

The estate agent says they'll take it off the market once I've sent over my conveyancer details.

I was given an agreement in Principle of a quote from the solicitors suggested by London and Country. Do I have to use them? I imagine not, but they do have vouchers to cover us if things fall through.

Also, I imagine it's helpful to have your solicitors and broker/lender singing off the same hymn sheet to make the process and smooth as possible?

But I've seen that I could save £600+ by going with other solicitors.

Feel pressurised because the estate agent's asking for their name by the end of the day.

Help appreciated.

Surrey_EA

JamesBro wrote: »

Also, I imagine it's helpful to have your solicitors and broker/lender singing off the same hymn sheet to make the process and smooth as possible?

There is no need for there to be a preexisting relationship between your solicitor and your broker/lender. The only important thing to check is whether the solicitor you wish to use is on the approved panel of solicitors your lender is happy to work with.

The solicitors you use will not only be acting for you as the purchaser, but they will act for the lender representing their interests in the transaction too. If the solicitor chosen is not on the approved panel then an additional solicitor will be appointed by the lender, at your expense.

The advice is generally use someone local, try and get some recommendations from family and friends. There is no need to go for a very large expensive firm, but avoid going for the cheapest.

BishBashBosh86

I've just been through the same process as you.

I found my own solicitor/conveyancer. They were recommended to me by a friend who had used them before. I would do a search around for some local solicitors/conveyancers and get some quotes. Give them a quick google as they might have a facebook page or have a couple of reviews which may help you choose. Also check that the solicitor is on the lenders panel. My first choice conveyancers weren't on my lenders panel so I had to start again and find another.

I wouldn't feel too pressured by the EA. Just say you are gathering quotes and you'll get back to them asap. I managed to get some quotes from about 3/4 solicitors in a couple of hours but don't rush into it.

JamesBro

Great. Thanks for that.

Very difficult decision as we haven't been told of our lender yet. That will be done through London and Country later this week, but I need to get the conveyancer in place beforehand. So it'll be tough to know if they're on the approved list of conveyencers.

Now inundated with calls from different firms offering their services. Just had one from MyHomeMove Conveyencers based in Leicester who are an online service. I'm based in London. Presumably this isn't advisable?

Will try and see who friend's at work recommend.

The difficult decisions begin here!

Surrey_EA

JamesBro wrote: »

Now inundated with calls from different firms offering their services. Just had one from MyHomeMove Conveyencers based in Leicester who are an online service. I'm based in London. Presumably this isn't advisable?

I would steer clear of any firms like this. I am sure there is the odd exception, but my experience is that they are generally of very poor quality. Whilst the price may be attractive, when you are about to make the biggest financial purchase of your life you don't really want the cheapest legal representation you can find.

aiHandle

after sifting through a tonne of comments and trying to weed out fake reviews, compare quotes and read through all the fine print... finally decided to give MyHomeMove a go.


yes i know the pros vs cons of high street vs online but weighing it all up it still turned out that they were the better option (and they weren't even the cheapest).


so yeh with some trepidation i guess this is where the action starts. Will post back to let you all know how it goes and how the experience really is

G_M

I too advise against an online firm.

* they may appear cheaper, but many (not all) add costs on in their small print (eg by excluding completing the SDLT return from their basic service)
* there are distinct advantages to being able to pop in


Visist 3 or 4 local firms for a chat. Compare quotes but also see which you feel most comfortable with.



Yes, ask which mortgage lenders' panels they are on. Choose one and pass their details to the estate agent, but don't formally 'instruct' the solicitor to start work till you are ready.


If it later transpires your mortgage lender is not one they work with, then switch.