£500 for searches - Am I being ripped off?

ap18

My solicitor is charging just over £500 for searches. Reading online it seems that searches should cost only £250 - £300. Do I appear to be over-charged for searches?

ReadingTim

If you don't like what they're proposing to charge, use someone else.

If you keep using them, it doesn't matter whether you feel they're ripping you off or not; you're still agreeing to it!

Surrey_EA

Which searches?

hazyjo

Thought the council set the price, not the solicitor. Am guessing there's more to the charge than just 'searches'. Unless they're adding in a whole load of ones you don't necessarily need...


Are you paying a fixed price for the conveyancing?

toc25

I've just paid 300 for mine. The solicitor gave me a break down of the costs so I could see what it was for. Maybe you could ask for something similar.

G_M

The charges for searches should be the same whichever solicitor you use. These are called 'disbursements' - that is things the solicior pays for at whatever rate he is charged on your behalf.

The question is (see post 3 above):

* which searches? there are many, some of which may be optional/some not
* How many? The more there are the higher the cost!
* Done how by who? A 'personal search' at the local authority is cheaper than an official search. a seach sub-contacted to a search company will be charged differently to a direct official search
etc

So you need to look at the bill and see what you are being charged for. I bet it does not say:

"Searches: £500"

ap18

Thanks for responses.

I'm not sure which searches it's for but I've asked for a breakdown. I think it will be local authority searches but not sure if there are any others.

It seems that the searches are to be subcontracted out to a search provider.

parking_question_chap

Yes

Wow, thats way overpriced if its just local authority. Go directly to the authority and get a price, then ask solicitor to justify the difference.

kingstreet

Are you sure this is the cost and not an 'on account' payment for which anything left over after the cost of the searches will be used to subsidise the rest of your legal costs?

That's the way many solicitors I've known work.

TBagpuss

It's very common for searches to be sub-contracted to search companies as it is more efficient.
The searches you need will depend on what your mortgage lender requires and on where the property you are buying is (for instance, whether or not you need a coal mining search to check whether there are any old workings under or near the property won't be needed in areas where there has never been any mining..)

As Kingstreet says , check whether this is an actual cost or an 'on account' payment, and ask for a break down if there is anything in your cost estimate you don't understand.

anto164

Yes

I'd say so, however they will charge a rate and it's up to you if you think it's worth it. Also depends, if their fees for conveyancing is competetive in comparison, then it may be fine.

Last year, my breakdown was as below;

Pali Limited – search pack fee -£146.50
HMLR- search fees (apporx) £10.00

Totals £156.50 for the searches. This was however for a freehold house. There could be variances in costs depending on councils etc, but i would imagine that it wouldn't be too much more that what we paid.

By the way, the above costs were in May 2016, so may be higher today.