Are these costs from London & Country realistic or more/less than usual?

smulx

I've just received a DIP from London & Country and they also included a conveyancing quotation with this information. I'm just wondering if these look like reasonable costs as I don't want to go with them if I'm going to end up paying over the odds. Also, what costs might I incur in addition to the things listed here (other than deposit). I'll have to add the survey cost I think. Is there anything else to consider?

Breakdown of your anticipated payment
Your Purchase

Legal Fee £510.00
ID Check Fee ( Per Name ) £20.00
Mortgage Legal Fee £75.00
SDLT Legal Fee £50.00
CHAPS Fee £30.00
VAT on Legal Fees £137.00
Search Pack £249.00
Completion Searches £20.00
Land Registry Fee £95.00
Stamp Duty Land Tax £500.00
TOTAL £1686.00

YHM

Seems reasonable to me

csgohan4

have tried other quotes elsewhere to compare??? L+C are probably getting commission for referring you to their preferred solicitors

ACG

I have 2 places I use, one is a price comparison site which is around £150 less than yours - which I do receive a kick back from.

The other is a local solicitor who is about £100 more than yours - which I do not get a kick back from.

Crazy how the cheapest pays me a kick back isnt it. I give people both options depending on whether they want local or cheap. But as YHM says, it does not seem too bad.

Mortgage_Adviser

I would personally focus not on the plud minus £100 but the general solicitors feedback. See if any friend or family would recommend any good firm.
A few years ago (I wasn;t mortgage broker myself then) I did a mortgage through L&C. I have gone wioth their recommended solicitors Premier Propeety Lawyers and those solicitors have screwed up a great deal so I had to take it all the way to financiual ombudsman who have awarded me wirh compensation for their failing.
So if the price difference is insignificant I would look at the company feedback.

amnblog

If you are looking for feedback on solicitors you will find dirt on all of them.

It is generally only the dissatisfied customers that post their feedback online.

There is much to go wrong and no-one to blame but the solicitor.

That is why your mortgage broker is actually a sensible place to get a referral to a solicitor. We have not a single experience with a legal firm, but numerous experiences, allowing us to assess their true worth. Our policy at my firm is to drop those Solicitors that do not perform, to leave us with a small panel who get the service right +95% of the time.

Our poster will find a lower price but perhaps not better value.

As to the Broker receiving a 'kickback' (you really need a better term ACG!), the solicitor is simply diverting their marketing cost to the introductory source and is standard practice.

ACG

amnblog wrote: »

As to the Broker receiving a 'kickback' (you really need a better term ACG!), the solicitor is simply diverting their marketing cost to the introductory source and is standard practice.

I dont get a kickback/commission, I receive a portion of their marketing budget? I actually feel dirty saying that on here, let alone in front of a customer. The "marketing budget" is not actually showing on any paperwork but it is not a secret.

My argument is that if they use my solicitor, I will liaise with them. If they use their own solicitors, I wont.

amnblog

You don't need an argument, its commerce.

The solicitor would rather pay you for someone who is sensible and ready to go than take enquiries from 100 dreamers on compare the meerkat.

I don't hear the Lenders justifying why they put a mark up on a valuation.