Legal Fees 31 January 2020 at 10:36AM edited 31 January 2020 at 11:04AM in House buying, renting & selling 25 replies 985 views

Flugelhorn

Have always used smaller / local firms - current one is in walking distance so easy to drop stuff off. Can also get to talk to the right person when I phone

pablakeman

I am buying a new build and using the developer's recommendation - they recommended 4 to me to choose from, and offered a £500 discount off whichever one I chose. So it made sense for me

hazyjo

pablakeman wrote: »

I am buying a new build and using the developer's recommendation - they recommended 4 to me to choose from, and offered a £500 discount off whichever one I chose. So it made sense for me

Again, not advised. If they're getting work from the developer, there may be things they think can be overlooked or may not deem as important to you as an independent solicitor with zero interest in getting their business.

AdrianC

pablakeman wrote: »

I am buying a new build and using the developer's recommendation - they recommended 4 to me to choose from, and offered a £500 discount off whichever one I chose. So it made sense for me

Eeek! The "Don't use the recommended" goes triple for new builds...

xthrash

Email a couple of firms in local towns and ask for a full quote with a breakdown including VAT, use the same email for all of them - include all the details of the house you're buying (and selling, if you are).
Then you can compare apples with apples. We were given the details of a recommended firm from the developer, on the print out there was a big box saying fixed fee £500 + VAT. When I emailed them and asked for a full quote, the figure worked out more expensive than a few of the local firms - with all the other fees and charges it worked out over £1.6k

AdrianC

...and consider "No-Complete-No-Fee", too.

G_M

pablakeman wrote: »

I am buying a new build and using the developer's recommendation - they recommended 4 to me to choose from, and offered a £500 discount off whichever one I chose. So it made sense for me

Where everything goes smoothly, then a cost saving is great, whether via a kick-back like this or a cut-price online conveyancing warehouse.


It's when issues arise that the difference matters and you want a firm that is 100% on your side (not looking at future recomendations from the esate agent or developer) and has proper solicitors doing the work, not multiple admin staff 'overseen' by a single licenced conveyancer.....


Personally I'd always choose someone I can physically go in and see if I want anything explained or clarified.

GDB2222

I can't believe how much some people are paying! £2400! £1700!

I use a local solicitor, who works from home. His fee for freehold purchase up to £750k value is £700 + VAT + any disbursements. Slightly more for leasehold.

I have used the same solicitor for many years now, and he's incredibly painstaking and thorough.

KBNewby

Do not use an online solicitors. I did for my first purchase and it has cost me a lot more than the couple of hundred I saved by using them initially. They were terrible and I ended up sueing them 2 years down the line (successfully) . Honestly, it is not worth it.

Am currently selling/buying and use a very local one who is excellent. Incredibly thorough, I can drop stuff off to them and they get back to me the same day. They cost less than 200GBP more than the one I originally used who messed up.... stay local!!!

shinytop

Just to be contrary - I just completed a sale using used a well-respected local firm of solicitors - the High Street, pop in and drop stuff off sort - and they let me down. The person who was dealing with our sale went awol and it was only after around 3 weeks at a critical time that anybody else picked up the work. They didn't tell me anything was wrong; it was the estate agent who found out. I also used a conveyancing factory a couple of years ago for a sale and they were great.

Having said that I have gone for a local firm again for our current purchase. I got some online quotes to get an idea of the price and then phoned a couple of local firms. So far so good.