Conveyancing Costs & Recommendation's

Scruffy_Meee

We are looking at selling a 1 bed flat (Leasehold) to a local council so no estate agents involved. We have been quoted anything from £400 to £2000 for the Conveyancing side of things from either local solicitors or online services. What sort of cost seems realistic, I think £400 seems far to low? Has anyone used a reasonably priced online Conveyancer they could recommend or does anyone have any recommendations for a local one in Devon?

TIA

Tiglet2

£400 does seem incredibly cheap.  What does it include?  Are the quotes like for like?  The cheaper quote is likely to be a basic service and anything additional to the basic service is an extra fee.  

Scruffy_Meee

Tiglet2 said:

£400 does seem incredibly cheap.  What does it include?  Are the quotes like for like?  The cheaper quote is likely to be a basic service and anything additional to the basic service is an extra fee.  

They should be like for like, but I suspect there will be hidden cots with the £400 quote.  Do you know what would be an average cost for this?

user1977

Is the freeholder the council, or another party? It's going to be significantly more straightforward if they're the freeholder.

MEM62

I am currently selling a leasehold flat and my conveyancing costs have been quoted at £1,200.  

Scruffy_Meee

user1977 said:

Is the freeholder the council, or another party? It's going to be significantly more straightforward if they're the freeholder.

yes it is the council, it is an ex council flat that they are buying back.

Scruffy_Meee

MEM62 said:

I am currently selling a leasehold flat and my conveyancing costs have been quoted at £1,200.  

Are you using someone online or local?

user1977

Scruffy_Meee said:

user1977 said:

Is the freeholder the council, or another party? It's going to be significantly more straightforward if they're the freeholder.

yes it is the council, it is an ex council flat that they are buying back.

I would expect a fee towards the lower end then, as obviously nobody should need to spend time on the usual due diligence about freeholder / management matters and the council will be familiar with what the lease says.

MEM62

Scruffy_Meee said:

MEM62 said:

I am currently selling a leasehold flat and my conveyancing costs have been quoted at £1,200.  

Are you using someone online or local?

I am using a law firm based in Reading - although location doesn't really matter.  

Parties03

400 is incredibly cheap. 

Ours is costing £250/hour, she’s quoted us around 1800+ VAT but this sounds about the norm. 

welly_59

Parties03 said:

400 is incredibly cheap. 

Ours is costing £250/hour, she’s quoted us around 1800+ VAT but this sounds about the norm. 

I wouldn't say charging per hour is the norm. From my experience it's generally a set charge per disbursement item and then an over-arching "legal fees"