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Conveyancing No Completion Fee asurvey.co.uk

Justiceforme
Posts: 249 Forumite


Hi folks has anyone used Asurvey Ltd and used their No Completion Fee £75.00, which is added to the fees. They also ask for upfront fees of £600.00, is this normal practice for conveyancing solicitors? Is it worth paying for and how much protection does it actually offer the buyer? I've had other quotes without this addition, other quotes are not as competitive. Any info greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
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We looked at a few online places and ended up going with a local solicitor. They require a small upfront payment c.£150. Overall, they'll probably cost more, but the advantages of them being local outweigh the extra cost to me.
The Conveyancing Solicitor will have costs whether you complete or not, but should only charge for work they've done.1 -
When I sold my previous house I used a "no completion no fee" solicitor. Upfront non refundable fee of about £100 to cover searches. That seems to be the opposite of what the OP describes. If they're penalising you for non completion where is the incentive for the solicitor to complete?
The house was in Yorkshire, the solicitor in Norfolk and I'm in Scotland. That worked for me. Since the solicitor is never going to visit the property anyway I couldn't see the point of paying extra for a local one.1 -
glennevis said:When I sold my previous house I used a "no completion no fee" solicitor. Upfront non refundable fee of about £100 to cover searches. That seems to be the opposite of what the OP describes. If they're penalising you for non completion where is the incentive for the solicitor to complete?
I suspect it's something like this:- The solicitor might say that their legal fee for the purchase is, say, £750.
- You can opt to pay an additional fee of £75 if you want (a bit like an insurance premium)
- If the sale doesn't complete - and you've paid the £75 fee - you won't have to pay any of the £750 legal fee.
- If the sale doesn't complete - but you decided not to pay the £75 fee - you'll have to pay some/all of the £750 legal fee
So as I say, it's equivalent to paying a £75 insurance premium, that will cover your legal costs, if the sale falls through. (But it almost certainly won't cover disbursements like search fees).
And obviously, you need to read the terms to see what 'situations' are covered. For example, if you simply change your mind about buying, that may not be covered.
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Justiceforme said:Hi folks has anyone used Asurvey Ltd and used their No Completion Fee £75.00, which is added to the fees.
Yes as edddy says if you pay the £75 fee you and the deal falls through you may not be charged forwork done todate. BUT read te small print; what does 'falls through' mean? In what circumstances can you claim?
They also ask for upfront fees of £600.00, is this normal practice for conveyancing solicitors?
No. Most ask for a small amount upfront to cover their costs for searches etc - £100? £150?
Is it worth paying for and how much protection does it actually offer the buyer?
I can't read the terms and conditions. Either read them or post them here in full!
I've had other quotes without this addition, other quotes are not as competitive.
Look also at what Asurvey and others are providing. eg a lot of cheap firms give low quotes but then charge extra for eg completng the SDLT form, dealing with mortgage lender, dealing with freeholder...... etc. A decent firm will include all these in their basic quote which then LOOKS more expensive but may not be.1 -
I'm afraid those suggesting search fees in the £100s are probably a little out of date - currently a full pack of LA, DW & Enviro is more like £300-ish.
Asking for money upfront on account of costs it entirely reasonable though - it's just more straightforward than having to ask for a bit here and a bit there as chargeable things are done.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her1 -
Thanks to everyone for your kindness and sharing your knowledge with me. I have a better understanding of what's involved when instructing a conveyancing solicitor.1
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