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How To Choose a Conveyancing Solicitor/Understanding A Quote
This is an example (quote) of one that was recommended to me by the estate agent and is not in the same area.
Legal fees £949.00
Vat on legal fees £189.80
Search fees £350.00
Land registry fee - £150.00
Id checking fee - £14.40.
Client abroad - £120.00 inc vat
Leasehold fee £720.00 inc vat
Final LR Searches £13.00
Total - £2506.20
Stamp duty based on £250,000.00 and you not being a UK resident - £7500.00
Having read various previous posts on this forum and not having any experience whatsoever with regards to purchasing property in the UK, I'm worried about any possible hidden fees (and how to choose a good solicitor) and being taking for a ride as it's obvious that I'm a novice when it comes to dealing with solicitors.
Thank you.
Comments
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Your conveyancer can live anywhere - there is no advantage in them living in the area.Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill1
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I think the only thing is getting the ID checked - can that be done remotely?Robin9 said:Your conveyancer can live anywhere - there is no advantage in them living in the area.1 -
Yes it can, they use a third party app that checks your photo, passport ( it can even read the chip in your passport)Flugelhorn said:
I think the only thing is getting the ID checked - can that be done remotely?Robin9 said:Your conveyancer can live anywhere - there is no advantage in them living in the area.1 -
Robin9 said:Your conveyancer can live anywhere - there is no advantage in them living in the area.
Not necessarily true: someone who lives locally might know about new developments, things about the area that might be a nuisance, and so forth, rather than having to hope that the search would reveal them. Having said that, this is a marginal advantage, not something for which I would pay a lot extra.0 -
that's very helpful - we moved some distance about 5 years ago and had a fab solicitor there who managed 2 sales and 3 purchases for us - was thinking it might be a hassle if we needed help in the future and had to find someone else just because of the ID issueAlbermarle said:
Yes it can, they use a third party app that checks your photo, passport ( it can even read the chip in your passport)Flugelhorn said:
I think the only thing is getting the ID checked - can that be done remotely?Robin9 said:Your conveyancer can live anywhere - there is no advantage in them living in the area.
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Can anyone give me any insight about the fees that have been given to me? I will also be a UK resident when I purchase the property and it will be my main and only residence.0
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The search and land registry fees are being paid to third parties so ignore those, you are comparing what the conveyancers are charging for their own services.
I would avoid firms "recommended" by the estate agent, they may be tempted to overlook problems in the interest of keeping good relationships with the agent.0 -
also have to be wary of referral fees boosting the charges by the conveyanceruser1977 said:The search and land registry fees are being paid to third parties so ignore those, you are comparing what the conveyancers are charging for their own services.
I would avoid firms "recommended" by the estate agent, they may be tempted to overlook problems in the interest of keeping good relationships with the agent.
agree search / registration fees are all the same0 -
I'm confused by you saying to ignore the land registry fees. If you don't find a solicitor that is recommended, do you just contact any firm. I have all done just that but am still awaiting their fees. I have no way of comparing whether the above is a standard fee for my purchase.user1977 said:The search and land registry fees are being paid to third parties so ignore those, you are comparing what the conveyancers are charging for their own services.
I would avoid firms "recommended" by the estate agent, they may be tempted to overlook problems in the interest of keeping good relationships with the agent.0 -
Flugelhorn said:
also have to be wary of referral fees boosting the charges by the conveyanceruser1977 said:The search and land registry fees are being paid to third parties so ignore those, you are comparing what the conveyancers are charging for their own services.
I would avoid firms "recommended" by the estate agent, they may be tempted to overlook problems in the interest of keeping good relationships with the agent.
agree search / registration fees are all the same
I did not see any referral fees being charged. This is also my main concern, how can you make sure that once, the whole process is going through, that you don't get overcharged?0
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