Conveyancers

Find someone local and recommended with good reviews.

Estate agents do not always recommend bad / expensive ones so it is worth looking into them if they are local.
When I was selling I asked all the estate agents what solicitors they recommended and I was surprised that the local independents did recommend decent ones.
Avoid the ones recommended by the large national agents as they tend to not be as good.

Get three quotes and ask them what they include and don’t include as sometimes they quote differently so difficult to compare.

You’ll always get some disbursements on top but they shouldn’t be too much. On my sale they were £18. Purchase haven’t had the bill yet as still waiting to exchange and complete.

Best wishes on your purchase.

LizzieC2018 wrote: »

That is so helpful, thanks very much!

No problem.
For what it’s worth I think having a good conveyancer is Worth it’s weight in gold!
Mine is amazing and totally on the ball. Everyone I know uses her and recommends her onwards.

An extra £100 or so is nothing to take the weight off your mind that someone decent is managing your purchase when you are spending possibly hundreds of thousands on a house and don’t want to lose the purchase or they miss something important which comes to bite you further down the line. And they aren’t always more expensive than the ones that appear cheaper as they often have hidden costs or don’t help you as much as they should.

Lizzie,
From your message, is it "we are buying" a flat - you and your fiance! - or just you? I could expand on the options when buying a place together or on your own, but will confine myself to the solicitor:

As you have been advised above, get several quotations for the value of the property you are going to buy.
I would use a solicitors either near to where you live at the moment or near to your work, so that you can walk in easily to hand in or sign documents.

As above, make sure they are like for like. I noticed some items are described differently, some with VAT some without.
I kept a spreadsheet itemising the different elements I was expected to pay - as well as detailing the staged submission of the deposit I was required to give them - this was because my bank only allowed a daily transfer of £10,000.

Be careful. I telephoned the solicitors for their bank account details. I sent a small test amount ~£10 and waited until the solicitor/assistant confirmed receipt. Then sent the rest in stages. On the last payment, I e-mailed requesting confirmation that the total requirement amount had been received. This being in good time before Exchange, so that if a problem arises there was time to solve it.

Also, I would have at least a week or two between Exchange and Completion. Also, do not rely on the solicitor to suggest a date for Exchange, it will drag on. Once I knew the Vendor was nearly ready with paperwork being processed I suggested a date that was suitable to me moving out of the rented accommodation but with a bit of float. Making the suggestion made the parties wake up and think seriously about the move and they suggested a date a week later - which was the actual date I wanted! This allowed for a two week overlap to the Tenancy Agreement Fixed period ending. Expect your solicitor to blame the other solicitor if things drag on - it is never their fault!

Also, when you receive the final invoice do check the amounts against the quotation items. As mentioned before, I noticed some items were re-named (to mislead?) and the total amount was £104 more that the individual items added up!
A quick e-mail the solicitor and the assistant replied "oh, apologises for the mistake" Yeah, believe that if you like - I just wonder how many people paid up the final amount...?

One other thing: Have you done a second viewing with the Vendor - if not, do request that through the Estate Agent. At this meeting best with the Vendor, ask about any original ownership deeds - not the Land Registry but the original deeds. Most mortgage lenders no longer hold these as "everything is electronic now-a-days". However, Land Registry only records those items from the original deed/conveyance that they are interested in. Always good to ask now as the Vendor is still resident - also ask about any other documents such as manuals for any appliances remaining (boiler, oven, hob, air conditioning unit, etc.)

Anyway,
Good Luck,
John