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House buying, solicitor needed...


Supra_Nish

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Hey All,

 

Just bought another place, going through the usual hassle of getting things moving.

 

I've noticed a few online conveyancers advertising their wares on google, anyone have any experience with these?

 

Any recommendations or things to watch out for?

 

Cheers,

 

Nish

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A work colleage was chatting about this today, saying how good his experience was. Never had to meet them, everything done through scanned docs or recorded delivery (when actual signatures required) and a good price too. I will try to get the site off of him tomorrow.

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Dont know where you are located mate but DONT use DMB Law. Absolute shambles of an operation, and the people are beyond arrogant to talk to! Also, if you have the option of an environmental report from whomever you use dont pay for theirs as most will charge £50 for this "privilege" when in actual fact you can print the same thing off the internet from same company for nothing.

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I have done my own conveyancing, used a solicitor and a conveyencer. If you do it yourself you can really take controll of things, a converyancer is the next best thing. All the ones I have used have always gone out of their way to keep us informed of how things are progressing. At the other end of the spectrum there are solicitors, some of whom like to make you belive the buying and selling of houses is mystical process, the workings of which are not to be shared with mear mortals. Some like you to believe that someone has to sit in a dusty cellar searching through piles of old ducuments looking for information about your purchase.

 

Whatch out dfor all the searches charges ,alot can be done on line for £0.

 

Good luck , I completed on a purchase on Tuesday.

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Thanks for the replies guys.

 

This is my second property now, last time I went through a solicitor, and to be fair they were a nightmare.

 

I need this to go through as quickly as possible, but from what I've seen 95% seem to be unbearably annoying and slow.

 

Think I'll check out the links and just go for what seems to be the best price.

 

Thanks again all.

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Also, if you have the option of an environmental report from whomever you use dont pay for theirs as most will charge £50 for this "privilege" when in actual fact you can print the same thing off the internet from same company for nothing.

 

If you are getting a mortgage you have to have an environmental search to protect the lenders interest ie that its not built on a swamp.

 

Online Enviro searches are £39 straight from the search providers and we (being my company but also the other two i've worked for in the area) don't charge any money on top of that, like all the searches we do because they are all outsourced to a third party. If there is a company online that do free enviro searches i would like to know because that would save us a lot of farting around drawing plans etc for searches if we can just print them off online.

 

The only thing i would say with 'factory' conveyancing is, check your paperwork and re-check it. Because they are slashing their fees to be the most competitive they are slashing wages too and often people that work in places like Countrywide have no clue on the process - so how can they advise you. You need to find a solicitors that isn't too old fashioned but equally isn't a conveyor belt process either.

 

Like with anything you do there will be horror stories, good firms and bad firms word of mouth is the only way to highlight the bad ones. Conveyancing is the only Legal industry that you can practice in without qualifications so naturally it is wide open to prats who don't know what they're doing.

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My plan this time is to just go for the cheapest.

 

They all seem to take forever and impossible to get a hold off.

 

My last one took 10 weeks when purchasing an empty property with no chain!

 

(Alex, this was one in Norwich, AVOID!)

 

What I really like is the cost breakdown you get, the best one yet has to be being charged £15.67 for the storage of my files.

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Got some quotes in, as expected they vary wildly.

 

ww.homeconveyancing.co.uk:

 

 

Fees (inc VAT) £470.00

Stamp Duty £2,385.00

Landreg Fees £250.00

Searches £8.00

TT Fee (inc VAT) £35.25

File storage costs (inc VAT) £19.98 (NOT AGAIN!!!!!!)

Local Search Fee £ Varies with Local Authority

Mining or Other Local Searches: £ Vary with Area

Total: £ 3,090.00

Total (inc VAT): £3,168.23

 

Local solicitor:

 

Stamp Duty 2,385.00

Registration 220.00

Local authority search }

Environmental search } 208.50

Water search Approx 42.77

CHAPS transfer 35.00

Pre-completion searches 6.00

Incidentals 94.00

Notice of Assignment & Charge 58.75

Possible Deed of Covenant 135.13

Dealing with Managing Agents 58.75

Fees 395.00 + 195.00

Indemnity Insurance 94

Form filling in 85.00

 

Total is around £4k once VAT and bits and bobs totalled up.

 

The web one doesn't include local authority searches but I can assume around £220 from other quotes.

 

Only issue now is homeconveyancing.co.uk aren't sure if they can provide their services for property in London.

 

Oh joy.

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If you are getting a mortgage you have to have an environmental search to protect the lenders interest ie that its not built on a swamp. Online Enviro searches are £39 straight from the search providers and we (being my company but also the other two i've worked for in the area) don't charge any money on top of that, like all the searches we do because they are all outsourced to a third party. If there is a company online that do free enviro searches i would like to know because that would save us a lot of farting around drawing plans etc for searches if we can just print them off online.

 

Girlfriend used to do conveyancing to and knows a surveyor who put us onto the free environmental search/survey site. When I see her I will try and get the link for you mate. I know our one came from Homecheck, and was a pile of rubbish that if I could find a swamp I would immediately bury it there! It wasnt well written and the spelling and grammar were as bad as some of mums first year english students.

 

Sorry for the rant all, my move is I think, falling to pieces. I wish everyone else better luck with theirs. :tongue:

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Did you try http://www.easier2move.co.uk? London shouldn't be a problem for them, they did me on a leasehold property.

 

Yeah they seem to be fine with it too, at the moment http://www.movinghouseconveyancing.com has the best quote and a few recommendations.

 

Looks like a safeish bet, want this completed asap (who doesn't?) so will just go with them I think.

 

Local solicitor has till tomorrow to come back with a better offer. I've told them I am willing to pay their inflated prices if they can guarantee a completion date (never going to happen!) with their fee decreasing each day it is late.

 

We can all learn something from the Wembley mess :D

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