Going rate for conveyancing???

[dave_s13]

Just after an idea what other people have paid for their legal fees.

House is going on the market this week and I@ve been quoted the following.

Sale of house (circa £129.950)

Legal costs including VAT £587.50
Disbursements £85.33

Total £672.83

Purchase (circa £180,000)

Legal costs including VAT £646.25
Disbursements £2,183.02

Total £2,829.27


Is that about right. I've had cheaper quotes but this lot were recommended. I'm not sure the extra £500 this lot are charging is good value though. I can't see what can really go that wrong with the transaction. Selling a very standard house for another very standard (but a bit bigger) house.

Any advice???

[DavidHM]

Extra £500?

So instead of charging £1,050 + VAT you're looking at getting everything done for ~£625 + VAT?

Disbursements should be much the same across the board. The majority of the disbursements on the purchase (~£1,800) will be Stamp Duty.

[dave_s13]

DavidHM said:

Extra £500?

So instead of charging £1,050 + VAT you're looking at getting everything done for ~£625 + VAT?

Disbursements should be much the same across the board. The majority of the disbursements on the purchase (~£1,800) will be Stamp Duty.

Typo...sorry.

I appreciate the disbursments are essentially fixed, and the stamp duty too.

I've had another quote from a firm that are quoting c£300 less (in fees) than this one.

NOT £500..oops.

[Lurking Lawyer]

There's an old adage about paying peanuts and getting monkeys. Most (although not all) volume conveyancers are cheap for a reason - staff without much training, who therefore struggle if a transaction deviates from the standard "script", who pile the cases high.

I've heard too many horror stories about not being able to get hold of your case handler, or high staff turnover meaning your handler isn't there for long, or just plain failure to return calls/e-mails to mean I'd ever use a "factory" conveyancing outfit.

Go with a recommendation for good service. If it means paying a couple of hundred quid more, that's probably worth it IMHO - it is, after all, the single largest outlay you're ever likely to incur.

(I'm not a conveyancer so can't comment on what the going rate is, BTW)

[sebo]

Going through this process at the moment:

On a property of £150k, the following was quoted:

Independant Solicitors: £1,130.65

Estate Agent's Solicitors: £1140.25

This doesn't include Stamp Duty.

We were actually quoted £425 from the Estate Agents Solicitors but with some fees not included.... when you do a like for like comparison and add in all the searches & fees they come out at the same price, near enough.

Just check what you are actually getting for your money. If they are vastly different, I would suggest that something is missing. It's a competitive market out there at the moment, Conveyancing depts aren't going to be throwing business away (although in this house price bracket, they won't be rubbing their hands either).

Let me know if you have any other questions

[bitwrx]

dave_s13 said:

DavidHM said:

Extra £500?

So instead of charging £1,050 + VAT you're looking at getting everything done for ~£625 + VAT?

Disbursements should be much the same across the board. The majority of the disbursements on the purchase (~£1,800) will be Stamp Duty.

Typo...sorry.

I appreciate the disbursments are essentially fixed, and the stamp duty too.

I've had another quote from a firm that are quoting c£300 less (in fees) than this one.

NOT £500..oops.

I'd say £300 on £180k isn't really worth worrying about. Yes I can appreciate £300 is £300 no matter what way you look at it, but if you look at it in percentage terms it sure seems insignificant.

[dave_s13]

Good advice chaps.

I'm not averse to paying more if I can reasonably expect to get better service.

I will avoid the cheapo conveyacing wholesalers then.