Conveyancing
Conveyancing is the legal process whereby the title of ownership of a property is transferred from one person or company to another person or company.
It should be done by a properly qualified person, such as Solicitor or a Licenced Conveyancer. You could do it yourself, but this is
likely to be a disaster. Don't say we didn't warn you!
Costs can vary wildly.
The reason for this is that a conveyancing quotation is made up of many different items. These typically break down into:
- The legal fee (this is the solicitor's professional fee for their time and expertise)
- Fixed cost items (such as land registry and local authority search fees)
- Disbursements
The legal fee and disbursements (in particular) are the ones to watch. I'm sure you've come across some amazing conveyancing offers of "Conveyancing for just £99+VAT". This will usually be the "legal fee". You can expect a large mark-up on the disbursements.
When comparing quotations you should look at the disbursements carefully. Do they look comprehensive? Do they look fair? Are there items missing between different solicitors quotes - if so, why?
Take "Photocopying Charge" as a first example. This is a charge which has been added simply to bump up the cost - Most solicitors wouldn't charge this.
Take "Completion of SDLT form" as a second example. This charge is a charge that SOME solicitors will raise, others will fill in this form as part of the price.
Finally, take "Bank Transfer (or TT) Fee" - this charge should be on your quote if you have a mortgage. If it's missing then you should ask why.
Also, be careful of quotations with items such as "Local Authority Searches" being missed from the quoted price, but included in the small print. This can greatly distort quotations when trying to compare like with like.
AgentQuote.co.uk has brought together instant quotations from up to 70 conveyancing solicitors. Our prices are guaranteed to be transparent, and our solicitors work on a no-move-no-legal-fee basis.
Get quotations from the form at the top of this page. We're sure you won't be dissapointed.
Once you have retrieved your quotations you should take the time to read the feedback on each solicitor, and make your choice not solely on price, but also on what other customers have said about the quality of service they have received.
That being said, we monitor all solicitor feedback carefully and any solicitors that don't meet the high standards that we demand are removed from the panel.