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As I said in my article, “Want a low cost conveyancing service? Are you sure?“, it’s not necessarily just about finding the lowest conveyancing quote. Conveyancing is an important transaction in your life and you need to make sure it’s done properly. You want someone who gives you a good service, is knowledgeable, keeps you updated and explains things in a way you understand.
Are you going to get this from the cheapest conveyancing company? You might, but on balance of probability, it’s not likely. I would be more inclined to see what I thought of the conveyancing firm when I rang them. Did they seem knowledgeable when you asked them questions? Would they explain what the disbursements were and what the process was? Did they offer to let you have the conveyancing quote in writing so that you can see the breakdown of what they are including for you? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then I think you’ve found your conveyancer, provided the price isn’t astronomical!
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Do they have online case tracking so you can see how far things have progressed when you want to and not just when they’re open? Do they write to clients via email, speeding up the rate at which you can get information about what’s happening? Can they explain a basic outline of what the process is? How quickly can you see or talk to your conveyancing solicitor direct once you’ve instructed them? All these issues can help you make your decision. Don’t just go on price. If you ring a conveyancing firm and they’re unhelpful when they’re trying to get your business, what will they be like when they’ve actually got it?
Make a considered choice with more information than just the cost!
5 Responses to “What to look for when getting a conveyancing quote.”
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October 16th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
[...] What to look for when getting a conveyancing quote. [...]
November 26th, 2009 at 6:03 am
Make a considered choice with more information than just the cost!
Yes, I agree with that very much!
Thanks for the sharing.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Excellent information and advice. I came across this blog through a search on Gogole as I am searching cheap conveyancing fees. I noticed that most conveyancing fees on the Google advertising do not refer to VAT. How can it be that these conveyancing fees are not quoting VAT? I would have thought that this is a breach of the law. After further investigation it looks as though they are in breach. Can you please confirm whether the information at http://www.fridaysmove.com/property-law-blog/simon-seaton/26/11/2009/google-adverts-hips-may-be-breaking-asa-rules is correct. If so, is this something you can alert your readers to ?
January 9th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Something else to consider is getting a fixed fee quote. Without one costs have the potential to rise significantly. It’s a bit like having an insurance policy – you hope that the transaction will be nice and straightforward, but you never know. And you need to have your insurance in place before things go wrong!
If your solicitors don’t offer fixed fee quotes just ask for one! In today’s climate – with a lot fewer transactions taking place – solicitors need to offer a better level of service to compete. If you don’t ask you don’t get!
January 9th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Oh, and something else – make sure that if you do get a fixed fee quote it includes “disbursements” (what solicitors say when they mean expenses!). Most of these are known in advance on a conveyancing transaction so there’s no reason why they can’t be included.
Knowing what they are is important, because they can add up to a significant part of the overall costs.