Where Should Your Conveyancing Solicitor Be?

[amyt]

We currently rent in East Dulwich and are considering buying in Bexley. We're first-time buyers, and have heard advice that you can be better off using a local solicitor rather than bargain conveyancers or e-conveyancing. But we realise we don't know how "local" local should be.

Are you much better off using a solicitor in the area you're moving to, since they'll know more about the area? Or are the searches they do similar enough across areas that it doesn't matter?

Would we be better off using a conveyancer in East Dulwich, because it would be easy to pop over to their offices to drop off and sign documents? Or do you not end up doing that much anyway? How often do you actually end up going to the solicitor's office when you're buying a house?

Any advice is much appreciated, as it sounds like many people on the forum know more about this than we do. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Amy

[KidKruger]

I've used a Portsmouth solicitor in the past on property transactions in ED and East London.

Worked for me.

[Gidget]

You can use anyone anywhere in the country. I have used solicitors in different parts of the country for several different property transactions. Next time I think I might try a conveyancer as that is all they do day in day out whereas a solicitor is always juggling something else. Get recommendations and compare prices.

[Loz]

In the past 12 months I've used a solicitor for a purchase and a bargain conveyancers for a re-mortgage. The solicitor cost a couple of hundred pounds more.

Next time I will use the solicitor for sure. You don't know the difference until something goes wrong. And something *always* goes wrong.

As far as location goes, it was handy to drop into the office to sort out the paperwork on the final day, but as far as searches go, most of them outsource them these days anyway.

[trizza]

It does not matter. Most documents can be emailed over. There are really only two documents where you will need to send the original in the post (contract and transfer deed). The searches are applied for by post to the local council or, if urgent, you can pay a local agent to do a personal search or get search insurance - it all depends on what you want and what your mortgage company will agree to.

You may find some firms have more experience of dealing with particular locales. For example, I guess a firm around ED might have experience of dealing with the Dulwich Estate so can give you guidance on that. You may also prefer the convenience of having a local firm and being able to drop documents off.

I would be to stay clear of the large conveyancing factories. Our sellers used one (recommended by agent) and it was a nightmare. They lost the transfer deed twice (sent by special delivery) and ended up having to drive up to the midlands to hand deliver it!

[Huguenot]

I used a solicitors in Warrington for several ED purchases, no problems and no London prices. Saved a LOT of cash.

[ratty]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've used a Portsmouth solicitor in the past on

> property transactions in ED and East London.

> Worked for me.

My home town. Can you send me details please? Will be selling up in the new year (wish I was moving to Portsmouth tbh)

[etta166]

I still use on in Norwich (where I bought my first house) because she is effective and friendly. I, and now my family and friends, have used her services for buying and selling around the country. It's more important that you get a recommendation for someone who is good at the job, rather than local to the area you are buying in.

One advantage of a non-London solicitor is the cost saving, and another is that you are more likely to deal with the solicitor themselves rather than a paralegal.

[Lowlander]

I used one in Hampshire recommended by a friend. As others have said, most stuff can be done by phone and email with important documents sent by registered mail. It didn't cause us any delays.

More importantly, we knew we could trust our solicitor, which is important when dealing with what will likely be the biggest purchase in your life - he was way more thorough than others I've come across.

Don't go for the big conveyancing firms, have only heard bad things about them (delays, impersonal, missing critical things).

[the-e-dealer]

Preferably not off Skiing Like mine was last time I moved!

[edcam]

It makes no difference at all where they are. Just try and find one that comes with a genuine recommendation.

[Gidget]

Oh, and a warning that flat purchases are usually always more complicated than house purchases. A lease has to be read through, even if it comes with share of freehold. Try not to buy a flat owned by a local authority!

[ladywotlunches]

We have used my parents' family solicitor based down in Sussex, and more recently Caroline Sherry at Glazer Delmar. Caroline was brilliant, and has been for other friends we recommended her to.

I've not used a conveyancing firm but know friends who have had experience (either themeselves or as sellers whose buyers used them). You get what you pay for I think - which isn't much. For realistic advice, I'd stick to a proper solicitor where you can visit their office if need be.

[EarthCitizen]

Conveyancing can be done technically from anywhere, so long as the solicitor has appropriate qualifications; it isn't like getting a building survey, where your surveyor should really have expert local knowledge from doing many surveys in the area.

ID checking can be done entirely online and there's only a few things, for example, that have to be sent by snail mail (original documents).

Conversely, if you opt for a local solicitor, a chunk of what you're paying for is for that solicitor to have a physical office on a high street. Make that a London high street and you can see your bill rising.

All this said, you do get what you pay for and from what I've heard, people would have paid more in retrospect if their conveyancing had been handled more speedily and efficiently than it was.

My personal recommendation here has to be SAM Conveyancing. They work according to a fixed fee basis so I knew what my bill was going to be right from the get-go. They were very proactive in their customer care and quick to act when there was the odd hold-up in the process. You can find them at www.samconveyancing.co.uk.

I found SAM Conveyancing to be brilliant in terms of online solicitors

[Administrator]

Hi EarthCitizen, it's strange how a search on your name "xerxes phillips" and SAM/Share a Mortgage shows rather a lot of results. It's almost like you're committing fraud by false representation.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I heart Administrator.

[Alan Medic]

If you can be bothered you can do your own conveyancing. You don't actually need a solicitor.

[the-e-dealer]

1. you need a solicitor who is honest - this would exclude SAM Conveyancing - see above

2. the solicitor should be in an office with a phone fax computer and internet. I used Grindleys - in the north somewhere. ?1200 to conveyance a ?900000 E Dulwich house. Half of Blazing Delmars price.

I couldn't trust someone called xerxes anyway . I bet he has a green suit and a bow tie!

[charliebubs]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> If you can be bothered you can do your own

> conveyancing. You don't actually need a solicitor.

You do if you are obtaining mortgage finance.

Plus, with so many defective leases I doubt you would want the responsibility or liability of checking your own.

[Alan Medic]

Well I know someone who did it although it was many years ago. It may not be the wisest thing to do but he probably used something like the attached..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buying-Selling-Conveyancing-Lawpack-Property-ebook/dp/B004APA56A/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442656065&sr=1-4&keywords=conveyancing

[the-e-dealer]

Is it the solicitors complaint board we complain to about Xerxes.