Once you’ve found the house of your dreams, the next step is finding a great solicitor to help you with the conveyancing side of buying a home. This can be done by both property solicitors and conveyancers, and they can deal with everything from the title of the house transferring from the seller to the buyer, the Land Registry and even transferring the cash to buy your house. Conveyancing solicitors also provide you with legal advice during the process, draw up and help you to assess contracts and help you to understand the conveyancing process. Here’s the thing, you need to know that you have the right solicitor, and this is going to take shopping around, doing some research and getting solicitor quotes that make sense.
How do I choose a solicitor?
Choosing a solicitor and getting solicitor quotes isn’t the most exciting part of buying a house, but it is the bit that counts the most when you want to move through the process smoothly. All solicitors are qualified to do conveyancing, but getting the right solicitor quotes on the most informed solicitor is a little trickier. Use a firm or a solicitor who has direct experience in this area, because they will be able to guide you through the process efficiently.
Do I have to use an in-house service?
No. You are free to get your own solicitor quotes from independent companies that appeal to you. Your estate agency may recommend a solicitor to you but you are under no obligation to go with that solicitor just because they are a preferred supplier.
What should I look for in a conveyancing solicitor?
- The first thing to look for is a company that offers you a no-sale, no-fee service. You don’t want to be out of pocket if – for whatever reason – your chosen house falls through.
- Next, it could be worth looking for solicitor quotes that include a fixed-fee service. This can mean only paying the amount that was quoted. You can avoid hidden fees this way!
- Try not to base your entire decision on a conveyancing solicitor by the solicitor quotes that you get. There is so much more to a property solicitor than the money that they charge, and the firm that you choose will be responsible for all of the legal legwork that surrounds your house purchase. You need to feel comfortable with the service that they offer. It could cost you far more if you just base it all on the solicitor quotes you get.
- It may be worth choosing a smaller firm for your conveyancing, because smaller firms are often not as busy and therefore can dedicate the right amount of time to your house sale.
Choosing the right solicitor is going to take some research on your part, so you should get studying now!
