Cheap Conveyancing Solicitors - Things to Look Out For

We recommend being vigilant when instructing Cheap Conveyancing Solicitors as we often find that they are not always as cheap as they appear to be. Some cheap conveyancing solicitors give customers a very cheap price, and once the final bill arrives there are added hidden charges for things that were not in the initial quote.

How to Get the Most out of Cheap Conveyancing Solicitors

The way the cheap conveyancing solicitors operate is roughly as follows: they market the service as ‘cheap’ and give the impression that your conveyancing will be one fixed price. However, depending on the type and location of your property this is very rarely the price you end up paying. Cheap conveyancing solicitors may try to charge you for some of the following 3rd party searches, even if they are not necessary:

Not all of these searches are absolutely necessary for your property, so always make sure you check before instructing a solicitor.

Getting a Quote from Cheap Conveyancing Solicitors

Once you have your Conveyancing Quote double check it to find out if what you have been quoted is 100% correct. If there are some charges on your quote that you don’t know or understand then look them up. You could speak to your estate agent to check if some of the searches are feasible for your property or just call the conveyancing solicitors you received the quote from. For example if a cheap conveyancing solicitor is offering you a discount on your ‘Chancel Repair Liability Search’ then this discount is only going to be necessary if you have a local church or chapel nearby the property, otherwise you won’t need to pay for this search at all.

Example of a Conveyancing Quote

If you are selling a property your quote should look something like this:

Basic Fee (circa £275) + vat
If you are selling a leasehold property, expect to pay an additional £75 – £150 as this will always involve more work for the conveyancing solicitor

Land Registry Office Copies (£8)
These documents confirm that you are the registered owner of the property

Telegraphic Transfer Fee (£30) + vat
This applies if you have a mortgage

If you are buying a property your quote should look something like this:

Basic Fee (circa £275) + vat
If you are selling a leasehold property, expect to pay an additional £75 – £150 as this will always involve more work for the conveyancing solicitor

Land Registry Office Copies (£8)
These documents confirm that you are the registered owner of the property

Local Area Searches (£170 – £300)
These vary depending on the location of the property you are buying but to keep things simple any overpayment should always be returned to you on completion. Unless you are buying for cash, your lender will always insist on this. Usually the only room for manoeuvre is whether the lender will accept a personal local search as opposed to an official local search. The former is usually cheaper and quicker to obtain but some lenders do not like them. Even if you are buying for cash, we would always recommend one.

Drainage Search (£30 – 40) + vat
Checks that your property is connected to fresh and foul water services. If the property is not connected you would need to be certain that there are alternative arrangements in place such as drainage to a septic tank and the costs associated with that. Again unless you are buying for cash, your lender will always insist on this. Even if you are buying for cash, we would always recommend one.

Chancel Repair Check (£10 – 20) + vat
Checks whether you are liable to pay for repairs to the local parish church (if required). This may not be included at the initial quote stage but if the searches are required your conveyancing solicitor should advise you at the earliest possible moment and certainly before the cost is incurred on your behalf. Not compulsory but advisable in certain cases

Environmental Search (£30 – £35) + vat
Checks for any evidence of contamination on or around the land that you are purchasing. Not compulsory but advisable in certain cases

Mining Search (£40) + vat
This is location specific and difficult to anticipate at the quote stage, so is sometimes left out. A good conveyancing solicitor will be able to advise you on this if they are aware of your location. If the property is located in a mining area then you must obtain this search

Bankruptcy Search (£2)
This ensures that you haven’t gone bankrupt recently. Only applicable if buying with a mortgage and this is per person

Priority Search (£4)
This ensures that you haven’t gone bankrupt recently. Sometimes the bankruptcy search and priority searches are referred to final searches and occasionally they are bundled in with the Land Registry fees to keep things simple but the total cost should be just the same.

Land Registry Fee (£40 – £700)
This depends on the property purchase price and is calculated on a sliding scale as follows:

£0 – £50,000 £50
£50,001 – £80,000 £80
£80,001 – £100,000 £100
£100,001 – £200,000 £200
£200,001 – £500,000 £280
£500,001 – £1,000,000 £550
£1,000,001 upwards £920

Telegraphic Transfer Fee (£30) + vat
This is to enable completion monies to be sent to the seller’s solicitor

Stamp Duty Land Tax
This is a taxation on the purchase price of the property and it varies depending on the price of the property, as follows:

£125,000 – £250,000 1%
£250,001 – £500,000 3%
£500,001 - £1,000,000 4%
£1,000,001 upwards 5%
Some firms will attempt to make their quote look cheaper than it is by neglecting to include the stamp duty

If you are looking for a firm of conveyancing solicitors to act on your behalf, please follow this link for a conveyancing quote.