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Home » Conveyancing » Conveyancing advice » How To Choose a Conveyancer?

How to Choose a Conveyancer?

Choosing the right property solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legal aspects of buying and selling property will make the process easier, quicker and less stressful.

True Solicitors have outlined our top considerations to bear in mind when instructing a solicitor to help with your move.

Recommendations

One of the best way to find a good conveyancer is to ask for recommendations from family and friends. Your financial advisor might also recommend a good property solicitor that they work with and estate agents often will have a selection of panel solicitors that they work with.

It is important to note that you do not have to go with the solicitor suggested to you by your estate agent. Quite often estate agents work in partnership with solicitors firms, meaning that they will get a referral fee for suggesting you use them to handle your property transaction. This could therefore end up costing you more.

Online reviews

Read online reviews from past clients on the firm’s website, Trustpilot account or Google reviews. This will give you a well-rounded idea of what their service is really like.

Fees

It is important to understand a solicitor’s fee structure before entering into a contract with them. It is recommended to look for firms which offer fixed fee, no completion, no fee conveyancing services. This means that should the transaction break down for whatever reason you do not need to pay legal fees – minus the cost of third party disbursements.

Solicitors charge using different fee structures including:

Fixed fee
Hourly rate
A percentage of the property price

Conveyancing solicitors should display their fees on their website or provide an online conveyancing calculator to give you an estimated cost based on the price of the home you are buying or selling. All fees should be broken down and displayed to show the cost of:

Legal Fees
Searches
Disbursements
Land Registry fees
Bank transfer fees
Stamp Duty Land Tax – on properties valued over £125,000

Terms of service

Make sure that you fully understand and have read the terms of service from the property solicitor or conveyancer before you instruct them to act for you. It is important to know:

What their fee structure is.
What their policy is if the transaction breaks down – i.e. will you still be required to pay for their services if the vendor pulls out of the sale.
What their working hours are and how easily they can be contacted – i.e. can you contact them via email, phone, post and face to face.

Accreditations

Evidence of accreditations such as your chosen solicitor being a member of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme, will provide you with peace of mind that they provide a reputable service.

Mortgage panel

Check that your solicitor is on your mortgage lender’s approved panel of solicitors. Some mortgage lenders may refuse to lend if you choose a solicitor that is not approved by them. Before you instruct a solicitor check with them that they are on your mortgage lender’s panel before going any further.

True Solicitors are on the panel for all major high street lenders, including but not limited to: