How Much Does Conveyancing Cost?
Update: this blog has now been updated, and you can view it here.
The legal process involved when you buy or sell a house is known as Conveyancing.
And, when you move house you need to know how much conveyancing is going to cost before you begin looking to sell or buy a new home.
Estate Agents fees are normally straight forward based on a percentage.
It is the legal fees for moving house which are seemingly the most complicated as they involve not only the Conveyancing solicitors fees but also Government fees Stamp Duty, Land Registration fees and Search fees such as Local Authority Searches. Ancillary searches include Water and Drainage, Flooding and Environmental.
How Long is a Piece of String?
Contrary to certain public opinion, the Conveyancing fees for moving house are almost invariably fixed fees. It is rare for conveyancing fees to be charged by the hour. So, there is really no need to discover whether your conveyancing solicitor has any pieces of string about him or her by which to calculate conveyancing fees
Conveyancing Quotation or Conveyancing Estimate
It is easy to fall foul of this one. But you should always enquire of your conveyancing solicitor whether the figures you have been given are a conveyancing fee quotation i.e. fixed or a Conveyancing fee estimate i.e. capable of being adjusted – invariably in an upwards only direction.
I have actually seen an award winning law firm website state that their conveyancing fees were always a quotation and not an estimate but yet still said:
“ In a small minority of cases, there may be legal issues which mean there is an inevitable cost overrun. If this is the case, you will be told in advance, advised of the extra fees which will be payable, and asked if you wish to proceed”
Sorry, guys, but that is just not fair. The pressure applied to someone who may be half way through their transaction to take their conveyancing elsewhere is just not realistic. If it is a conveyancing quotation it should be exactly that!
Guaranteed Fixed Fees with No Hidden Extras
No that I would imagine is a phrase you would like to hear when asked about what type of conveyancing fees you would like to have.
It may well be a phrase you have seen before – try Googling it!
Free Online Conveyancing Calculator
Always a strange one for me.
Why are conveyancing law firms so squeamish about putting their fees on their website?
Have they got something to hide? Are they embarrassed?
Some ask you to fill in a Conveyancing fee questionnaire then some one from the law firm will get back to you. In this age of instant information that is just too long to wait.
No one would dream of asking say Ryanair or Easyjet how much a flight would cost and expect to leave details for a call to be returned. So why do Conveyancing firms think it is acceptable.
And for you, kind reader, your wait is over.
If you would like to see how much does Conveyancing costs click here for a free instant downloadable conveyancing quote.
As we are prone to say when asked for a premium service you will find Clutton Cox very good value for money.
