conveyancing fees

[dream75]

Does anybody know if the solicitors fees for buying a property are more than the fees for selling a property? I have been quoted double the fee that we are being charged for the sale.

[LIZS]

Usually more I think, plus Stamp Duty, Land Registry and Search fees. Could you request a breakdown?

[lalalonglegs]

They are more because there is more work to do: a seller's solicitor (in a simple transaction) just has to forward paperwork and then answer any subsequent queries; the buyer's solicitor has to go through all the paperwork and work out where the holes are that might potentially trip his client up, work out what questions need to be asked etc. The onus is very much on the buyer to make sure that they have done all the investigations - caveat emptor etc - so the buyer's solicitor gets stuck with the bulk of the work.