Or is this outrageous (conveyancing relate)

[devilinme]

I've sold my house and my partner and I are purchasing a new house. We hadn't found new house when we instructed to sell mine. A contract was raised at a cost of £2000 ( this is London) .
When we found property, two weeks later, another contract was raised, I thought it was an update of first, but in fact our solicitor says it's a seperate contract for another £2000.
We never signed and returned this and now he's asking us to, and sent a backdated contract.
So the total for selling and buying is now £4000.
Am IBU to think this is fucking outrageous

Certainly sounds it.

Extortionate

DP is furious

It is. With Conveyancing you should have been sent a Client Care letter with an outline of how the costs are likely to go. Did you read this and sign and send this bacK

Contract was started when I got buyer, which I signed and returned, it was my house only. Me and DP found a house two weeks later and another contract was sent which we assumed superceeded first.
We have never signed and returned this and now solicitor is asking for it and sent me a backdated one.
My house completed last Thursday and purchase will complete on March 12th ( we exchanged for days before mine completed) so far all paperwork has been run through my client account.
Solicitor holds all the money has discharged mortgage and paid deposit on new property. DP has to deposit rest of money to purchase new property ( no mortgage ). DP says we are being charged twice for the job and I think this too

We already have TR1 form to sign for purchase and tenants in common has been returned and signed. I thought the solicitor did both sale and purchase together u see one contract

*under

Hang on, so it was costing you £2000 to sell, you received a second contract when you found something to buy and you thought that the price would remain the same? If yes, YABU. Lawyers don't work for free.

Isn't there one contract for your sale and other for your purchase?

I don't expect my lawyer to work for free, but £4000 for uncomplicated conveyancing?

We paid about £1000 for buying and selling 3 years shoo west London. However, you did agree to pay £2000 for selling only so not sure why you are surprised?

So how much did you expect to pay? From your OP it sounds like nothing. I've never sold a house, but I would expect (and I could be wrong) for it to be more expensive to buy a house than to sell, because you have all the searches, land registry fees, etc.

I've paid extra for all the searches etc on top of the 2000

^Contract was started when I got buyer, which I signed and returned, it was my house only.

Me and DP found a house two weeks later and another contract was sent which we assumed superceeded first^

These are two completely separate transactions. Why would you think there would only be one contract for two separate properties with different parties?

I'm not sure why you seem to think I don't want to pay, that's ridiculous.

You must have realised that if you are paying £2,000 to sell you would have to pay a similar amount to purchase? Plus as amummyatlast states you have the stamp duty and disbursements on top of that aswell. It does seem an extortionate amount of fees, unless of course you are buying/selling in the millions.

Although I take your point about £4k being extortionate. Didn't you talk this through with your solicitors or read the engagement letter/client care letter, where costs and disbursements are detailed?

We've just paid £1000 for selling and buying.
We are up in Scotland though.

I'm not sure I understand - you thought that it would just be one contract for both selling and buying?
I sold a house and bought another and the total wasn't far off £4k - they are two separate transactions.

Firstly, you are not paying twice for the same job. Both sale and purchase are two transactions and you will be charged for both. That said, the fees are extremely high for conveyancing (unfortunately) and i would be very surprised if you were not provided with the costs at the beginning of both transactions.

This is why you find a firm outside of London to handle your conveyancing and pay £140 an hour

4k does sound a lot, even for London but surely you asked how much it was going to cost in the first place didn't you?

You haven't answered the several people who asked if you received a Client Care letter and an outline of the costs when you first instructed the solicitor? This is fairly key in answering the question of whether you have potentially been overcharged or not. How much did you think the conveyancing would/should cost? Or did you not consider the cost at all?

£2k is expensive even in London, you said you had paid for searches on top?! We sold out flat in SW London just before Xmas. Loads of complicated leasehold/share of freehold stuff, defective lease to be dealt with, no planning permission on prior building works, license to assign required. Much chasing of management companies and agents etc.
Cost £1600 including searches.