To ask for advice on house purchase?

[Fantajuice]

Im buying my first house and I’m trying to things sorted out quickly so that the estate agent takes the property down from the website.

I’ve had an offer accepted today, and the estate agent needs to know my solicitor’s name, and then says he’s referred me to their conveyancing team to keep things under one roof.

I’m really confused - when I google solicitors it comes up with solicitors who specialise in conveyancing. Do I need another separate solicitor who does conveyancing as well as the referral to the estate agents conveyancing team?

TIA

Just say no thanks to the referral unless it happens to be a solicitor you were already planning on using.

I wouldn’t use their conveyancers unless that’s what you were already planning to do. I’d personally look for someone independent

Agree.

I am moving house at the moment and it turns out that my solicitor is the wife of the estate agent. It all feels a bit incestuous.

Ask friends for some local recommendations. You need an Independant solicitor to do your conveyancing and to ask all the awkward questions. Biggest thing you're ever going to buy. The Estate Agrnts only need it to pass onto the solicitors of the person you are buying from.
Think of Estate Agents as an introduction service.

Okay, thanks everyone.

So the solicitor that I look for would be instead of the conveyancer that they’ve referred me too, not as well as?

In almost all circumstances it's better to avoid "in house" solicitors... they are notoriously crap (in my experience). They can be cheaper, but tend to be slower and screw things up more, so it's not worth the saving. The Estate Agent will probably be on some kind of commission to refer internally, so you are much better off doing your own research and finding an alternative.

Do NOT use the EA conveyancer. Find a local solicitor who specialises. You do not need both. Can I also recommend you speak with a protection specialist (life insurance, sickness benefit, that sort of jazz) because its good to know all costs up front.

Yes. You only need one solicitor to do it all. Even if you are selling and buying (next time round) one will do it all.

So the solicitor that I look for would be instead of the conveyancer that they’ve referred me too, not as well as?

Yes - instead of! You only need one. The fact the E/A has not explained this to you and is pushing you into using the one they've referred you to, would make me even more suspicious!

You need to remember as well - the estate agent is working for the seller. Not you.

Don't use a conveyancer from the selling agency. The agency is a client of the seller; you need your own independent, qualified solicitor.

Ask local home-owning friends or work colleagues to recommend a solicitor they have used for conveyance, who did a good job (and if they mention one who was NBG, avoid ).

Contact the solicitor by phone and ask them to explain all the fees and taxes they will charge; mine does a fixed rate ( + taxes etc). Plus anything else you need to know about the purchase; you're paying, so make use of their expertise

I prefer to deal with one solicitor in person, and expect them to be accessible by email and phone for same day responses. Mine is one of a 2-partner practise, she combines approachability with terrific efficiency.

They are going to ask you for proofs of ID (passport, household bills etc) so get those lined up.

When buying her first house a dd did use the EA’s in-house or recommended solicitor - at least partly because she was new to the area and had no other personal recommendation.

I was a bit dubious about it, but the whole thing was wrapped up, from offer accepted to getting the keys, in 6 weeks. TBH, having told her to expect 3 months at least, I was amazed - and I’d never again think on principle that it wasn’t a good idea. They’re working in tandem and all want to get it done so that they get their money.

Not to mention that I’ve had experience of random High St solicitors who honestly need sticks of dynamite up their bums in order to get anything done.

We used a solicitor for both buying and selling that had been a personal recommendation by my SIL. They were also, it turned out, the preferred solicitor for our estate agents. We commissioned them independently and they were great on both occasions - so it’s not always an ‘avoid’ situation. However, definitely don’t go with them without checking them out first! Get a few quotes too.

If you think of using their conveyancer then look for reviews - a lot of them are absolutely rubbish as I found out to my cost. See if someone you know can recommend a good conveyancing solicitor. First thing though - tell the estate agent that you are not agreeing to use their conveyancer and will notify them of who you will be using very quickly. Make sure you don't sign anything agreeing to use their recommendation.

Just price check them against other conveyancers. I used the ones connected to the estate agent but I only had to use them, no other set of solicitors too.

Do I need another separate solicitor who does conveyancing as well as the referral to the estate agents conveyancing team?

No.

You could try asking for recommendations on your local Facebook group. I see people asking for conveyancing recommendations all the time and it’s always the same names that come up, including the good lawyer that I used.

Try Review Solicitors for detailed feedback

As someone in a similar situation this thread is so useful. Good to know about independent solicitor, will start researching as we are earlier in the process: found a property we like, and have a aip from a bank.

Can I ask if people would go with a bank, or a mortgage broker?

We had an initial chat with a broker and they couldn't give us a much better mortgage amount, and they seem to ask tons of questions including medical histories and life insurance etc... Is that normal?

We want as quick a process as possible, but don't want to make mistakes.

@Aj1400

As someone in a similar situation this thread is so useful. Good to know about independent solicitor, will start researching as we are earlier in the process: found a property we like, and have a aip from a bank.

Can I ask if people would go with a bank, or a mortgage broker?

We had an initial chat with a broker and they couldn't give us a much better mortgage amount, and they seem to ask tons of questions including medical histories and life insurance etc... Is that normal?

We want as quick a process as possible, but don't want to make mistakes.

DIY if your mortgage app is straight forward. Use a mortgage broker if you need to borrow near your limit or have some less straight forward factors (like bad credit, or self employed).

I’ve used London and Country several times as a broker and also DIY it as a comparison I’ve never found better. I’ve been given free or very cheap solicitors (who are usually shit) as part of the mortgage deal. If you have the time and energy to chase and are tight on cash they may be an ok option, but I doubt I’d ever do an estate agent recommendation as it will be based on commission and they work for the other side.

EAs (acting or sellers) routinely try to get buyers to use the EA’s linked mortgage advisers and/or conveyancers or solicitors. The EA gets a referral fee and also gets updated by the relevant adviser as to the state of purchase - even though the adviser shouldn’t be passing on that sort of information.

Decline the EA’s ‘kind’ offer and appoint your own legal adviser. If you use a conveyancer, make sure they are licensed. Note that a licensed conveyancer will probably not also be a solicitor. If you use a solicitor, you can assume they are a qualified solicitor (solicitor is a protected title so you can only call yourself one if you are one; check the SRA website to ensure they are on the roll of practising solicitors) but make sure they have experience in conveyancing.

OP your posts suggest that you think a conveyancer and a solicitor are two separate people. They are not. The titles are interchangeable. As others have said DO NOT use the EA's recommend ones. They get a commission and are not very good usually.

Trust Pilot is also worth looking at for reviews.

Just google conveyancing solicitors, get a few quotes, then look at the reviews and then make your decision about who you want to go with. I wouldn't automatically go with the estate agents recommendation.

Yep avoid their in house referral.

Also don't feel bound to use a local solicitor. It doesnt make a jot of difference where they are based. If you've a friend or relative who can recommend you one based in a cheaper part of the country you will get better value for money.