******COUNTRYWIDE solicitors....any good?***************

[pucca]

Just accepted an offer on our house so need a solicitor for selling and to deal with the purchasing of our new house (offer accepted) was thinking of just using Countrywide for all legal work, has anyone used them? any good?

Our buyers want a quick sale (as do we) so need a quick as possible turnaround, but will i be better using a local independant firm?

Also have completely forgot, do you need to pay anything up front with solicitors? can't remember at all, we are needing to pay everything out of the house sale money so could really do with paying at the end.

TIA

IMO you're better off using a local firm
you have to pay up front for searches approx £150

hi
for speed, think you are generally better with a local solicitor. Countrywide are a big company incorporating insurance and things as well and are I think affiliated with an estate agent(s) (can't remeber who exactly) and you won't get very personal service IMO - will prob be v.hard to get to speak to 'your' solicitor on the phone etc. (this is what happened to us).

fees - you usually have to pay things like survey fee, searches etc. up front but the actual solicitor's fee generally comes out of the proceeds of the sale when all the money goes through

sorry about random brackets! only one hand

I would recommend asking your estate agent -if you have used one. They are used to dealing with solicitors all the time so will know the good ones - and the bad. I don't have any experience of Countrywide so it may be un-fair, but one with local knowledge is usually a good idea!

We are currently involved in selling several plots of land - and all the solicitors have been incredibly slow. They are all so worried about covering their own backs they keep asking completely irrelevant questions. One lot is now past the 5 month mark!!

It may be worth asking the solicitor how long they would expect it to take to go through - and make clear that speed is of the essence. Our solicitor at one stage said he thought the sale of the main lot would be several months yet - after a hard kick up the backside it went through in a couple of weeks!

Best of luck

It was going to cost over 600 quid to sell our house with Countrywide, whereas only costing us 250 with local solicitor.

If I were you I'd ge a few more quotes....we're not paying for anything until the sale is completed, although we're not buying another house so we have no follow-on purchase costs.

Are Countrywide attached to the EA by any chance? imo that gains you no advantage and an independent local one who perhaps has contacts within the council to chivvy stuff up could work out bettter and be no mroe expensive.

You need to pay upfront for solcitor to get a copy fo your title deeds and searches iirc.

Where to start?

They wont call or email you, letter only, slowing down the whole process.

Letters are poorly written, bad grammar, bad punctuation. Spelling mistakes and words repeated ( obviously cut and paste)

Constant requests for us to take out indemnity insurance, boiler first then pipes under extension, all unnecessary and not needed.( and I wonder of the legality!)

We have to chase constantly, request for our ID over and over again even though sent in.

Simple sale has now taken 8+ weeks due to countrywide and the slow process.

Buyers solicitor asking for extra surveys that are not needed, countrywide don't seem to know the LAW and are not acting in our interests! We have to research and contact other parties. ( so what are we actually paying for here?)

Customer service a complete Joke, they actually get stroppy and rude with you, We are paying for a service that is not being delivered!!!

My advice - AVOID.