Conveyancer location: where we live or where we are moving to?

[KievLoverTwo]

We are moving a three hour drive from where we live, and as we have never reached completion (or even exchange) stage before, I wanted to seek advice about whether having a conveyancer not far from home has advantages or disadvantages, or if we should find one close to where we are moving to instead. I am not sure what happens on completion day and if it's even important to be able to access a bricks and mortar office, and if that's best near to us or where we are moving to.

I know they can get past the whole ID thing and most paperwork online or in the post after COVID, but my knowledge ends there.

Please let me have your advice/experiences, thanks.

We've just reached exchange stage on our house using a conveying firm based no where near either where we live or are moving to.

So long as the firm is willing to liaise by email, it can all be done remotely.

Only thing we had to post was our signed contracts.

Near where you live currently.

We had a terrible online solicitor once. They held the whole process up and continuously said they didn't receive things I'd posted, or made me send things out again as they'd given me the wrong instructions. Ended up costing a bit in special delivery fees and the whole thing was incredibly stressful.

We've since used a local solicitor and it was so much easier to hand deliver documents and know they had arrived. Also there was never the worry they'd avoid my phone calls, the online ones did, as I could pop by if need be.

It doesn't really matter. We live in the SE and have always used a solicitor who is based in Wales because she's brilliant.

Doesn’t really matter- we’ve done both before.

I've gone with a conveyancer where I live. They've been great but it's reassuring to know that if things go to pot and they aren't dealing with it, I can go to their office and make a nuisance of myself.

We were moving 200 miles and used a conveyancer in our new location - we moved before we sold. Although I've never set eyes on them(!) as it was all done by email it did speed things up as I could drop off documents etc in the evening very easily rather than waiting for the post. So receive document, sign, drop off after work - solicitor has it next morning when they start work rather than faffing around at the post office the next morning doing recorded delivery and then waiting for it to arrive.

We had to do that about 3 times during the process so probably saved about 10 days or maybe a fortnight of time.

We used a remotely based conveyancer. Everything was done by email and post, and phone. Couldn't fault the service - our estate agent introduced them, so presumably took a commission, and they clearly had a well established working relationship.

Near where you live. Means you can easily drop things into the office/nip in and sign paperwork.

We were moving locally but used a online conveyancer over 100 miles away as they were highly recommended. All done by phone and email and we were very pleased with the service.

A conveyancer with local knowledge is only important if you’ve got a house with ‘normal for the area’ features (like a rent charge).

Otherwise one anywhere is fine. Ours had an office half an hour drive away but the solicitors worked from home most of the time anyway and charged for jn-person client meetings.

Ours was always reachable by email and phone (direct line), great service, no regrets.

I don't think it matters really, it's all about how good they are rather than the location. We've used the same person 3 times, I've never met her but she's brilliant and everything was done by email and phone calls. Anything that needed signing was done by post - she was super efficient so nothing was ever last minute.

If they're where you live currently you can go in with your passport/ ID personally so it doesn't have to go in the post. You can also drop off paperwork by hand which will speed things up.
Most online only conveyancers have a bad reputation because they use paralegals to do the work and they're overseen by a very stretched solicitor. They're known for loosing stuff in the post etc. this is all just what I've heard through so you might get a different experience.

Not our experience at all. Nor did we have to send original documents by post.

In my experience the dedicated conveyancer was more efficient and effective than using a solicitor - perhaps because they are conveyancing day in day out so have good systems in place. Certainly our paralegal was on the case.

Neither... used an online conveyancer with good reviews and a brilliant online system for a recent probate sale. No regrets at all compared to the absolute shower of shite I've experienced in the past with local conveyancers and the ineptitude of the solicitor that my buyer used!

Neither. We went for a recommended solicitor not near us. We've bought and sold with her twice and never met her or been to her offices. You can do almost everything remotely now.

We moved three hours away (used a solicitor for the purchase of our new home who was local to that area) but used a solicitor in the area where we were selling our house.

We had to show both solicitors proof of ID (we showed passports and driving licences) to show that we did indeed own the house we were selling and for the house purchase that we weren’t money launderers (no mortgage required). We felt more comfortable taking in our ID in person and just waited for a few moments whilst the office staff photocopied our documents.

I also remember taking in the deeds to the house we were selling (owned the house outright) and although I know that it’s all done electronically with the Land Registry our solicitor was happy to take the deeds; we were again more comfortable handing them over in person than putting them in the post (and got a receipt too).

As for the keys, we had already moved 200 miles away and had left one set of keys for the front and back door with the estate agent for viewings, so once the solicitor confirmed that the sale had completed they handed the keys to the new owner. I then sent a remaining set of keys in a Jiffy bag to the new owners at our old address and got a nice note back from them (I don’t think they bothered changing the locks!)