Help with choosing a conveyancer - very different quotes!

[Newusernameaug]

Hello,
Can anyone help me please :)
I'm buying a house, cash. I am instructing a conveyancer and have had such different quotes it's worrying me.
The estate agents (First Choice Move) reffered me to their one, but the quote was spo poorly written out in a PDF (different font, sizes etc, not clear) that it's put me off using them.
I went onto trust pilot and picked the top 4 highest rated and they vary by nearly £1000!
I have dyslexia and ADHD and sturggle with the aspect of things so much, it really boggles my brain as i just want a fast person and to know they will deal with everything that's needed, with no hidden fees.

Please can anyone help me asap as i want to have a super quick speedy sale?! Thanks :)

Can you not find any personal recommendations/ avoids - talk to work colleagues?

No one I know has recently purchased a house, I asked my dsis and she was as confused as i was!

Sorry did one of the pics twice and missed this one

I've entered exactly the same details:
cash buyer
1 owner
£150k
Property address - I don't get how they can vary so much.
it's really hard to budget the extra funds I'll need, as I'm concerned about going for one of the cheaper ones and then being stung later on, closer to completion date for more funds that i haven't prepared and saved for.

Go online and google both firms - or get someone to do it for you.

You want to see if there are any themes to complaints about each firm.

I went with a local firm on recommendation.

Check online reviews and maybe if there is a local Facebook groups in the area you are buying ask for recommendations.

Thanks, they're both good tips, I'll do this now

Go with a solicitor local to the property you’re buying. They’ll know the area, they’ll have links with the council for searches etc (ours was able to expedite them). Never just go for an online churn them out conveyancer! Get some local quotes.

And yes to looking for reviews/recommendations in local FB groups.

We went with a local company, it was handy as anytime there was paperwork to drop off or pickup or copies to make we simply popped by in person.
I would also check/test how easy they are to get hold off by phone - you don't want someone where you'll just be on hold for ages or only get voicemail!

Some conveyancers whether they are local solicitors or specialist firms aren't very good.

I was given the details of a solicitor who wanted to do a mining survey. I know the history of the area where I live for various reasons and there has never been any mining. Another friends' recommended local solicitor just took months to deal with paperwork. Luckily his chain was very short.

The Legal Fee is the main thing you should look at. I can see that varies from 545 to, what, 1500? That is what they are charging you for their time. For most of the rest of the items, they are generally fairly standard costs across the board.

I would not go with the cheapest one, personally.

I found an excellent conveyancer by looking up the relevant section on Trustpilot, starting with the top rated one, and going down the list until I found the first one that said 'does not ask for feedback.' The ratings are by people who have had such a good experience that they voluntarily leave feedback without getting an automated system asking them to. I ALWAYS read any 1 star reviews to see whether people are having bad experiences, or have accidentally hit 1 star by mistake, or if the buyer was the problem, not the lawyer.

DO NOT TRUST REVIEWS ON GOOGLE! They can be bought.

We've had quotes from 1300-1700 for our next move; I know if I go down the cheaper end, I'll be likely to regret it.

The other thing I did last time was I physically called every single one I was considering and I asked them what timeline they could complete a three chain sale in. Some point blank refused to give me a definitive timeline (because other people can cause problems), some said 8 weeks, some said 16 weeks. I started off with the 8 week one and had to dump them within a week. Generally, if they can do stuff that quickly, I'm of the opinion they don't have people queuing up to use them cos they're actually not that good.

Great advice again thanks, I also did two facebook shouts and have two good people to try from that, so thanks everyone. This is the sort of thing that can overshelm me (in the past) and then I put it off, delaying what i want to speed up!

I agree with choosing a good local firm if possible, it does make the process easier. Ask for recommendations for local firms on neighbourhood groups on Facebook/ Nextdoor etc.

Also, some additional advice- avoid at all costs Premier Property Lawyers.

Avoid any firms in the Simplify group that PPL is part of.