Should I expect less from a conveyancer vs a solicitor?

[KarlaKK]

I'm really regretting going with the conveyancer I have, especially as the purchase has a few complications. For example, he has sent me two lots of title deeds. The latest is a transfer document - I believe as the small development from the 70s were leasehold houses but are now freehold. I am confident the house is freehold but it seems the communal garden isn't owned by the residents but we have to maintain it. This land wasn't transferred from the older title deeds. There's mention of things like paying a portion of maintenance for the garages etc.

Basically he has forwarded these documents to me with no explanation whatsoever. Not one word giving me the gist of what they're about. I'm trying to decipher them myself. Surely that's not right. He seems pissed off whenever I ask anything. Like I'm a nuisance.

Should I expect less from a conveyancer than a solicitor doing conveyancing? Supposed to be exchanging shortly. I'm not walking away from it as have negotiated a discount and need to move out of my rental plus the residents have been offered to buy the communal garden so that will hopefully be good.

It is normal to expect questions to be answered surely? The firm's website mentions a personal service - no sign of that.

I have 2 conveyancers and I'm tearing my hair out with both so you have my sympathies!

My seller used a conveyancing company and they were next to useless. He complained multiple times and they eventually allocated him another conveyancer and things improved marginally. All the delays were his side.

Yep, conveyancers are the bargain basement option here.

They can be fine when a transaction is entirely straightforward. But they’re not up to anything that deviates even the smallest bit from their script.

My conveyancer was incredible. She was recommended to us by someone we knew. I guess like with anything - plumbers, cafes or anything, there will be good ones and not so good ones!

Thanks everyone. The person that said conveyancers are fine when things are straightforward but not when things are unusual is spot on.

He was a recommendation and in my haste didn't clock he's not an actual solicitor. He has great reviews too! Big mistake. Always get a solicitor not a conveyancer. Thanks everyone.

My conveyancer is one of the partners in our local solicitors firm. She seems pretty good (although it still takes a week to get a response from her) but she does seem to assume I know a lot more about this process than I do, so I am spending a lot of time researching things myself. I have mentioned a few things now that I just don't understand and can't get an answer on myself. I think she's waiting to pull all the threads together before responding to me (which she usually does at 5pm on the dot on Friday to minimise the back and forth I think, it's a good tactic cos then I spend all weekend researching before responding). If she doesn't clear things up for me soon then I will request a call. I understand she's busy and has a lot of these cases ongoing, and to be honest, it seems like a high stress job for not much money to me, the amount they get compared to estate agents seems low, for the studying and qualifications involved, so I don't harass her. What I would like from her is a sense of scale of how bad the problems coming up are. She is so neutral it hurts!

I'm doing the same sugarbyebye - my own research. All I want is for him to say ignore this it isn't relevant anymore, this means that. A basic gist. It's like getting blood out of a stone.

Yep I'm having the same issue.

My is so neutral it hurts too! Where's the instruction and advice? No where.

Well I've just had an update from my conveyancer and she wasn't very neutral this time, she said it's a very unusual and complex case. In layman's terms, a fucking rats nest of issues!

I think it depends on the individual. Will be some very good and experienced conveyancers and some very new or lazy solicitors as well. However, I would generally say try and get a positive recommendation for a high street firm and absolutely avoid like the plague the conveyancers that big estate agents recommend.

First time I bought I used the conveyancing factory firm situation that the estate agent recommended and it was an absolute nightmare. I could never speak to the person, she never chased anything, there was zero communication about what the delay was and nothing moved at all for months until I made a formal complaint (at which point I had been homeless for 2 months sleeping at a friend's with all my stuff in storage because I had to get out of my rental flat which was being sold from under me). It was a borderline traumatic experience.

Second time i used a solicitor who I had a positive recommendation for (and let's be honest, how many positive recommendations do you get in this area?!) and she was brilliant as was her colleague when she went on leave.

Sugarbyebye - mine is also a complex case - different title deeds with covenants and easements etc. I've had to work it out myself though. Conveyancer skimming over the surface. Making me feel I'm a nuisance asking questions. I'm going ahead as house ticks a lot of boxes. Hopefully exchanging Monday. I managed to get a good discount because of the potential issues which at least sweetens the deal. Good luck.

Good you managed to get a discount! I'm waiting until we know the full extent of all the issues before figuring out what to do re that. Hope it all goes well!!

Thanks sugarbyebye. I just thought I really need a home and one long term so have gone ahead. The main issue might resolve itself so I thought it worth the risk. I think the sellers thought they'll have the same problem with every prospective buyer so agreed to the discount. I hope it goes well for you.

Catopia - I would definitely say to everyone don't use a conveyancing factory type place and pay for the best solicitor not conveyancer you can afford, especially if you can foresee any complications with communal ground etc.

I've been living in a hotel for a year. Possessions in storage. So I know how stressful it was for you. I'm only going ahead as they agreed a discount. It wasn't worth it to me on what I originally offered. The discount factored in some of the risk.

Sorry for the delay in replying. Have been reading the paperwork from the conveyancer and putting together questions, which he'll probably ignore.