Any recommendations for conveyancing firms?

[LancashireButterPie]

Or should we stick with a local solicitor?

Stick with local solicitor - my buyer used an online conveyancing firm, it was a horrendous experience as they just operate like a call centre. Nobody takes responsibility, especially by exchange time. The sale nearly fell through, they cost me money, time and stress. I used an excellent local solicitor with fixed fee, they apparently had a lot of hidden extras to pay at the end so a false economy. Also watch that they register the property after the sale. I’m really patient and was looking forward to a new family moving into my home but it ended up with me really resenting them unfortunately.

Long shot but if you are Surrey/Hampshire area I can message you about my solicitor (this wasn’t why I originally replied to your thread btw - it just brought back the trauma 😂)

Yep, use a good local solicitor that the estate agents deal with all the time.

I had a horrific couple of years because of a buyer's online shitshow. No named person so same enquiries were made pretty much every time they had to look at the case. Just terrible at every turn, they were the recommendation of mortgage advisor, so take care.

It only went through in the end as the buyer, us and our estate agents were all determined to make it work.

I'm tempted to ask who our next buyer is using before agreeing to any offers.

Use local solicitor as sometimes there are unexpected things that come up and documents that need signing at the last minute so you can walk into the office and do it immediately.

Thanks for the reply, we are 250 miles from Surrey.

I second the post above - do not use a fixed fee company. Totally false economy. In fact, paying a local sol would have been cheaper than having the sale fall though. Don't think that because the Co-op recommend them or Trustpilot show a good rating will save you from their ineptitude. You will be told that they chase outstanding material regularly. Ineffective meaningless e-mails, only sent when you lean on them. They don't take responsibility or speak to the buyer/sellers sols and just blame everyone else. Are unwilling to escalate with the supposed third parties, who they blame. Massive discrepancies between what they say and what the other sols say in the chain. Don't action material when it is received. Passive aggressive digs when you challenge them - yeah, I'm sure writing and underlining words will make a massive difference.

A massive proportion of conveyancers are useless due to their workloads. At least with local, you will have somewhere to physically camp out when they let you down.

Never use an online one and particularly an online one recommended by an EA.

Currently going through a house sale (that is just about to fall through) and used a solicitor local to the area we are relocating to thinking it would be nice to give business to our new area. Did our research too but our solicitor has been AWFUL.

Wish to god I had gone with the local branch of solicitors recommended to me by our Estate Agents.

We made a massive error and have paid the price for it.