How to Choose a Conveyancing Solicitor

You’ve found your dream property, your offer has been accepted and you’re keen to get moving. The next step is to instruct a conveyancing solicitor to help you through the legal process. But choosing the right conveyancer can be like picking a needle from a haystack – especially if you’re a property-buying novice. After all, buying a home is a huge financial commitment; it pays to do your research. So where do you start and what should you look for?Here are our top tips for choosing the right conveyancer for your move.

Decide what’s important to you

Different buyers have different priorities, so sit down and think carefully about what you want.For example, how important is location to you? There are a number of benefits in using a local firm – they have a wealth of local knowledge, they’re easily accessible and they’ll likely have a good grasp on regional issues and potential problems. Or would you prefer your case to be managed remotely with all communications conducted by phone, on email and through your estate agent? Either way, we can adapt our service to meet your needs.How important is rapport with your solicitor? What about personal recommendations? Or is price the deciding factor in your decision? Deciding exactly what you want is key to finding the right solicitor to deliver it. So when you find a conveyancing solicitor that ticks the right boxes, who you trust and that you’re comfortable with, go with them.

Check what’s included in the price

There’s no getting away from it – buying and selling property is a costly business. But when it comes to conveyancing, don’t confuse ‘low cost’ with ‘value for money’. The cheapest conveyancing solicitor is unlikely to be the most efficient, whereas high prices don’t necessarily equate to top quality.Type ‘cheap conveyancing’ into Google and you’ll be presented with a list of online and bulk conveyancers offering conveyancing services for as little as £299. It’s common practice to use headline-grabbing low prices to get your attention; however this isn’t the full picture. Additional integral costs – such as stamp duty, searches and VAT – will add hundreds, if not thousands, to your final bill.In reality, if the price looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is. When you request a quote, make sure you ask for it to include all additional fees, ideally with a full breakdown of the charges involved. That way you’ll be clear about the true cost of your conveyancing from the start – with no nasty surprises.

How much communication?

Good communication between a conveyancing solicitor and their client can make what is often an arduous and frustrating process significantly easier to manage. In fact, communication – or rather the lack of – is often one of the main bugbears amongst dissatisfied conveyancing clients.If regular updates are a priority for you, it’s important that you’re clear with your conveyancing solicitor about the level of communication you expect. And similarly, ask what processes they have in place for updating their clients – even if there’s nothing to report.At Lyons Bowe, you case will be managed by one experienced conveyancing solicitor. They’ll be your main point of contact and are available at the end of the phone, on email and in person, should you wish to pop in and see them. As well as regular email updates, you’ll have access to our online portal, meaning you can track the status of your case in real-time, 24/7.

Do your research

Personal recommendation is an obvious place to start when looking for a conveyancing solicitor. Speak to family and friends about who they’ve used and whether they’d recommend them. Your estate agent may also be able to advise you on local firms.Before instructing a firm, check their credentials. Like Lyons Bowe, you should only use a firm who is an accredited member of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). This is a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices and means that you can have complete confidence in the expertise of the conveyancers dealing with your transaction.To speak to a conveyancing solicitor in Bristol or Somerset, call our Bristol office on 0117 972 1261 or our Shepton Mallet conveyancing team on 01749 345 756. For a conveyancing quote, get in touch with our conveyancing team. We offer fixed priced quotes with no hidden extras, to help you understand the true cost of your conveyancing charges from the start.