Conveyancing Quote – Beware of the Hidden Costs
Conveyancing quote differ depending on whether you are selling, buying or re-mortgaging the property. The cost is the highest when you are the buyer. Some solicitors take up this opportunity to include a little extra by tricking you. Beware of the hidden costs by understanding what the right fee is. The Conveyancing fees charged should be broken down for you to understand why you are paying and for what. But the experienced trickster firms will make sure you cannot relate to anything in the breakdown and succumb to their trap.
Beware of the hidden costs by understanding what the right fee is. What does the conveyancing quote include? Conveyancing quote has two parts: Solicitor’s Basic Fee Disbursements The basic fee can be fixed by the solicitor in 3 different ways. He/she can consent to work for a fixed rate. Second option is he/she can work out a percentage out of the value of the property. So costlier the property, more money the solicitor gets paid. The third option is working on ‘per hour’ basis. The more the paperwork, the more fees charged. The first option will work out cheap for you, but not for the solicitor. So, most of the solicitors go with the second option. The third option will make you go bankrupt. So beware! A typical basic fee ranges from £300 – £ 1,200 + VAT. Disbursement is the money that the solicitor needs to pay others on your behalf. These are supposed to be fixed. Estimate of disbursement for buyers Bankruptcy search – £2- £4. Local authority searches – £100 – £200 Land registry office copies – £4 – £8 Environmental search – £30 -£35 + VAT (Applicable for Leaseholds) Drainage search – £30 -£40 + VAT (Applicable for Leaseholds) Local searches – £40 -£250 + VAT Land registration fee – £40 – £700 (varies depending upon the value of the property) Stamp Duty – this is the land tax which is a certain percentage of the property value. This can be from 1 – 4 % of the property’s value. Estimate of disbursement for sellers Land registry office copies – £4 – £8 Telegraphic transfer fee – £20 – £30 + VAT Where can the hidden costs be ‘hidden’? Some conveyancing firms may ‘invent’ disbursement to make some extra money. Make sure you have a thorough knowledge of what each term means and whether or not it is applicable to you. They lure you with ultra cheap deals where the basic fee is almost nothing and then you are in for a nasty shock when the bill arrives. Professional Indemnity, Postage, photocopying, phone calls, filling out stamp duty tax return, dealing with your lender, dealing with leasehold property, are some of the hidden costs which you shouldn’t even be charged for. Do not fall for cheap offers and deals. Read the smaller prints for hidden charges
