Obtaining a solicitor

DH and I are hoping to purchase our first flat and we are currently looking for a solicitor. We've received quotes from three solicitors and they are all very different. My first instinct is to go with the cheapest one, but since this is the biggest purchase we've ever made....I want to make sure it gets done right. Is there anything in particular to look for when shopping for a solicitor? I've never done this before so I'm not sure what to look for or if there is anything to look for. Thanks in advance!

We went with the cheapest one and I still feel ripped off.  They did not notice several potential issues that I had to do all the work on.  You will end up having to chase them all the time and double check everything.  If there is a complex leasehold then I would go with one that has a history of dealing with those type of issues.  If the leasehold is straight forward then go with cheap.

do you know anyone who has recently moved?  i'd go with recomendations before anything else.

another thing- you can use either an conveyencing firm or a solicitor.  when i looked around, there was a big difference in price.  i went witht he convenycing firm, because they had online access and were in the middle of the range price wise.  for comparison, i bought a small 3-bed in midlands.  without stamp duty, i paid a total of £2,289 (this includes all searches, fees, money transfer fees ($-£))

Hey Sunnyflower, I have the name of a fantastic lady if you are interested. She was recommended to me by an american friend here in the UK.  She does a lot of her stuff by email and is VERY prompt.  We started to use her and our correspondance with her was fantastic.  The only reason we didn't end up completing with her is because we found a place with one of those deals that if you use their approved solicitor they will give you £1000 toward legal fees.  But if you are interested just PM me and I will give you the details. You could at least get a quote from her for free. Bear in mind all those searches that solicitors do is a standard price so it will be the same everywhere.  The difference would be their fee and if they include stamp duty in their total cost.  We are in the middle of exchanging contracts ourselves

Hi,

Do you or your better half know friends who know friends who are a solicitor or know of one? if so, have a chat with them and see if they do 'mates rates'...

If not, then it's like what's been suggested already, whisper's lead sounds good as well. As we all know solicitors can be and often do seem to take an absolute age when it comes to stuff like this which is a real pain. Keep on researching and go with the quote you feel happiest with even if it's not the cheapest

I do know a girl who's in this trade except her specialty is ultra high end property, with ultra high end fees! - she always teases us becuase alot of her clients are the 'rich and famous' but she never tells us who's buying what!

I'm sure you've read about the 'use our solicitors and surveyors' and 'buy home and life insurance' from us (mortgage lenders) and they'll give X discount etc - theres alot of advice to say go for independant people, but if you are on a budget check out the fine print as well. At most I'd go for the solicitor and maybe the survey from the mortgage company, but the insurances etc I'd shop around for.

Good luck with your purchase!

Cheers! DtM! West London & Slough !

When we bought our house we used a team of solicitor's that has a discount through DH's work as they came highly recommended, plus there was the discount & the fact that they're not gonna mess you about...  Do you or your DH's employers possibly have a company recommendation list or discount list that you might want to consider?   

Go with the recommended one.  A bad solicitor can hold up a sale by as much as several weeks to several months.  My SO is an estate agent, so he always recommends the solicitor that he had worked with for several years.  She's recommended because she's efficient, fast, and will get your sale through quickly.  Generally, the agent will recommend them for that reason alone (though be careful, because sometimes agents will recommend someone just because they're renumerated for it)...good to consult friends who have successfully sold/bought homes through their solicitor.

Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions. We got a list of solicitors from the agent and but their prices are all very different. Unfortunately we don't really know anyone that has bought a house recently. Another issue is that we are purchasing through a keyworker scheme so we need a solicitor that has experience with the scheme. We probably will go with someone from the list that the agent gave us since they have all worked with keyworkers, but I'm having trouble deciding which one to use. Thanks again for your help. I may have more questions later. 

Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions. We got a list of solicitors from the agent and but their prices are all very different. Unfortunately we don't really know anyone that has bought a house recently. Another issue is that we are purchasing through a keyworker scheme so we need a solicitor that has experience with the scheme. We probably will go with someone from the list that the agent gave us since they have all worked with keyworkers, but I'm having trouble deciding which one to use. Thanks again for your help. I may have more questions later. 

I am looking at the keyworker schemes too. I just applied and got my invitation to a seminar. It's all a bit mindblowing!

My co-worker is buying at the moment, and is using the person she used the first time she purchased since she had a positive experience. The solicitor is based in Chiswick and if you are interested, I can get the details for you.