For purchasers, finding a reasonable conveyancing quote and a competent conveyancing firm can make the difference between buying a dream property – or losing a dream home.
Unnecessary delays or cheap conveyancing quotes that does not live up to expectations can prove costly – and changes to conveyancing to prevent fraud may also have an impact on who carries out your conveyancing.
Conveyancing panels
Conveyancing is changing and the Law Society has backed mortgage lenders (known as “the mortgagor”) setting up their own conveyancing panels, consisting of conveyancing solicitors and other conveyancing firms which lenders approve.
This means that purchasers may be forced to use a conveyancing firm on their mortgage lender’s own conveyancing panel – or pay two sets of conveyancing fees, including the mortgagor’s and their own.
Conveyancing firms who belong to conveyancing panels have been approved by the lender whose panel they belong to eg HSBC’s conveyancing panel or Santander’s conveyancing panel.
Some lenders are limiting the number of firms they admit to their conveyancing panels – HSBC has just 43 firms on it conveyancing panel.
Not belonging to a conveyancing panel does not necessarily reflect on the professionalism of a conveyancing firm – and it is still possible to shop around for your choice of conveyancer.
Find a conveyancing quote
For purchasers looking for their own conveyancing quote, there are three options
- Conveyancing solicitors
- Conveyancing firms
- Online conveyancing
Most conveyancing companies will now offer an online conveyancing quote, speeding up the process.
Purchasers can also use comparison websites which specialise in conveyancing quotes – but it is always advisable to obtain your own quotes as well as using the services of a comparison website.
Online conveyancing may be cheaper or quicker – but a local firm may offer a special set rate and have local knowledge, including planning applications which might affect your property purchase.
Pros and cons of different conveyancing services
The conveyancing process should take around eight weeks, but can be much shorter if one – or both the vendor and purchaser – are not in property chains or are cash buyers.
Consumers obtaining a conveyancing quote should ask how long the conveyancer expects the process to take if no unexpected delays occur (eg the planning search throws up a planning application which might affect the property you wish to buy or the survey throws up a structural problem).
The pros and cons of different types of conveyancing services are:
- Using a conveyancing solicitor or firm
Pros – direct contact with your conveyancer through meetings and phone calls
Cons – meetings may make the process more expensive and time consuming, as these will have to be scheduled in
- Using online conveyancing
Pros – a conveyancing quote is usually much cheaper and online conveyancing can be faster as there is no direct contact and the process can be checked online 24/7
Cons – no direct contact with your conveyancer and cheap quotes may not cover the services you need if there is a problem with the survey or searches
- Using the lender’s conveyancer
Pros – the conveyancing is arranged for you and you only pay one fee
Cons – the purchaser may have a conveyancing firm allocated without the option to choose their own – or will end up paying two sets of conveyancing fees if they choose their own conveyancing firm.
Conveyancing services are regulated by the Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
The SRA has suggested that it will check on standards in the future in a number of ways, including “mystery shopping” round conveyancing firms to make sure they are delivering the appropriate level of service and fraud is stamped out. The SRA also wants more transparency surrounding marketing and publicity to make sure promises about cheap fees and any conveyancing quote given are not misleading.
Using a conveyancing firm which is accredited by the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is advisable, as these firms have been approved as providers of an efficient and reliable level of service.