Cheap Solicitors for first time buyers?

loch ness

Hey all,

I'm hoping to buy my first house in he next few weeks but I'm having trouble finding a reasonably priced solicitor. So far the cheapest I have been quoted is 2k - is there any company out there thats does a package for first time buyers??

Any advice is appreicated.
Thanks:)

Redsoxfan

Cheap does not equal good value. I know from experiance, having been through the buying and sellling process twice in the past few years, and having an extremely bad experience with a 'cheap' solicitor on one of those ocassions-so much so that I was forced to change solicitors.

€2k (if it is an all in quote, i.e. fees, outlay and VAT) is 'cheap' by my reckoning.

Buying property is one of the most significant and stressful transactions a person will undertake in the course of their lives-keep this in mind when choosing a solictor. A competent and professional solicitor is worth their fee IMHO.

If you can get recommendations from family/friends, then that is as good a way as any to choose a solicitor, or any other service.

P.S. I am not a solicitor or involved in the legal profession in any way.

P.P.S. banks and brokers who offer legal packages are not under any obligation to stand over the competence etc. of the solcitors on their panels.

loch ness

Thanks for your reply.
Yes the 2k is the total fee, this soliciter was recommended by the builders of the house we're hoping to buy...
So are you saying you get what you pay for? And we already had a few hic-ups from the bank so we're hoping the rest of the deal will be plain sailing.....

Mr. Incognito

Pay peanuts- get monkeys.

A property transaction that is screwed up can cost a LOT to fix including going to court. get a good solicitor.

is_that_so

+1 . The stress involved in the whole property merry-go-round means that you should have a good one on your side. Made my life easy. When you add up the total cost of a property what's €2K.

Redsoxfan

loch ness wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.
Yes the 2k is the total fee, this soliciter was recommended by the builders of the house we're hoping to buy...

Jeez, worse again. I don't know if I would trust a solicitor who was referred by the builder.

loch ness wrote:

So are you saying you get what you pay for?

Pretty much. But, paying huge fees doesn't guarantee 100% satisfaction either.

I think you need to re-phrase/re-think your original question:

"Can anyone recommend a reliable solicitor to deal with a house pucharse in (insert location)?"

Better yet, ask someone you know.

loch ness wrote:

And we already had a few hic-ups from the bank so we're hoping the rest of the deal will be plain sailing....

Don't hold your breath-second time round was far worse for us compared to the first time.

Best of luck.

Maximilian

Yeah, I wouldn't go with a solicitor who has been recommended by the Builder, as they may be conflicted. If you pm me the name of the firm, I might be able to give you an idea of what they are like (if I know them).

_JOE_

A quote of 2K seems to be a competitive price although I would doubt that the figure is exact, as the outlay can vary. Is this price merely for the purchase or is the sale inclusive?
I have noticed quite alot of undercutting in the market today and from experience, clients are not afraid to quote a competing price in the expectation that you will better it.
The heavy reliance on conveyancing has noticably led to solicitors becoming efficient in this area, and while i can't speak for every solicitor, i know that it is important to keep the clients happy and a conscious effort is made by the solicitor to make the ordeal as quick as possible, and in many cases the hold up is due to external factors.

loch ness

Thanks every one for your replies.
I was wary of trusting the soliciter which the builders recommended in case anything did go wrong - I'll phone around a few more places today and see if anyone can match that quote of 2k - and yes 2k isn't a lot considering the price of the house etc.
Anyways thanks for your advice.