How Do You Choose the Right Solicitor When Buying or Selling a Property?

choosing the right solicitor

Having the right solicitor for you can make a huge difference to the process of buying or selling your home. It can take time to find a solicitor you feel comfortable with and as property transactions can take a long time, they could be working for you for a while. This makes it crucial that you have a solicitor who you get along with and someone you feel you can trust.

Buying or selling a home is an emotional time and you will always hit a few bumps in the road, so take your time to find someone you can rely on and use these tips to help.

Stay Local

Choosing a solicitor who is local to your area is a great way to whittle down the list. They will be up to date with local issues and have a good insight into what problems could potentially arise. It’s also a good idea to drop into their offices and deal with issues face to face, this will be especially handy if you have an urgent request. If you are using a local Estate Agent they may have a solicitor to recommend you which you could try out.

Get recommendations

Ask people you trust which solicitor they used and how they found the experience. Friends and family or work colleagues are likely to be able to shed light on which firms are most helpful. People can often give you good advice on which solicitors to stay away from so you don’t waste time calling a solicitor with a bad reputation.

Find out Costs

Before you choose a solicitor, get written quotes that will give you an upper and a lower figure of what the cost may be. Costs can increase over time depending on what problems arise throughout the buying or selling of your home, however you need to hire a solicitor that is upfront with you about their charges. This will mean at the end of the process you won’t end up receiving a surprisingly large bill and if a solicitor is honest with you about their fees, you know you can trust them. Keep in mind that the best solicitor won’t be the cheapest.

Conveyancing Quality Scheme

solicitor

Time to get technical. Using a solicitor who is CQS-accredited is key. CQS is the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Solicitors who are CQS-accredited will be authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority when it comes to conveyancing. This is an extra sign that you will get the best service and have a capable solicitor who knows what they are doing and will work to a high standard.

Listen Carefully

You can tell a lot from as little as a phone call. First impressions are everything so make sure you call around two or three solicitors and see what feel you get from each one. Even if you do go for the first person you spoke to, it is worth seeing which firms sound more helpful and can offer you the best service. You want to be treated as a valued customer as you may end up paying a healthy sum for their service.

Stay on the Case

Keep in constant contact with your solicitor, by email and phone. You may feel like you’re hounding them however it is vital that you stay in the know at all times, even if this is just reassurance from your solicitor that everything is going smoothly. By talking to your solicitor regularly you will be clued up on how the process is going and if any problems do arise you will be aware of them and can talk about the best way to solve the issues.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a solicitor is to give yourself time. There is so much to consider so do your research, get in touch with different firms and don’t feel pressured into making a decision. Finding a good solicitor is crucial when buying or selling your home.

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