There’s nothing quite so exciting as the possibility of a fresh start in a new home. There’s also quite possibly nothing anywhere near as stressful as moving. Finding the right conveyancing solicitor to assist you in your move is essential for keeping those stress levels down, and ensuring a smooth, successful process. Your conveyancer will handle any and all legalities associated with buying or selling a property for you. The good ones will ensure you’re constantly in the loop, receive regular updates, and will offer genuine support to help you manage and mitigate that stress. 

A poor one…well they will make it all infinitely more stressful.

And nobody wants that.

Here’s everything you need to know about finding the best conveyancing solicitors…

Signs Of A Great Conveyancing Solicitor… 

It can be difficult to know what to look out for in a conveyancer, so here are some pointers on recognising the truly great ones, who will:

  • Be on-hand to help you successfully negotiate with other parties. 
  • Carry out their work accurately and efficiently.
  • Have a proactive, rather than reactive, role in pushing through your deal.
  • Provide expert guidance that supports your best interests throughout the process.
  • Work hard to speed things up and ensure you complete your purchase and/or sale promptly. 
  • Be registered with either The Law Society (for solicitors) or The CLC (for licensed conveyancers).
  • Work on your mortgage without you needing to pay extra, by holding a place on your lender’s panel of approved solicitors.
  • Offer technologically advanced solutions – such as a handy app that tracks your case in real-time – to ensure you experience a thoroughly modern conveyancing service.
  • Carry at least £1,000,000 of professional indemnity insurance.
  • Have an abundance of common sense and avoid the pitfalls of pedantry and ego (it’s not unheard of for lawyers to become overly pedantic in order to make themselves look smart…you don’t need that!).

Warning Signs To Watch Out For…

Conversely, there are also some warning signs you should watch out for that indicate you’re dealing with a poor conveyancing solicitor, who will:

  • Ignore you and your attempts to contact them by failing to answer and reply to calls, emails, etc. promptly. 
  • Fail to read important documentation with adequate care and attention to detail. 
  • Answer your questions in convoluted ‘lawyer-speak’ instead of translating the legalese into plain English that you fully understand. 
  • Take longer than necessary to complete their work.
  • Cost you more money and potential also the successful sale/purchase of your property.
  • Cause you stress and anxiety by failing to alert you to potential problems so they could be avoided or dealt with efficiently. 

A Word About Possible Setbacks…

Speaking of prolems there are certain elements of buying or selling a home that have the potential to be problematic. Some of these are minor, but others can cause major issues. One great way to see if you’re dealing with the best conveyancing solicitors possible is to ask them about potential setbacks and see if they give you a clear understanding of what could go wrong.

This will tell you if they’re knowledgeable and experienced enough to foresee and avoid or effectively manage such issues in the event they occur.

These setbacks might include:

  • Your vendor (the seller) dropping out of a sale. This is incredibly frustrating but it is largely down to luck. You are able to ask them to contribute to your legal expenses in the event they back out, however, they aren’t obliged to pay. 
  • Trouble getting a mortgage, due to issues with your credit rating, employment status, or the property itself. 
  • Getting gazumped – essentially losing out on your dream home because someone swoops in and offers to pay more, after your own offer has been accepted. 
  • Issues showing up during a survey that call the viability of the property into question.
  • Rising costs when you’re part of a chain.
  • An uncommunicative solicitor.

That last point is crucial – find out exactly how your prospective conveyancer intends to keep you updated on progress. If you’d like to speak to one of our conveyancing team we’ll happily talk you through these points, and more, and also show you our super-fancy app, which allows you to track the progress of your case in real-time. Get in touch today…