April 2021
Buying and selling your home under any circumstances can be a stressful life event. Add to that an extremely busy market, longer exchange dates and the complications of Covid, and you can see just how important it is to know what to look out for when selecting a lawyer to be by your side at this very important time.
Choosing a lawyer to act in your interest when selling or buying your home is a really important decision. Get it right, and you will build a trusting, effortless relationship that gets you to your goal quicker. Get it wrong and, well, we have all heard horror stories of uncooperative lawyers that never answer the phone and delay your plans. Here are our top tips for what to look out for.
At the early stage, the first choice is a specialist conveyancing firm that will have lawyers that only deal with property law, or alternatively, you could opt for a more traditional law firm that deals with all areas of the law but may not have a specialist property department.
A reliable test of how well any lawyer will treat you is how they are reviewed by customers that have already completed. Take some time to research Google Reviews and platforms like Feefo and the ESTAS. Look for customers who have built up a strong rapport with their lawyer, working together to overcome the hurdles that inevitably crop-up when doing the legal work to get customers to completion.
Think about how long your law firm has been in business. Navigating the intricacies of property law really does require an experienced professional. Having dealt with multiple property transactions in all parts of the country means that they will be able to really represent your interests, foresee any challenges, and know how to apply their experience with third parties to keep your transaction moving.
Times really have moved on since the days of postal applications, contracts, deeds, identification and everything in between being done manually on paper. Firms that still apply this approach can cause unnecessary delays to you. Look out for a firm that has an online portal where you can quickly complete and exchange documents, get updates on your case whenever you want and can easily chat with your lawyer.
The costs associated with moving house can soon mount up, so it’s a crucial time to budget responsibly. With conveyancing, cheaper doesn’t always mean better - your initial quote can mount up to a bigger bill as some lawyers charge for additional services and work. Watch out as some charge per correspondence so each call and letter costs you money. Try to find someone with transparent fixed fees for all elements of your service. Some firms will also offer a guarantee so that if your sale falls through, they will not charge you.
Countrywide Conveyancing Services have been acting for customers to buy and sell their homes for more than 20 years. We have over 120 dedicated specialist property lawyers who are really passionate about helping our customers. Conveyancing is all we do and we are really proud to say that we are trusted by more than 60,000 customers per year to help buy and sell their homes, one of the most significant life events a customer can experience. To find out how we can help you or for any support on your move, please visit our website, contact us on 0161 332 7608 or salesteam@cwpl.com.
