When saving money costs you.

To solicit: to ask someone for something. It seems worth remembering that the solicitor works for you!

We all know how expensive and costly moving home can be. And cost can soon start to spiral out of control.

• Stamp Duty

• Removal costs

• Surveyor

• Various certification (i.e your boiler being serviced. )

• Electrics being checked

• Your chimney being swept

• Estate agency fees

• Money Laundering check fees.

And on top of that: solicitor's fees. So it's understandable that people do want to try and save money, and today there is so much advice (especially via social media that might not even be true or by an actual person!) and tips about cuttings costs. It can be tempting when you see an online solicitor that is a lot cheaper than the one you've been quoted.

It's important to look at the big picture and the overall aim of completing your move. On many occassions I've experienced how the choice of solicitor can cost a buyer or seller thousands of extra pounds in additional add-ons or delays. An extended conveyancing process has caused people to pay one, two, or even three months extra rent and additional storage costs as well as additional expenses. That's why I would always recommend using a local and trusted solicitor rather than the one found on the internet that are often volume based rather than service orientated.

Not only can using a local solicitor help for a smoother, easier transaction; it can also be the difference between the sale or purchase actually proceeding through to completion. In all my years of being an estate agent, I have been a massive supporter of using good quality experience, such as local solicitors based on quality of service rather than those receiving referral fees which is something I'm very much against. Frequently I will recommend solicitors, gardeners, painters, decorators; and it is purely based on their quality of work and their experience rather than for a financial incentive. 

Using a local solicitor means you can pop into the office in order to sign documents, verify ID or clarify something that may be a bit more complex and easier to do face-to-face rather than than over the phone or via email. Dealing with the same solicitor at all times also ensures continuity throughout the sale and purchase process. Whereas if you use a solicitor that is based on volume and often situated miles away this can result in the frustrating telephone merry-go-round of multiple phone calls. Instead of one person dealing with your sale you are passed around a team of six or seven people and you have to repeat information and explaining it all over again. This can lead to confusion as to what exactly is going on, espcially as it's important to remember that you might also be speaking to a member of the team who works at the solicitors office but isn't actually a solicitor and isn't aware of the all the factual, legal details.

When it's four months down the line after the offer was accepted and you're still leaving voice mails and sifting through an email chain trying to find out what the hold up is as you cancel your removal men with no deposit returned - you might start to wonder the value of the money you saved on that cheap solicitor....

Image by Steve Watts from Pixabay