Date: Sat, 06 Mar 2004 12:22:52 +0000
From: Richard Savage 
Newsgroups: uk.d-i-y uk.finance
Subject: Re: House buying process



Neil Jones wrote:

>When I moved in 2001 I asked the estate agent who sold our flat to
>suggest a solictor who would answer my calls and do the work promptly
>and accurately. The guy he suggested did exactly that and the move was
>almost stress-free, contrasting wildly with the time in 1997 when I used
>the cheapest solicitor, and paid for it.
>
>Yes, it was more expensive to use this guy because he takes on fewer
>clients, but the extra was well worth it.
>
>The estate agents are dealing with solicitors constantly and so they
>should know who is good, who is sloppy and who plays golf in the office.
>
>Regards
>
>Neil
>
>
>  
>
Thank you Neil,

I've been waiting for someone to hit that nail on the head.  Domestic 
conveyancing is simply not cost effective for many solicitors, so to 
make any money (and I don't mean the lovely profit for doing sweet FA 
that estate agents do) they have to operate on very high volume using 
low paid staff.  Don't expect that the senior partner will be handling 
your £200K purchase when you are being charged a few hundred quid for 
your purchase.  You makes your choice, pays your money and gets what you 
pay for.

Rgds Richard