Sols:

If you're selling a bog standard house, just find a cheap paralegal-based conveyancing outfit. I'm currently using Lambert Pugh LLP (Norwich based, as it happens) as they were/are dirt dirt cheap with a fixed fee. They've seemed competent enough with a standard sale & purchase.

TBH selling any house isn't complicated, so I wouldn't pay anyone very much. Just find the cheapest quote you can. All you need is someone who isn't going to lose the file/disappear on holiday at a critical moment/ignore your emails.

Don't go with the estate agent's recommended firm. You'll be paying an inflated fee to cover the commission the estate agent gets.

If letting out, decide if you want the agent to do it all or if you want to self-manage and just get the agent to operate on a finders fee. If using agents to manage, check the small print for costs/fees around things like getting tradespeople out, and who they use. eg you dont want to be paying a fee and margin for their panel tradesman who will be charging you an inflated fee to pay the agents commission, etc etc.

If you can't tell, I have a low opinon of agents generally.

Posted By: CWC, Feb 8, 13:28:15