Why you need to get the best possible legal advice when buying your home

With Britain’s housing crisis never far from the news headlines, the government is looking at various ways to update and improve the house-buying process. As part of this initiative, the Department for Communities and Local Government recently held a consultation into ways the current procedures might be streamlined.

The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, commented that buying a home “is one of life’s largest investments, so if it goes wrong it can be costly. That’s why we’re determined to take action to make the process cheaper, faster and less stressful”.

And whilst everyone would broadly agree with those sentiments, it’s important to take a careful look at some of the issues involved.
 

Why cost isn’t the most important factor

The phenomenal growth in the housing market over the last decade has been accompanied by a sharp rise in the number of what the Legal Ombudsman has referred to as ‘conveyancing factories’. These are large firms that often operate an online and call centre service that concentrates solely on the legal process work that facilitates house buying and selling. Through economies of scale and automation, they aim to drive down costs for the consumer.
 

Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer?

When it comes to conveyancing, you can choose to use either a Solicitor or a Licensed Conveyancer. They operate in a similar way, but are regulated slightly differently. All practicing solicitors must be registered with the Law Society. Licensed Conveyancers are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.

And whilst both are qualified to deal with matters relating to property conveyancing, solicitors typically work in firms that have staff that specialise in many other aspects of the law. This means that they can provide expertise on a wide range of related areas, such as wills, inheritance tax and divorce. This experience can be invaluable for clients, especially when their sale or purchase is linked to other issues they face.
 

Making the right choice

When it comes to making the right decision about who you commission to do your conveyancing work, you need to choose the method of service delivery that best suits your needs; one size certainly doesn’t fit all, and cost shouldn’t be the only factor you take into consideration.

We pride ourselves on the standard of service we offer. Our clients never feel they are being dealt with at arm’s length, or treated to a conveyor belt and call centre approach. Every client is assigned a Solicitor or professional Conveyancer, who is responsible for overseeing their transaction from start to finish. Clients are quick to tell us that they find our staff extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and readily available to update them on progress, or answer any queries they may have.

So, if you’re looking for expert help in dealing with a property transaction, call us on 0330 221 8855, or contact us online.

With Britain’s housing crisis never far from the news headlines, the government is looking at various ways to update and improve the house-buying process. As part of this initiative, the Department for Communities and Local Government recently held a consultation into ways the current procedures might be streamlined.