Legal fees on Property sales

ZedsDead

I've been told that 1% of the sale price is the going rate for conveyancing....is this about right? Not sure if i'm allowed ask who are the better/cheaper/etc Dublin firms out there but can anyone help?

johnfás

The charge will be based on the complexity of the transaction and the time which it takes to complete. All of it is negotiable but yes, 1%, isn't out of the ordinary.

We don't discuss firms on the site but every firm in the country deals with conveyancing. Don't be afraid to shop around and ask for estimates up front. However, if the price sounds too good to be true it probably is. Purchasing a property is the biggest decision most people ever make and treat all decisions around the transaction with a sufficient degree of importance. If you know anybody who has purchased property in the area seek a personal recommendation.

chopser

It is one of the going rates.
Some charge a percentage and some charge a set rate depending on the type of sale. You can make the decision which firm you want based on price and expertise that you wish to handle your conveyancing for you.

But as Johnfas says ,ask around.

ZedsDead

thanks lads

shanekbeary

Hi All

Dear All,

I am trying to get a detailed breakdown of exactly what is covered, and how much, solicitors are charging for when engaged on buying or selling a house.
1. Given that I have access to all the documentation: Property Title Deed, Site Map, BER, LPT receipt etc., I am assuming that a solicitor needs to do little more than draft a proforma 'sales contract' ?
2. Are solicitors for both buyer and seller replicating the same work?
Thanks.

Dolbhad

I find fees vastly differ depending on where you are in the country. Dublin does a lot more 1% based. I’m in Cork and when I was looking at buying it was around 1500 plus fees and outlay for a house that’s 360k so really can depend on the complicity of the case.

A solicitor not only drafts contracts but reviews the title and responses to requisitions on title - that’s about 50 pages along to deal with. If there are any issues in title - they draft up conditions so sellers don’t have to fix it. Purchasers solicitor are more concerned with the standard of legal title especially if there is a mortgage and can be a bit of back and forth. There can be more work involved than you think. When we bought our house issues arose as we went along - but to be fair our solicitor and sellers solicitor were very reasonable so agreements could be paid.

shanekbeary

Dolbhad wrote: »

I find fees vastly differ depending on where you are in the country. Dublin does a lot more 1% based. I’m in Cork and when I was looking at buying it was around 1500 plus fees and outlay for a house that’s 360k so really can depend on the complicity of the case.

A solicitor not only drafts contracts but reviews the title and responses to requisitions on title - that’s about 50 pages along to deal with. If there are any issues in title - they draft up conditions so sellers don’t have to fix it. Purchasers solicitor are more concerned with the standard of legal title especially if there is a mortgage and can be a bit of back and forth. There can be more work involved than you think. When we bought our house issues arose as we went along - but to be fair our solicitor and sellers solicitor were very reasonable so agreements could be paid.

Hi Dolbhad,
Thanks for your response.
At present I am more interested in trying to understand how the solicitor determines a 'fee' for representing the seller - given that:
1. All the documentation is in place and verified (I paid them for that when buying the house 5 years ago.)
2. There is no mortgage involved.
3. The sales contract is a standard format document - only personal detail changes.

House sale price is circa E325k. Given the above I thought a fee of app. E1'500.- to be paid by the seller excessive, especially as the buyer is paying his solicitor (as I did) to verify all documents are in order.

Thanks