They're often advertised everywhere, especially on the Internet - cheap, and we mean dirt-cheap conveyancing services. Tempting, isn't it? This generally attracts first time property investors, especially those who believe they can save a whole lot of money for it. But when you come to think of it, how much is really in it for you when you avail dirt-cheap conveyancing services? What are the chances that the quality of services you'll get are not compromised? You might wonder where your £100.00 will go in terms of covering all the processes involved in conveyancing. How likely it is for you to get tricked by these cheap conveyancing quotes adverts?
Even though you think that conveyancing can be quite complicated, things have been made a bit more convenient; thanks to the advent of technology. There are a lot of conveyancing firms now that take advantage of technology to streamline their processes and employ efficient communication channels to save them cost and time.
But if you're clueless where to find the right conveyancer, you may easily be tricked into hiring a cheap one and be surprised somewhere along the way. To determine if you're about to instruct a brilliant conveyancer, you might want to ask your potential solicitor these questions prior to finalising your instructions.
How much are the actual charges?
More often than not, cheap costs are just something some conveyancers use to attract potential clients. In reality, one may be in for other expenses as the process goes underway. There are actually conveyancers now that offer quotes, basic fees and disbursements included, to give consumers an idea how much they should allot for this process. It is important that you ask for full conveyancing quotes so you can work on your budget. Find out what you need to pay the conveyancer upfront and how you can pay the rest, including extra fees if any.

What's their estimated timeline of completion?
Generally, your conveyancer should be able to at least advise you of an estimated completion date, depending on the circumstances they have seen. Although there's no definite timeline, the non-complex transactions are generally completed within 6 to 8 weeks, especially newly built properties.
Do they have enough experience in this field?
A conveyancer's experience will mostly speak for how efficient their work is. It defines how much they know about the process and how good their thoughts are when they advise you of how they can seamlessly work on the task.
Is there a dedicated expert to work on your case?
To make sure that your case gets sorted in time, a dedicated staff must be in place to let you know of what happens and what needs to be done. They also should have an efficient way to track your case in place and have their staff coordinated the details so you won't have to repeat yourself time and again when you ask about the progress.
Can you directly get in touch with the solicitor?
Communication is always very important. Make sure that you're able to speak directly with your solicitor if you think there's something that they're staff is missing.
Is the firm located close to where you live?
With technology helping the housing market, this is just an option if you want someone you can meet with in person as needed. While other conveyancers make it convenient for their clients to work on the entire process with their firms miles away, some just prefer someone whose office they can go to within minutes and discuss further matters.
What are their means and ways to update you?
Find out if you can get updated by other ways besides the usual phone call and office appointment. With the advent of Internet, an efficient conveyancing firm should have an online tracking system, SMS facilities, and/or email systems in place to give their clients the updates needed about the case.
If you think you're not satisfied with how your desired conveyancer answers these questions, you might want to ask for quotes from other firms and see how you can get things sorted.
Also, if you reckon you're okay with cheap conveyancing, you should take note of these risks:
The hundred-pound conveyancing they show in adverts may have hidden charges as you go through the process. You're likely to get shocked when you get your final invoice when the transaction is completed.
Some firms offer cheap conveyancing because they take every case that come their way; thus compromising the quality of service they deliver. It's quantity over quality for most of them. If they're too busy, your case may be in for a massive delay.
Most cheap services are offered by the new conveyancers to attract clients and build their reputation in the market. While some can be trusted, others may be way too inexperienced to help you with what you need. They are also likely to hire inexperienced assistants to cut their costs down.
Some just don't have a dedicated case manager or an efficient update system in place; hence, the need to repeat yourself each time you follow up, and worse: missing paperwork here and there.