First of all you can forget ever seeing the £150 again.
Watson Ramsbottom are on our
house builder's solicitors list, meaning that other buyers have indicated they were recommended to use them and by inference regretted it.
That is not to say it will all go wrong, just that if there are any issues with Taylor Wimpey, the quality of your home or the completion date, these solicitors will be on Taylor Wimpay's side not yours.
This is what could happen if/when things go wrong! Taylor Wimpey are not your friends!
Why new homebuyers should never use the housebuilder's solicitor You can of course get your own solicitor. Taylor Wimpey will fight against that for obvious reasons.
It may be that you cannot exchange contracts within their deadline with a new solicitor, after which your plot will be marketed again, perhaps at a higher price. However, you have already done most of the work and the old solicitor should give you everything he had done after you settle their bill.
At the end of the day, you must do what you are most comfortable with.
You could write to "your" solicitor and put them on notice that if they do not act in your best interests. at all times, throughout the conveyance and follow your instructions explicitly, you would have no hesitation to sue for your losses through their negligence and report both the individual solicitor and Watson Ramsbottom to the Law Society and SRA. They take "conflict of interest" very seriously!
Most importantly ask your solicitor to ensure it is written in the contract that you will be given the opportunity to have your new home independently professionally snagged and inspected
at least 7 days before legal completion. If he refuses or says it cannot be done, this would demonstrate to me, a clear conflict of interest.
