Conveyancing Costs

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Conveyancing costs

Purchase of a freehold residential property

Our typical legal fees are fixed fees which vary depending on the cost of the property being purchased and are set out in the table below.

Our fees cover all the work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (“Stamp Duty”) on your behalf.

Cost of property being purchased Our legal fees*
£0 – £100,000 £600 plus VAT at 20%
£100,000 – £150,000 £650 plus VAT at 20%
£150,000 – £200,000 £725 plus VAT at 20%
£200,000 – £350,000 £850 plus VAT at 20%
£350,000 – £500,000 £1000 plus VAT at 20%
£500,000 plus £1200 to £2000 plus VAT at 20% depending upon the purchase price

Please note that purchases of new build properties will attract an uplift of £250 plus VAT at 20% on the above-mentioned fees due to the substantial amount of additional work that is involved in dealing with those transactions.

Properties purchased by limited companies with the assistance of mortgages will also attract an uplift of £250 plus VAT at 20% per property to reflect the additional work involved in dealing with the requirements of the lenders in those transactions.

*Our quoted fees assume that;

  1. This is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise, including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
  2. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
  3. All parties to the transaction are cooperative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
  4. No indemnity policies are required.  Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

In addition to the costs in the table above, we make a charge of £30 plus VAT at 20% for each electronic money transfer that is required in connection with your purchase.

Purchase of a leasehold property

In respect of purchases of leasehold properties, the legal fees set out in the table above will apply with a surcharge of £100 plus VAT at 20% per transaction in consideration of the additional legal work necessary in such cases.

Those fees assume that the transaction involves the assignment of an existing lease. Additional costs will apply where the purchase involves the grant of a new lease.

Disbursements 

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees.  We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The disbursements that you will typically be required to pay in respect of a purchase are:

Local search fee £65 plus £13 VAT, water search fee £42.50 plus £8.50 VAT, coal mining search fee £40 plus £8 VAT, bankruptcy searches £2, Land Registry search fee £3. Those costs may vary depending on the location of the property being purchased.

You will also need to pay the Land Registry registration fee following completion of your purchase.  The fee to be paid varies depending on the type and value of the property being purchased.  Details of the land registration fees can be found on the Land Registry’s website.

Stamp Duty Land Tax on purchase – the Stamp Duty Land Tax payable on the purchase of your property depends upon the purchase price of the property.  You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the calculator on HMRC’s website.

Additional disbursements may be payable in respect of leasehold premises.

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move into your house will depend upon a number of factors.  The average process takes between 6 and 12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending upon the parties in the chain.  For example, if you are a first-time buyer purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 8 weeks.  However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer.  In such a situation, additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property may vary according to the circumstances.  They may include the following:

  • Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
  • Checking finances are in place to fund the purchase
  • Receiving and advising on contract documents
  • Carrying out searches
  • Obtaining further planning documentation if required
  • Making any necessary enquiries of the sellers’ solicitors
  • Giving you advice on all documents and information received
  • Going through the conditions of your mortgage offer with you
  • Sending you the final contract for you to sign
  • Agreeing the completion date (that is the date from which you will own the property)
  • Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
  • Arranging for all monies needed to be received from the lender and from you
  • Completing the purchase
  • Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax
  • Dealing with the application for registration at the Land Registry.

Sale of a freehold residential property

Our fees cover all the legal work required to complete the sale of your property. Our fees are fixed fees which vary depending upon the sale price of the property and are set out in the table below

Sale price Our legal fees*
£0 – £60,000  £450 plus VAT at 20%
£60,000 – £100,000  £500 plus VAT at 20%
£100,000 – £150,000 £600 plus VAT at 20%
£150,000 – £200,000 £675 plus VAT at 20%
£200,000 – £350,000 £750 plus VAT at 20%
£350,000 – £500,000 £900 plus VAT at 20%
£500,000 plus £1000 to £1500 plus VAT at 20% depending upon the sale price

*Our quoted fees assume that;

  1. This is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise, including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
  2. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
  3. All parties to the transaction are cooperative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
  4. No indemnity policies are required.  Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

In addition to the costs in the table above, we make a charge of £30 plus VAT at 20% for each electronic money transfer that is required in connection with your sale.

Sale of a leasehold property

In respect of sales of leasehold properties, the legal fees set out in the table above will apply with a surcharge of £50 plus VAT at 20% per transaction in consideration of the additional legal work necessary in such cases.

Additional costs will apply where the sale involves the grant of a new lease.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties.  We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The only disbursements typically payable on a sale are the fees for office copy entries and the filed plan, typically in the region of £6 – £12

How long will my house sale take?

How long it will take from you accepting an offer for your property until the sale of the property is completed will depend upon a number of factors.  The average process takes between 6 and 12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending upon the other parties in the chain.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances.  Those stages may include the following;

  • Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
  • Sending you the standard property information forms for you to complete
  • Obtaining office copy entries and the filed plan
  • Drafting the contract
  • Dealing with enquiries raised by the purchaser’s solicitor
  • Sending the final contract to you for you to sign
  • Agreeing completion date
  • Obtaining mortgage redemption figure
  • Exchanging contracts and notifying you when this has happened
  • Completing the sale

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