Our charges are made up of:
- Our fees for the legal work
- ‘Disbursements’ - disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to other people, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process
- For property purchases, Stamp Duty Land Tax (see below).
- Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate.
Our fees
Our fixed fees depend upon the value of the property you are buying or selling and are listed below:
Property Value |
Our Fee (ex. VAT) |
Up to £500,000 |
From £1,000.00 to £1,500.00 |
£500,001 - £1,000,000 |
From £1,500.00 to £2,200.00 |
£1,000,001 and above |
0.25% of transaction value |
There are a number of factors which can affect the complexity of a conveyancing transaction and the quotation you will be given, such as the value and nature of the property, the number of proposed buyers/sellers and how they intend to hold the property between them, whether the property is leasehold or freehold, and geographical location.
Every transaction is different and in order to provide you with a fixed fee quotation we will take detailed information from you about the proposed transaction. To give you an understanding of our pricing the following are examples of quotations for transactions of varying size and complexity. These examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not a guarantee of the fixed fee quotation which you will receive as this will be tailored to your specific situation:
Example 1 – The purchase or sale of an unregistered Freehold property as an investment subject to a lease. Value £500,000.00. Our fee would be £1,400.00 (excluding VAT and disbursements) for a sale, or £1,500.00 (excluding VAT and disbursements) for a purchase.
Example 2 – The purchase or sale of a piece of land to use as garden land. Value £5,000.00. No complicating factors. Our fee would be £1,000.00 (excluding VAT and disbursements) for a sale, or £1,200.00 for a purchase (excluding VAT and disbursements).
Example 3 – The purchase or sale of a registered Freehold property. Value £250,000.00. Two purchasers to hold the property as Tenants in Common in equal shares. Our fee would be £1,200.00 (excluding VAT and disbursements) for a sale, or £1,300.00 (excluding VAT and disbursements) for a purchase.
If you are buying and selling a property then a charge would be made for both the sale and the purchase. If you are simply re-mortgaging your property then we charge a fixed fee from £650.00 (excluding VAT and disbursements).
If you are buying, selling or re-mortgaging a ‘leasehold’ property (rather than a ‘freehold’) our legal fee will take into account the additional time taken in considering the lease terms.
Please note that VAT at the current standard UK rate of 20% is also charged on all of our fees or legal work.
Disbursements
The ‘disbursements’ which you pay will depend upon whether you are buying or selling property or both, whether you are buying a freehold or leasehold property and the location and type of property concerned. Properties in certain locations for example need more searches and checks than others.
Normally all clients who are buying a freehold property will need to pay the following disbursements:
- Search fees £350.00 excluding VAT (estimate)
- HM Land Registry fee from £135.00
- Land Registry Priority Search - £4.50
- Bankruptcy Search £3.30 per client
When selling a property you will ordinarily need to pay the following disbursements:
- Land Registry Office Copy Entries and Title Plan £4.50 per entry
If the property is a leasehold’ property then the disbursements will be different and normally consist of:
- Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50.00 - £200.00
- Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50.00 - £200.00
- Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £50.00 - £200.00
- Certificate of Compliance fee - To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £50.00 - £200.00
- Leasehold Management Pack – This fee is chargeable when selling a leasehold property. Often it is between £150.00 - £600.00
Stamp Duty Land Tax.
If you are buying a property you will also need to pay stamp duty land tax. The amount which you need to pay to the government depends on the price of the property. To provide an accurate estimate of the SDLT you will need to pay – we will need to know the purchase price of the property, whether you are a first time buyer, whether you own multiple properties and the purpose for which you will own the property and whether you have lived overseas in the last year.
Other costs to consider
If you have a mortgage on the property or have incurred an estate agent’s fee, we would also typically need to pay the money owed directly to your lender and agent as needed from the sale money we receive for you.
You should also be aware that if you are purchasing a leasehold property then ground rent and service charges are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as we receive this information.
When we come to transfer the funds for your move, there is a telegraphic transfer fee (currently £30+VAT) to cover the bank charges associated with making a secure CHAPS payment.
Due diligence fees: There may be charges in relation to the verification of identity and the appropriate source of fund checks. The cost of this starts at £18pp and may be applicable to all those involved in the transaction.
Exclusions
Our 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. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.
3. No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required. However, the cost of these are usually borne by the Seller.
Our fees may be subject to review at any time.
How long will my house sale / purchase take?
After we have received your instructions, your completed questionnaire, payment, and the appropriate forms of identity, we will begin work on your behalf.
The average time for a conveyancing transaction from instruction to completion is about two months, or one month for a re-mortgage. However, the time an individual case takes to complete can vary greatly from this average, depending on the circumstances; largely the result of the readiness and willingness of all parties to proceed.
We will always do our best to be proactive at all times and at no stage in the process become the reason for delay.
Here are some examples of factors which can affect a conveyancing transaction time:
- Delays in completing the property information forms.
- Delays in responses or actions from third parties e.g. the other side’s solicitor
- Delays elsewhere in a chain of transactions
- Where the resolution or conclusion of a matter is dependent on probate or divorce proceedings
- Unforeseen factors e.g. demands of existing tenants in the property or obtaining planning and building regulation consents for works undertaken
The precise stages involved vary according to the circumstances. However typically in a property sale we need to do the following:
- Liaise with your estate agent and request the memorandum of sale
- Request your title deeds or obtain a duplicate of your legal title (if registered) from the Land Registry
- Prepare and issue a draft contract to the buyer’s solicitor
- Answer any standard enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitor relating to the sale of the property
- Request a redemption statement from your lender(s)
- Keep you updated at regular intervals
- Prepare a completion statement and bill in accordance with your Terms and Conditions
- Complete the transaction and transfer the completion monies in accordance with the contract and completion statement.
In a property purchase we need to do the following:
- Investigate the title to the property, including carrying out title and local government searches, and reviewing replies given by the seller to pre-contract enquiries
- Summarise the information about the property in a report on title
- Agree a purchase contract with the seller, advise you on its provisions and arrange for you to sign it and pay the deposit
- Prepare and agree with the seller the document which will transfer ownership to you
- Advise you about your mortgage (if any) and arrange for you to sign the mortgage deed
- Complete the purchase for you and transfer funds by bank transfer to the seller’s solicitors
- Prepare your Stamp Duty Land Tax Return and arrange payment to HM Revenue & Customs
- Register your purchase and mortgage (if any) at the Land Registry
- Keep you updated at regular intervals.
If we are simply helping you to re-mortgage your property then we would generally speaking only need to:
- Take your instructions and give you initial advice
- Carry out searches on the property you are buying where appropriate
- Obtain further planning documentation if required
- Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you.
- Send final documents to you for signature
- Apply for mortgage advance.
- Redeem any previous mortgages
- Deal with application for registration at the Land Registry.
Who will be dealing with my matter?
Your conveyancing transaction will be handled by a trusted member of our experienced property team. Once we know who will be handling your case for you we will introduce you to them and provide you with full details of their background and qualifications.