Conveyancing Fees

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Costs and key stages for residential conveyancing (including remortgages)

Unlike some of our local competitors who pay estate agents a Referral fee of £450.00 per client referred to them we refuse to comprise your position with these types of financial arrangements just in case your interests conflict with that arrangement.

The minimum fee estimates noted below covers the legal work required to complete the sale or purchase of your home, including dealing with repayment of your mortgage (sale), registration of the property transfer with the Land Registry (purchase) and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (purchase) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (purchase) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.

Our hourly rate for all of our property fee earners is £250.00 per hour plus 20% VAT, which we have used to calculate our minimum fees based on the time we anticipate spending on your matters.

We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and they require all of our legal fees to be fair and reasonable having regard to the circumstances of the case.

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 on a number of factors. However, our minimum turnaround times to get to exchange of contracts is 14 – 16 weeks and this is the only basis of our agreement to act for you and not a quicker turnaround time. It can be slower, depending on the parties in the chain, however 14-16 weeks is a reasonable turnaround time for residential conveyancing in the UK.

Our fees also assume that:

(Freehold or leasehold) 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.
(Leasehold only) this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease.
(Freehold or leasehold) the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise.
(Freehold or leasehold) all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.
(Freehold or leasehold) completion will be more than 12 working days after exchange of contracts.
(Freehold or leasehold) no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

Our minimum legal fee estimates for either a sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold & remortgages are as follows-

(sale of a freehold house more than 10 years old) Legal fee £665.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £85.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender in redeeming your mortgage fee.
(purchase of a freehold house more than 10 years old) Legal fee £665.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £45.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender fee and £150.00 plus 20% VAT acting for you in preparing the Stamp Duty Land Tax/Land Transaction tax return fee.
(sale of a freehold house less than 10 years old) Legal fee £950.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £85.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender in redeeming your mortgage fee.
(purchase of a freehold house less than 10 years old) Legal fee £1,800.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £45.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender fee and £150.00 plus 20% VAT acting for you in preparing the Stamp Duty Land Tax/Land Transaction tax return fee.
(sale of leasehold flat or house more than 10 years old) Legal fee £995.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £85.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender in redeeming your mortgage fee.
(purchase of leasehold flat or house more than 10 years old) Legal fee £1,600.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £45.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender fee and £150.00 plus 20% VAT acting for you in preparing the Stamp Duty Land Tax/Land Transaction tax return fee.
(sale of leasehold flat or house less than 10 years old) Legal fee £1,300.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £85.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender in redeeming your mortgage fee.
(purchase of leasehold flat or house less than 10 years old) Legal fee £2,000.00 plus 20% VAT plus (if relevant) £45.00 plus 20% VAT acting for your lender fee and £150.00 plus 20% VAT acting for you in preparing the Stamp Duty Land Tax/Land Transaction tax return fee.
(freehold remortgages) Legal fee £595.00 plus 20% VAT
(leasehold remortgages) Legal fee £850.00 plus 20% VAT

You must then Add to the relevant legal fee the following sums known as disbursements, which are only payable in addition to our legal fee dependent on whether your matter is a sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold. NB – disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of these disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process for you (this list is not an exhaustive list of disbursements as others could be unique to your matter and will be charged if relevant).

(sale, purchase or remortgage, freehold or leasehold) Electronic money transfer fee £35.00 plus 20% VAT per electronic transfer of funds. i.e., charged when either sending money to you (sale or remortgage), sending money to repay a mortgage (sale or remortgage) or sending money to the buyer (purchase only), & if relevant,
(sale, purchase or remortgage, freehold or leasehold) Anti Money Laundering search fee £8.00 plus VAT, & if relevant,
(purchase or remortgage, freehold or leasehold) Local authority, drainage, & environmental Search pack fee approximately £200.00 plus VAT, & if relevant,
(purchase or remortgage, freehold or leasehold) HM Land Registry fee, this fee varies dependent upon the purchase price of the property and whether it is a first registration. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay yourself by using HM Land Registry’s website, although when we know your details, we will also calculate this sum due as part of the relevant legal fee noted above, & if relevant,
(purchase or remortgage, freehold or leasehold) Bankruptcy £2.00 per name and Land Registry OS1 search fee £3.00 plus VAT, & if relevant,
(purchase only) Stamp Duty Land Tax or Land Transaction Tax payable on the purchase price of the property. NB – This tax payable depends on the purchase price of your property and whether this is your first or second home. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay yourself by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website, although when we know your details we will also calculate this sum due as part of the relevant legal fee noted above, & if relevant,
(leasehold purchase) Notice of Transfer fee. This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50.00 & £300.00 plus 20% VAT. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents, & if relevant,
(leasehold purchase & leasehold remortgages) Notice of Charge fee. This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50.00 and £300.00 plus 20% VAT. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents, & if relevant,
(leasehold purchase) Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company or landlord for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £50.00 & £300.00 plus 20% VAT. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents, & if relevant,
(leasehold purchase & leasehold remortgages) Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, and can range between £50.00 & £300.00 plus 20% VAT. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

Total cost – please add the relevant sums noted above together (plus VAT where applicable). You will also need to add our expedited completion fee noted below in the key stages should you wish to complete less than 12 working days in between exchange and completion. If you are happy to have more than 12 working days between exchange and completion, then our expedited completion fee will not need to be added to the cost of our conveyancing service.

NB – If you are buying a leasehold property, you should also be aware that ground rent and service charge 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 from the seller.

Key stages of the conveyancing process for sales and purchases, freehold or leasehold:

The precise stages involved in sales and purchase of freehold or leasehold property vary according to the circumstances. However, below are the generic key stages of your matter:

(sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold) Take your instructions and give you initial advice.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Check finances are in place to fund purchase.
(freehold or leasehold sale) Contact lender if needed about their mortgage redemption figures.
(freehold or leasehold sale) Draft sale contract, obtain official copies of relevant documents & any leasehold service charge information. Receive back seller’s property information form (& leasehold information form, if relevant) and fixtures and fittings form duly completed by the seller. Ask seller to provide any relevant documents noted within the seller’s property information form. Send all information when received to other law firm.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Receive and advise on contract documents.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Carry out searches.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Obtain further planning documentation if required.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Make any necessary title enquiries of seller’s solicitor.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Give you advice on all documents and information received.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you.
(sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold) Send final contract to you for signature.
(sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold) Agree completion date, which as part of our service must be more than 12 working days after the actual exchange of contracts to allow sufficient time to reasonably deal with the remaining elements of your conveyance. NB – if you would like to complete quicker than 12 working days in between exchange and completion an additional fee of £175.00 plus 20% VAT per matter would be added to our legal fees quoted above.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Draft Transfer
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Advise you on joint ownership if more than one buyer.
(sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold) Exchange contracts provided you agree and notify you that this has then happened.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Obtain pre-completion searches OS1 and Bankruptcy searches.
(sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold) Complete purchase by sending or receiving the selling price.
(freehold or leasehold sale) Repay mortgage and send balance funds to you from sale proceeds if any.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax.
(freehold or leasehold purchase) Deal with application for registration at Land Registry.
(leasehold purchase) Deal with service of notice of charge, notice of transfer and any deed of covenant.

Key stages of freehold or leasehold remortgage:

(freehold or leasehold) Take your instructions and give you initial advice.
(freehold or leasehold) Check finances are in place to fund remortgage.
(freehold or leasehold) Contact current lender if needed about their mortgage redemption figures.
(freehold or leasehold) Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you.
(freehold or leasehold) Check legal title and surrounding documents to ensure all is in order with the title for new lender.
(freehold or leasehold) Complete new mortgage and repay current mortgage with new mortgage funds from new lender and any funds needed from you.
(freehold or leasehold) Return surplus mortgage funds to you if any.
(freehold or leasehold) Deal with application for registration at Land Registry.
(leasehold purchase) Deal with service of notice of charge and any deed of covenant.