Our fees below cover all of the work required to complete the sale and/or purchase of your new home, including dealing with post-completion matters including, in the case of a purchase, filing a stamp duty land tax return and registration at the Land Registry and, in the case of a sale, redeeming your mortgage (if any).

Typical fees for the purchase of a freehold property at the purchase prices mentioned below based on our hourly charge-out rate of £250 per hour plus VAT of £50, at the current VAT rate of 20%  (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate).

Fees and Disbursements

Less than £400,000

• Legal fee £750
• Search fees £288
• HM Land Registry fee £150
• Electronic money transfer fee £35
• SDLT Return Fee £25
• VAT payable £162
• Subtotal £1,410

£400,000 to £750,000

• Legal fee £850
• Search fees £288
• HM Land Registry fee £295
• Electronic money transfer fee £35
• SDLT Return Fee £25
• VAT payable £182
• Subtotal £1,675

More than £750,000 to £2,000,000

• Legal fee £950
• Search fees £288
• HM Land Registry fee £295
• SDLT Return Fee £25
• Electronic money transfer fee £35
• VAT payable £202
• Subtotal £1,795

If the property that you are buying is a new build, we will charge £200 + VAT of £40 in addition to the above Legal Fees for the extra work associated with such purchases.

If the property that you are buying is leasehold, we will charge £100 + VAT of £30 in addition to the above Legal Fees for the extra work associated with such purchases including checking that the seller has complied with the tenant covenants in the lease and dealing with the extra post-completion matters including serving notice of assignment on the landlord.

If the property that you are buying is a leasehold flat, we will charge £200 + VAT of £40 in addition to the above Legal Fees for the extra work associated with such purchases including checking that the seller has complied with the tenant covenants in the lease and dealing with the extra post-completion matters including serving notice of assignment on the landlord and dealing with matters such as the transfer of shares in any management companies and completion of a deed of covenant, if required.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

In addition, if you are buying a property and do not qualify for any of the exemptions such as first time buyers’ relief, you will also have to pay Stamp Duty or Land Tax. The amount depends on the purchase price of your property and whether you own any other properties. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website https://beta.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator

Typical fees for the sale of a freehold property at the sale prices mentioned below, based on our hourly charge-out rate of £250 per hour plus VAT of £50, at the current VAT rate of 20% (All fees are subject to VAT at the current rate of 20%).

Fees and Disbursements

Less than £400,000

• Legal fee £650
• HM Land Registry Office Copy Entries £9
• Electronic money transfer fee £35
• VAT payable £137
• Subtotal £831

£400,000 to £750,000

• Legal fee £700
• HM Land Registry Office Copy Entries £9
• Electronic money transfer fee £35
• VAT payable £147
• Subtotal £891

More than £750,000

• Legal fee £750
• HM Land Registry Office Copy Entries £9
• Electronic money transfer fee £35
• VAT payable £157
• Subtotal £951

If the property that you are selling is leasehold, we will charge £100 + VAT of £20 in addition to the above Legal Fees for the extra work associated with such sales including obtaining a management pack from the landlord/management company.

If the property that you are selling is a leasehold flat, we will charge £150 + VAT of £30 in addition to the above Legal Fees for the extra work associated with such sales including obtaining a management pack from the landlord/management company and reconciliation of ground rent/service charge accounts on completion of the sale.

What services does this fee include:

Abortive costs are charged at our discretion and will be notified to you in our client care correspondence, for which purposes our charge out rate is £250 + VAT of £50.

Do we pay referral fees to people who introduce conveyancing clients to us?

We do pay some estate agents referral fees, these will always be notified to you. Payment of a referral fee will not alter the above legal fees.

The typical timescales and key stages of the purchase transaction

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move house will depend on a number of factors. On average the process takes between 4-20 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on 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 4-6 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 2 and 6 months.

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances but will typically include:

• Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice;
• Checking finances are in place to fund your purchase and contacting the lender’s solicitors if needed;
• Receiving and advising on the contract documents;
• Carrying out searches;
• Obtaining further planning documentation if required;
• Making any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor;
• Giving you advice on all documents and information received;
• Going through conditions of mortgage offer with you;
• Sending final contract to you for signature;
• Agreeing a completion date (date from which you own the property);
• Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened;
• Arranging for all moneys needed to be received from lender and you;
• Completing your purchase;
• Filing a Stamp Duty/Land Tax Return and paying any Stamp Duty/Land Tax; and
• Registration at Land Registry

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property also vary according to the circumstances but will typically include:

• Taking your instructions and give you initial advice;
• Arranging completion of Property Information/Leasehold Information and Fittings & Contents Forms;
• Downloading Land Registry Office Copy Entries;
• Checking legal title;
• Drafting contract and submitting the contract pack to the buyer’s legal representatives;
• Answering pre-contract enquiries;
• Sending final contract to you for signature;
• Agree completion date (date from which you will no longer own the property);
• Obtaining a mortgage redemption figure if you have a mortgage;
• Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened;
• Completing your sale;
• Redeeming your mortgage (if any);
• Paying estate agents’ fees;
• Accounting to you for the net sale proceeds; and
• Sending the signed transfer and deeds to your buyer’s legal representatives.

Assumptions

The above information is based on a number of assumptions and, in particular, the fee assumes that:

• 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;
• the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise;
• all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
• no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

There may be circumstances when other costs may be incurred due to the circumstances of your particular transaction but we will advise you if this becomes the case and will tell you about any additional costs when they arise.