Conveyancing Fees (Purchase)

Purchase of a Freehold or Leasehold Residential Property

Our fees cover all of 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) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.

Conveyancing fees

For Freehold Property:

Property Price                    Our Fees      VAT    Total

Under £200,000                   £1,200            £240   £1,440

£200,001 - £300,000            £1,400            £280   £1,680

£300,001 - £400,000            £1,600            £320   £1,920

£400,001 - £600,000            £1,800            £360   £2,160

£600,001 - £800,000            £2,000            £400   £2,400

£800,001 - £1m                   £2,300            £460   £2,760

£1million+      Fees to be agreed with you N/A

• Electronic money transfer fee £20 plus VAT

For Leasehold Property:

Property Price                                Our Fees      VAT    Total

Under £200,000                              £1,350           £270   £1,620

£200,001 - £300,000                      £1,500           £300   £1,800

£300,001 - £400,000                      £1,600           £320   £1,920

£400,001 - £600,000                      £1,800           £360   £2,160

£600,001 - £800,000                      £2,000           £400   £2,400

£800,001 - £1m                               £2,300           £460   £2,760

£1million+      Fees to be agreed with you           N/A

Transfer of Property (no mortgage)  £400          £80     £480

Transfer of Property (with mortgage) £500         £100   £600

• Electronic money transfer fee £20 plus VAT

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. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property when dealing with the purchase of a leasehold property. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive, and other disbursements may apply depending on the term of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller's solicitors.

Usual Disbursements

Description                                     Cost              VAT               Total

Index Map Search                            £9.50             £1.90             £11.40

Bankruptcy Search (per person)     £6.00                                    £6.00

Bank Transfer Fee                           £20.00             £4.00              £24.00

ID & AML Search (per person)        £20.00            £4.00             £24.00

Search with Priority (per title no)     £7.00                                    £7.00

Search with Priority (unregistered)  £6.00                                    £6.00

InfoTrack Administration Fee (for searches, Land Registry applications and Stamp Duty Returns) approximately between £6.50 to £14.50 plus VAT)

HM Land Registry fee – This will depend on the purchase price and whether the property is registered or unregistered. The fee can range from £20 to £1,105.  Further information can be found on the HMLR website - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees 

Anticipated Disbursements (which may apply to leasehold properties) *

• Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £90 - £250.
• Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £90 - £250.
• 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 £20 - £200.
• Certificate of Compliance fee - To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £50 - £250.

*These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

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 this we receive this information.

Additional disbursements may be required dependent upon the circumstances of your transaction.  For instance, if you require a mortgage, then your mortgage company may require us to under some of the following searches, the cost of which may vary dependent upon where your property is located

Search Type                                   Cost

Local Authority Search                   Approx £200

Drainage and Water Search          Approx £110

Environmental Search                    £127.92 plus VAT

Stamp Duty or Land Transaction Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of your property. 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://www.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator

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. The average process takes between 8 and 12 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 8 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:

• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Draft Transfer
• Advise on joint ownership
• Obtain pre-completion searches
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
• Complete purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Transaction Tax
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

Please note:

All the fees above may be subject to change.

VAT has been added to the above fees at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%.

Where VAT is payable upon disbursements, a similar rate will apply.

Our fee assumes 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. in leasehold purchases that this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
3. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
4. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
5. no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

We would encourage any prospective client to contact us to discuss your individual needs and requirements. You can contact us here or telephone 01938 552727.