Residential Conveyancing Pricing

Fees and Disbursements

What will the fees be?

Fees will of course be dependent on the nature of transaction, the complexity of the work involved and the value of the property.

Our fees are based on a sliding scale as per the table below. The figures may of course vary in cases with special circumstances and additional complications. We will always provide you with an individual cost estimate at the outset of a transaction taking into account all of the information you supply to us about the transaction generally and your own unique circumstances. We will always advise you immediately about any complications as they arise during the transaction and discuss any additional charges before these are incurred.

In some cases where the matter has been introduced to us by a referrer we may pay that party an introduction fee. The referrer is obliged to advise you of this and we will confirm any arrangement and fee in our client care letter to you.

Sliding Scale (sale/ purchase)

Up to £200,000	£750 + VAT
Up to £300,000	£850 + VAT
Up to £400,000	£950 + VAT
Up to £500,000	£1,050 + VAT
£500,001 to £750,000	£1,150 + VAT
£750,001 - £1 Million	£1,250 + VAT

£1 – 2 Million 0.15% of price + VAT
£2 Million & over 0.2% of price + VAT

Note:The costs estimates include VAT at the current rate of 20%. In the event that there is a change in the rate of VAT, our costs estimates will be amended accordingly.

By way of example please see below: -

Example template: Purchase of a freehold residential property @ £500,000.00

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.

Conveyancer's fees and disbursements

Legal fee £1,000.00

Acting for your lender (on a sale) £200.00 or

Acting for your lender (on a purchase) £300.00

Completing and processing SDLT return £100.00

Electronic money transfer fee £31.00

VAT £271.20

Disbursements

Search fees £300.00**
HM Land Registry fee £270.00

Electronic money transfer charge £6.00

VAT £61.20
Subtotal £637.20

Estimated total (excluding Stamp Duty or Land Tax – see below): £2,239.20*

(Using Acting for your lender on a sale cost)

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.

** Search fees vary according to the Local Authority area the property is situated in.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

Estimated total £15,000 (This will give clients a clear understanding of the total cost of the transaction and so the full funds the client will need to complete it.)

This of course depends on the purchase price of your property and factors such as whether you own other properties, are non UK resident etc. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC's website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority's website and the links to the calculators are below

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro

https://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 in to your house will depend on a number of factors. Currently the average process takes between 16-20 weeks from receipt of contract paperwork to completion.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a build complete new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 6weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 6 and 8 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
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 Tax
Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

As a CQS accredited firm we follow Protocol. Please see here for more information on the Protocol https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/topics/property/conveyancing-protocol

Example template: Sale of a leasehold residential property at £350,000.00

Our fees cover all the work* required to complete the sale of your home, including dealing with the redemption of any existing mortgages

Conveyancer's fees

Legal fee £850.00

Fee for acting on behalf of the mortgage lender £200.00

Leasehold supplement £300.00

Electronic money transfer fee £31.00

VAT £196.20

Subtotal £1,577.20

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search 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. 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.

Office Copy Entries: £15.00
VAT £3.00
Subtotal: £18.00

Anticipated Disbursements*

On a leasehold sale we will need to approach your freeholder/ management company to obtain assignment and management information. They will charge anything in the region of £200 - £500 + VAT to provide this. We will usually suggest that you make payment to them direct for this information for expediency.

*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.

* Our 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
this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease or a staircasing/ shared ownership 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.

How long will my flat sale take?

How long it will take from our accepting an offer being accepted until you can complete the sale will depend on a number of factors. Currently the average process takes between 16-20 weeks from the issue of contract paperwork to completion.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a selling to first time buyer with a mortgage in principle, it could take 8 weeks. However, as you are selling a leasehold property it really will depend on the speed of third parties such as managing agents supplying required information quickly and efficiently.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the sale 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
Obtain and review title and leasehold documents
Advise of any discrepancies or issues arising from the title documents
Issue contract documents
Obtain costs/ timescales in relation to management information
Obtain redemption statements on any existing mortgages
Give you advice on all documents and information received
Send final contract to you for signature
Agree completion date (date on which you must vacate the property)
Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
Complete purchase
Redeem any existing mortgages
Account to you for the sale proceeds

Appendix

Additional Conveyancing Charges

The following is a list of applicable charges where additional work is required in connection with conveyancing matters, starting from:

Additional Service	Minimum Additional Charge	Notes
Arranging or approving indemnity policies	£100	Per policy
Additional Land / Second Title	£150	Per parcel
Dealing with title defects / restrictions	£150
Dealing with additional loans/debts	£150	Per loan/debt
Gift / Third party involvement	£100	Per additional person
Gift / Third party involvement (International)	£200	Per additional person
Redeeming / removing second charge / restrictions	£150	Per charge
Deeds of covenant	£100
Licence to Assign	POA
Deed of variation	£500
Transfer of freehold (with lease)	£250	Not including Land Registration fees
Obtaining duplicate documentation	£30	Per document
Service charge retention	£100	Per retention / annum
Licences to occupy	£250
Liaison with third party / additional solicitors	£150
Access undertaking	£100
File retrieval	£75
Statutory declaration	£150
Lifetime ISA	£50	Per account
HTB ISA	£50	Per account
Simultaneous completion	£150	*Completion within 3 days of exchange
Sales or Purchases of Part	£250
Unregistered Titles	£250
Freeholds with Management Charge	£200
Help to Buy	£250
Failed / delayed completion	£150
Contract rider / redraft	£50
Lifetime mortgage / equity release	£95
Occupiers consent to mortgage	£100	Per occupier

All charges are exclusive of VAT.

Fast Track Completion Service

The gap between exchange of contracts and completion is usually 14 days and can be longer. If there is a mortgage involved, lenders normally require at least 5 working days’ notice after exchange of contracts to produce funds.
If you wish to speed up your completion our Fast Track Service offers: -

Simultaneous Exchange and Completion OR within a week of each other

Priority Service
Legal Work fast tracked
Early funds release.

The cost of this service is from £150.00 exclusive of VAT per sale and purchase to include negotiating arrangements with the sellers’ solicitors and any mortgage lender.

Exchange of Contracts and Completion can only take place once:

All legal queries have been answered
All parties agree the arrangement and the completion date.
All legal paperwork has been signed by all parties.
Funds release is confirmed by any lender involved.

If you are interested please contact your legal adviser to discuss our Fast Track service.

Note: If you exchange and complete simultaneously there is no legal commitment on each party until the contract is exchanged. This means that each party may withdraw. If you choose to exchange and complete simultaneously using our Fast Track service and have a mortgage, we will apply for mortgage funds for the anticipated completion date in advance. If completion doesn’t take place for any reason you will be responsible for fund transfer costs and interest on the loan. Fees are payable once you authorise the service whether or not the arrangements proceed.