Our Residential Property Pricing

We believe the most important factor people consider when choosing to instruct us is the quality of our services, however this is closely followed by price. We therefore publish our easy-to-understand pricing information for residential conveyancing transactions.

How will we work out your conveyancing quotation?

Quotations are influenced by a number of factors including the price of the prospective property (higher price brings a conveyancing firm higher risk), whether mortgage finance is either needed for a purchase or a mortgage needs to be redeemed, or whether the property is Leasehold with a management company and a freeholder involved, this is to name but a few.

The best way to obtain a bespoke quotation adapted to your unique transaction is to request a quote via our quote tool which has been designed to identity key factors that will influence price, thus providing you with a tailored quotation and giving you complete price transparency, right at the outset and before you are committed. This is why in the worked examples we have provided below, we have provided a pricing band as the fee may vary according to individual circumstances.

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Solicitors’ Legal Fees

Our fees represent our professional charges for carrying out the relevant legal work to complete the transaction based of a wide range of factors and complexity which can vary widely from transaction to transaction. We will endeavour to extract from you all relevant factors when providing you with a quotation, so it is important to provide us with as much information as possible. Relevant factors which could influence the level of your fee include: –

value of the property
first-time buyer
re-mortgage
freehold or leasehold
new build
unregistered land
tenancy considerations
management company
whether a mortgage or not, or Islamic mortgage
in purchase cases, whether primary residence, buy to let or second/holiday home
multiple owners
shared ownership scheme
using a help to buy scheme, and whether it is an equity loan or ISA
purchase under right to buy
purchase at auction
property has been repossessed
help to buy ISAs
defective titles
license to assign
contract races
building regulation and planning permission issues
missing documents
where a matter does not proceed to completion
additional titles
split title
complex or enhanced AML requirements (as required by law)

This list is not exhaustive.

Whilst our fees are not fixed we will always contact you if it becomes evident that our fee will exceed the initial quotation due to unforeseen factors and obtain your consent to proceed.

Many firms may charge additional legal fees so if you are comparing quotations then do double check for additional costs. We have provided further information on what is and what is not included without our quotation further below.

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Example of conveyancing fee quotations you can expect in a selection of situations.

Peter and Mary are first time buyers purchasing a freehold house with cash at a price of £170,000. They do not require any advice on their joint ownership of the property . There are no title issues, no requirements for indemnity insurance with no management company involvement and the matter is expected to proceed smoothly with both parties (Buyers and Sellers) co-operating in a prompt manner. In such a transaction the solicitors’ fee quotation can be expected to be in the region of £895 plus vat. The fee covers all the work require to complete the purchase of their home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry. Additionally, they can expect to spend approximately £195 plus vat on instructing the searches required, and will incur a fee of £75 plus VAT for us dealing with the Stamp Duty Land Tax return and paying any Stamp Duty Land Tax that is due. There will be a fee of £12 plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £3 for a Land Registry priority search and a £100.00 disbursement for HM Land Registry registration fee.

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.

Stamp Duty Land Tax may be payable and we provide further guidance on Stamp Duty Land Tax further below.

Simon and Janet are purchasing a leasehold flat for £500,000 with some cash but mostly by way of mortgage finance. They are not first time Buyers. The solicitor is also instructed by the Mortgage Company. Simon’s father is putting in most of the cash deposit, so Simon and Janet have agreed that they would like the father’s investment to be protected by a declaration of trust ( the Mortgage Company have agreed). Unfortunately there have also been title problems on the property with title insurance being required. There is a management company and a freeholder, both of whom require the solicitor to draw up separate notices of assignment and a deed of covenant before they will consent to the transaction. This type of transaction is complex and will involve significantly more input and time than example number 1. The property is also significantly more expensive increasing the risk in terms of professional indemnity insurance. In this transaction the solicitors’ fee quotation can be expected to be in the region of £1200 – £2,000 plus vat.

The fee covers all the work require to complete the purchase of their home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry. Additionally, they can expect to spend approximately £195 plus vat on instructing the searches required, and will incur a fee of £75 plus VAT for us dealing with the Stamp Duty Land Tax return and paying any Stamp Duty Land Tax that is due. There will be a fee of £12 plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £3 for a Land Registry priority search, £4 for bankruptcy searches, and a £150.00 – £330 disbursement for HM Land Registry registration fee, depending on whether the application for registration at Land Registry can be done electronically.

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.

Stamp Duty Land Tax may be payable and we provide further guidance on Stamp Duty Land Tax further below.

Unfortunately it is not possible to anticipate Freeholder and Management Company administrative fees which may be incurred, but Simon and Janet should budget for this.

Jennifer and Lesley are selling a freehold house for £250,000 which has an existing mortgage on the property which will need to be redeemed and they would like to tie in a related purchase for which they have already obtained a separate quotation. There is no management company. All parties agree to proceed promptly and efficiently. Unfortunately Jennifer and Lesley cannot provide evidence of building regulations for some work at the property so they have agreed upon the solicitors’ advice to obtain suitable indemnity insurance. Again a relatively straightforward matter and the solicitors’ fee quotation can be expected to be in the region of £1,100 plus vat.

There will be a fee of £ plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £12 for Land Registry title documents and the indemnity insurance in the region of £150.

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.

Jennifer and Lesley will also incur estate agency fees, which of course are determined by agreement prior to marketing.

Henry and Penny are first time Buyers who funding the purchase of a house at £325,000 with a “High Street Bank” mortgage. The solicitor will be instructed to act by the Bank. The property is a “New Build” and therefore there is a significantly increased amount of documentation to go through and further the Developers are pushing for a fast exchange of contracts to meet their “month end target”. Henry and Penny would like their solicitor to do everything they can to meet the deadline. In this transaction the solicitors’ fee quotation can be expected to be in the region of £1300-1500 plus vat and disbursements. The fee covers all the work require to complete the purchase of their home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry.

Additionally, they can expect to spend approximately £195 plus vat on instructing the searches required, and will incur a fee of £75 plus VAT for us dealing with the Stamp Duty Land Tax return and paying any Stamp Duty Land Tax that is due. There will be a fee of £12 plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £3 for a Land Registry priority search, £4 for bankruptcy searches, and a £330 disbursement for HM Land Registry registration fee.

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.

Stamp Duty Land Tax may be payable and we provide further guidance on Stamp Duty Land Tax further below.

Unfortunately it is not possible to anticipate Management Company administrative fees which may be incurred, but Henry and Penny should budget for this. It is prudent for Henry and Penny to make enquiries with the selling agent about possible service/estate charges.

Paul and Garry are selling a leasehold flat for £170,000 which is free of mortgage, there is a management company and a freeholder who will need to be communicated with to provide up to date administrative requirements and accounts. The solicitor will need to discharge all service charge and ground rent and work out the relevant figures. There are no title problems or complicated matters requiring indemnity insurance. In this transaction the solicitors’ fee quotation can be expected to be in the region of £995 – £1,200 plus vat and disbursements.

There will be a fee of £12 plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £12 for Land Registry title documents

Sellers also incur estate agency fees of course which are determined by agreement prior to marketing. Paul and Garry must also budget for administrative costs of the freeholder and management company to provide up to date required documentation and information.

Harriet and April are first time buyers purchasing 25% at £90,000 under a shared ownership lease arrangement from the Housing Association. They will be obtaining a mortgage and are funding the deposit jointly. The solicitor will need to obtain approval of the mortgage offer and comply with complex Lender Requirements as well as advise on the Stamp Duty Land Tax implications of electing to pay on this transaction or upon final staircasing. Although Harriet and April are purchasing only a smaller percentage for a lower value than on the other examples, the shared ownership element will take more time. The solicitors’ fee quotation can be expected in this transaction will be in the region of £1,300 – 1,500 plus vat. The fee covers all the work require to complete the purchase of their home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry.

Additionally, they can expect to spend approximately £195 plus vat on instructing the searches required, and will incur a fee of £75 plus VAT for us dealing with the Stamp Duty Land Tax return and paying any Stamp Duty Land Tax that is due. There will be a fee of £12 plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £3 for a Land Registry priority search, £4 for bankruptcy searches, and a £95 disbursement for HM Land Registry registration fee.

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.

Stamp Duty Land Tax may be payable and we provide further guidance on Stamp Duty Land Tax further below.

Unfortunately it is not possible to anticipate Management Company administrative fees which may be incurred, but Harriet and April should budget for this. It is prudent for Harriet and April to make enquiries with the selling agent about service charges.

George and Mildred are remortgaging their freehold house. They only have one mortgage to pay off and are borrowing the sum of £100,000 to do this. The solicitor is asked to also act for the Bank, but George and Mildred will be expected to meet the Bank’s legal fees. The solicitors’ fee quotation which can be expected in this transaction will be in the region of £550-£650 plus vat.

Additionally, they can expect to spend approximately £195 plus vat on instructing the searches required (though it may be much less depending on their Bank’s requirements). There will be a fee of £12 plus VAT payable per person to undertake electronic PEP and Sanction checks are part of our statutory requirement to observe anti-money laundering regulations. There will likely be disbursements of a further £6 to obtain official copies of the title, £3 for a Land Registry priority search, £4 for bankruptcy searches, and a £20 disbursement for HM Land Registry registration fee.

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.

Examples of services which we include at NO EXTRA CHARGE

Expedition / Quick Completion fees

Many firms charge an expedition fee if the completion date is within 1 week (sometimes 2 weeks!) of exchange. We do not charge these fees. You can complete when you wish at no additional fee, subject of course to all parties in the chain agreeing.

Examples of services not included within the price

Tax advice

The Practice is not expected to give tax advice in particular Stamp Duty Land Tax mitigation or reliefs, or advice on possible future changes of use or future building or development for the property to be sold or bought. This is because the Practice 1) has not inspected the Property and 2) does not specialise in the area of tax advice. Should the client require specialist tax advice, the client may request this advice as a separate retainer in writing at extra cost and the Practice will obtain specialist tax advice via a third party professional tax expert.
The transaction will proceed on the basis of a Standard Rate Stamp Duty Land Tax calculation save where the client has disclosed the Property to be an additional dwelling and attracts the Higher Rate or has taken specialist advice which confirms that the property is eligible for relief or falls within an alternative category in which case the client will provide evidence acceptable to the Practice of the same and instruct the Practice to apply for the designated appropriate relief at the Client’s risk and expense.
If you are selling a property then the disposal may trigger a capital gains tax liability. We are unable to advise on the tax implications of your transaction as part of our retainer, whether Capital Gains Tax or other. You must take advice from your financial adviser/accountant particularly where the property is not your principal residence.

Financial advice

The Practice is not expected to give financial advice or advice in relation to the suitability of any financial product and The Client confirms that they have or will obtain independent financial advice.

Insurance advice

The Practice is not expected to give insurance advice. However, the Practice is included on the register maintained by the FCA so that the Practice can carry on insurance mediation activity which is broadly advising on, selling and administration of insurance. This is because we may as part of the conveyancing process select products from a limited number of insurers for title indemnity insurance contracts being routinely used by the legal profession. The policy selected may not necessarily be the cheapest policy and we shall not be required to spend time trying to source the cheapest available policy.

Survey advice

The Practice does not advise on matters of survey. However, we would strongly recommend to you a full survey of the property that you are purchasing (except in the case of a new property which is being built with the benefit of NHBC or similar cover).Please bear in mind that we will not see or inspect the boundaries, so it will be for you and your surveyor to carefully check that the boundaries of the property is as you expect. As the purchaser you should be aware that the principle of “let the buyer beware” applies to the purchasing of property as much as to any other purchase. You should therefore conduct surveys and test services and/or appliances to avoid any issues once you have exchanged contracts. The Seller will not be liable for matters which would be apparent from survey or inspection. Although our retainer with you does not include reading a survey which you have had undertaken, if you have a survey undertaken which brings specific matters to your attention which you would like us to raise with the Seller’s solicitors, please let us know what the matters are and we will advise you as to the best way forward.

Additional solicitors’ fees

As explained, if you complete a quote request, we will be able to quote upfront for all anticipated legal work required. Sometimes, unexpected additional legal work is required which could not be foreseen at the outset of a transaction. Here are some examples of unforeseen additional legal work: –

Drafting powers of attorney	£210 plus VAT
Drafting statutory declarations / statements of truth	£210 plus VAT
Redeeming undisclosed mortgages or loans registered against the property or required to be repaid as a condition of the new mortgage	£105 plus VAT for each mortgage/loan
Purchasing a split title/additional title	£105 plus VAT per additional title
Arranging indemnity insurance	£52.50 plus VAT
Negotiation indemnity insurance	£52.50 plus VAT
Dealing with post completion retentions in respect of service charges/maintenance fees	£70 plus VAT
Additional Third Party Anti Money Laundering and deposit verification checks	£105 plus VAT per donor
Placing stop on out of date cheque and generating new payment	£31.50 plus VAT
Attending the Post Office to collect under-stamped post or collect recorded delivery or special delivery post on your matter	£70 plus VAT
Corresponding with any separate mortgagee solicitor	£210 plus VAT
Contract races-variable but usually not less than	£210 plus VAT per hour
Administering third party portal manager requirements where a manager is appointed by your Lender	£52.50 plus VAT
Drafting Deed of Covenant	£105 plus VAT
Registering / removing restrictions on title	£105 plus VAT
Deed of variation of title	£500-£750 plus VAT
Undertaking Building Safety Act investigations for relevant leasehold property	£210-£630 plus VAT

Where we act for you in a sale transaction, we will insert into the contract a clause whereby if either party fails to complete within the contractual time, the party at fault is liable to meet the Conveyancer’s costs for dealing with service of the notice to complete at £100 plus vat. As you can imagine, late completions are quite rare and the reality is that in the vast majority of cases of those few late completions it is the Buyer at fault as (usually because the money is not received by us within the time frame). This clause is common throughout the profession but under our accreditation we have to specifically ask you to confirm your instructions to this additional clause. The alternative is that where your Buyer is late to complete we would need to ask you to pay for the work involved in service of the notice on the day of completion which would no doubt be extremely inconvenient and quite annoying when it is not your fault!

Other fees and costs

Search fees

If you are purchasing a property with the aid of a Mortgage or you are re-mortgaging a property, the Mortgage Lender will require us to carry out various Searches on the property. These include a Personal Local Authority Search, a Regulated Water Authority Search and in most cases an Environmental Search. We charge a fee (subject to VAT) for procuring and advising on searches. The fee for procuring these searches via a Personal Search Agent and advising thereon is £195 plus VAT. Other Searches may be required on the property depending on its location, for example Chancel Repair Liability or Coal Mining. If you are not requiring a Mortgage then you may instruct us that some or all are not needed. Sometimes lenders insist on Official Searches which may cost more than indicated. We will advise you if this happens.
We will provide you with details of the specific Searches carried out and you will only be charged for Searches which are necessary to your transaction.

SDLT Return Fee

If you are purchasing a property then we will be required to submit as your agent a SDLT return. We charge a fee of £75 plus VAT to attend to this work.

Anti-Money Laundering Fees

PEP and Sanction checks
In order to meet our regulatory requirements in respect of Anti Money Laundering we will undertake ID checks (either manually or electronically). Where we undertake manual ID checks it is still necessary to utilize technology to electronically perform PEP and Sanction checks. There is a fee payable of £12 plus VAT per person.

eIDV
Where it is required or where you have requested that we undertake an electronic identity verification check we will charge a fee of £15 plus VAT per check.

Tax and Disbursements

Tax

VAT on Solicitors Fees – Our professional charges are subject to payment of VAT. Please note that vat will be payable at the prevailing rate as at the invoice date. You will be provided with a VAT Invoice in respect of our charges.
VAT on Other Costs and Fees – The First-tier Tribunal has ruled that the conditions for the treatment of searches as disbursements as set out in HMRC’s guidance are not met. As such searches also now attract VAT and are no longer treated as disbursements.
Stamp Duty Land Tax – If you are purchasing a property and the purchase price exceeds £125,000.00, you will be liable for payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax to the Inland Revenue (unless exempt/relief applies – see below). Please note our services are not marketed in Wales and therefore our online quote tool will provide the SDLT rates payable in England. To ascertain Stamp Duty Land Tax, please refer to the link below for properties in England: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro or if you are purchasing in Wales: https://beta.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator.The amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax payable is set by the Government. The current rates payable by individuals are:-

Property or lease premium or transfer value	SDLT rate
Up to £125,000	Zero
The next £675,000 (the portion from £250,001 to £925,000)	5%
The next £575,000 (the portion from £925,001 to £1.5 million)	10%
The remaining amount (the portion above £1.5 million)	12%

SDLT Example	SDLT rate
You buy a house for £295,000. The SDLT you owe will be calculated as follows:
0% on the first £125,000	£0
2% on the next £125,000	£2,500
5% on the final £45,000	£2,250
Total SDLT	£4,750

SDLT Calculator

Click here to use the SDLT calculator to work out how much tax you’ll pay or visit:
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro

New leasehold purchases

If the total rent over the life of the lease (known as the ‘net present value’) is more than £125,000, you also pay SDLT of 1% on the portion over £125,000 – unless you buy an existing (‘assigned’) lease.

Higher rates for additional properties

You’ll usually have to pay 5% of the purchase price on top of the normal SDLT rates if buying a new residential property means you’ll own more than one. This 5% surcharge also applies to residential properties purchased by companies.

If you’re replacing your main residence

You will not pay the extra 5% SDLT if the property you’re buying is replacing your main residence and that has already been sold.

If there’s a delay selling your main residence and it has not been sold on the day you complete your new purchase:

you’ll have to pay higher rates because you own 2 properties
you may be able to get a refund if you sell your previous main home within 36 months

If you own property with someone else or already own a property outside England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are special rules.

If you are a Non-UK Resident

An additional Rate is chargeable to buyers of residential property in England who are not resident in the UK. It is a flat 2% of the consideration paid on top of the current rates. For more details of who the surcharge applies to please see HMRC guidance at: www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-of-stamp-duty-land-tax-for-non-uk-residents

SDLT Relief

First Time Buyer – If you, and anyone else you’re buying with, are first time buyers of a residential property you can claim relief on purchases:
- Where the purchase price is no more than £625,000 you will pay:
- 0% on the first £425,000
- 5% on the portion from £425,001 to £625,000

If the purchase price is more than £625,000 you can’t claim the relief and must pay the standard rates on the total purchase price.

Disbursements

Land Registry Official Copies of Registers/Plan

If you are selling a property or re-mortgaging a property, your ownership will normally be registered at the Land Registry. It is necessary for us to obtain up-to-date Official Copies of the Registers and the Title Plan to the property to prove your ownership. In the case of Leasehold properties we will need a copy of the Lease.

If you are selling a property and the Land Registry also hold Official Copies of other title Documents, it will be necessary for us to obtain copies of such Documents to supply to the Buyer’s Solicitors. Any extra H.M. Land Registry fees will appear as disbursements on your bill.

You will only be charged for Official Copies of Registers, Title Plan and Documents which are relevant to your property and you will only be charged exactly what the Land Registry charge was.

Pre Completion Searches (Purchases, Remortgages, Transfers)

In addition, we are required to carry out title Searches at the Land Registry and Searches against previous owners of the property. Your Mortgage Lender (if applicable) will also require us to carry out a Bankruptcy Search against your name(s). These searches are not subject to VAT and are treated as a disbursement on the quotation.

H.M. Land Registry Fee

If you are purchasing a property or re-mortgaging a property, a fee will be payable to the Land Registry to register your ownership of the property or to register your new Mortgage.

The fee is set by H.M. Land Registry and is calculated according to the current Land Registry Fee Scale. If the Fee Scale is changed by the Land Registry prior to completion of your transaction, the fee payable may increase or decrease. You may refer to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/registration-services-fees

You will be charged the relevant H.M. Land Registry Fee according to the Land Registry’s Fee Scale in force at the time of completion of your transaction which may be different to that on our quotation.

Please note Land Registry has announced an increase of Land Registry registration fees from 31 January 2022. See table below: –

Value	Fee
£0 to £80,000	£20
£80,001 to £100,000	£40
£100,001 to £200,000	£100
£200,001 to £500,000	£150
£500,001 to £1,000,000	£295
£1,000,001 and over	£500

Abortive solicitors fees

The solicitors fees for work done where a matter does not complete will be charged on the time actually spent at the hourly rate of £210 plus VAT.

The Conveyancing Process

It may be useful to have an understanding of the key stages your solicitor will deal with in the course of your transaction:

Take your instructions and give you initial advice
Carry out identity and anti money laundering checks
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
Send final contract to you for signature
Draft Transfer
Take your instructions 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 Tax
Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

See our guide ‘the conveyancing process’ for a comprehensive overview of the process.

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.

Recent Rightmove data suggests the average moving time to be 150 days (21 weeks)!! We aim to complete the process between 6-12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. You can only go as fast as the slowest party in the chain. For example, if you are a first-time buyer, purchasing a property with a mortgage in principle and no chain it could take 6 weeks. However, if you or someone in the chain is buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 4 and 6 months.