Overview
Whether you are a first time buyer, a property investor or are looking to re-mortgage, our dedicated team of experts have a wealth of experience to make the process as easy as possible.
This page outlines our range of costs for a number of different conveyancing services we offer.
Purchase Conveyancing Quote
| Purchase Based on average UK house price of £233,000 | Purchase based on average Cardiff house price of £211,000 | Purchase of property in London, based on average house price of £487,000 | Purchase of property in England, based on average house price of £250,000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | |
| Legal fees | 750.00 | 150.00 | 750.00 | 150.00 | 950.00 | 190.00 | 750.00 | 150.00 |
| Supplementary charge if leasehold | 175.00 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 35.00 |
| Supplementary charge if a new build property | 200.00 | 40.00 | 200.00 | 40.00 | 200.00 | 40.00 | 200.00 | 40.00 |
| Mortgage fee – if mortgaged | 30.00 | 6.00 | 30.00 | 6.00 | 30.00 | 6.00 | 30.00 | 6.00 |
| Telegraphic Transfer (TT) fee | 45.00 | 9.00 | 45.00 | 9.00 | 45.00 | 9.00 | 45.00 | 9.00 |
| Administration fee for obtaining each Indemnity Policy | 30.00-50.00 | 6.00-10.00 | 30.00-50.00 | 6.00-10.00 | 30.00-50.00 | 6.00-10.00 | 30.00-50.00 | 6.00-10.00 |
| Land Registration Fee (if registered at Land Registry) | 135.00 | N/A | 135.00 | N/A | 135.00 | N/A | 135.00 | N/A |
| SDLT (England) /LTT (Wales) (based on replacing main residence) | 2160.00 / 1855.00 | N/A | 1085.00 | N/A | 14350.00 | N/A | 2500.00 | N/A |
| Chancel check | 18.61 (inc VAT) | 18.61 (inc VAT) | 18.61 (inc VAT) | 18.61 (inc VAT) | ||||
| Bankruptcy search (per person) | 2.00 | 0.40 | 2.00 | 0.40 | 2.00 | 0.40 | 2.00 | 0.40 |
| Environment search | 61.20 (inc VAT) | 61.20 (inc VAT) | 61.20 (inc VAT) | 61.20 (inc VAT) | ||||
| Drainage / water search – dependent on area | 22.80-62.52 | 4.56-12.50 | 22.80-62.52 | 4.56-12.50 | 22.80-62.52 | 4.56-12.50 | 22.80-62.52 | 4.56-12.50 |
| Local authority search – dependent on area | 58.40-347.90 | 11.68-69.58 | 58.40-347.90 | 11.68-69.58 | 58.40-347.90 | 11.68-69.58 | 58.40-347.90 | 11.68-69.58 |
| Mining search – if required | 46.00 | 9.20 | 46.00 | 9.20 | 46.00 | 9.20 | 46.00 | 9.20 |
| Official search at Land Registry | 3.00 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.60 |
| Indemnity insurance | If required, the premium payable is dependent on provider | |||||||
| Lawyer check fee | 12.00 | 2.40 | 12.00 | 2.40 | 12.00 | 2.40 | 12.00 | 2.40 |
Sales conveyancing quote
| Purchase based on average UK house price of £233,000 | Purchase based on average Cardiff house price of £211,000 | Purchase of property in London, based on average house price of £487,000 | Purchase of property in England, based on average house price of £250,000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | `Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | Fee (£) | VAT if applicable (£) | |
| Legal fees | 750.00 | 150.00 | 750.00 | 150.00 | 950.00 | 190.00 | 750.00 | 150.00 |
| Supplementary charge if leasehold | 175.00 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 35.00 |
| Office copy entries (if freehold) | 6.00 | 1.20 | 6.00 | 1.20 | 6.00 | 1.20 | 6.00 | 1.20 |
| Office copy entries (if leasehold) | 15.00 | 3.00 | 15.00 | 3.00 | 15.00 | 3.00 | 15.00 | 3.00 |
| Additional copy documents | 3.00 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.60 | 3.00 | 0.60 |
| Telegraphic Transfer (TT) fee | 45.00 | 9.00 | 45.00 | 9.00 | 45.00 | 9.00 | 45.00 | 9.00 |
| Administration fee for obtaining each | 30.00 – 50.00 | 6.00 – 10.00 | 30.00 – 50.00 | 6.00 – 10.00 | 30.00 – 50.00 | 6.00 – 10.00 | 30.00 – 50.00 | 6.00 – 10.00 |
| Indemnity insurance | If required, the premium payable is dependent on provider | |||||||
Fees
Our fees cover 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. * Our fee assumes:
- this is a standard transaction and 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
- 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.
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. 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.
Please be advised that not all solicitors quote for every search that is listed during the course of a Purchase transaction, which can obviously result in the overall transaction price appearing to be less. I can guarantee a service that is as thorough and as complete as possible which will provide you with all information that is available on your purchase property. This will ensure that you are able to purchase with peace of mind knowing that we have minimised any potential difficulties that you may encounter when you come to sell the property in the future.
For your protection, and the protection of your lender, we strongly recommend that you undertake a flood report. This examines whether the property maybe situated on or near land which could be susceptible to flooding. The purpose of this is to identify from available data whether there are current and potential flood risks which could result in your property being flooded or adversely affect your ability to obtain suitable insurance cover at a reasonable premium. Please let us know if you wish us to carry out this search and we will provide you with a quotation.
We can also obtain a Plan Search which provides important and useful information about all planning activities around the property you are intending to purchase. Alternatively, a Plan Search Plus can be undertaken which will provide the same information as the basic Plan Search coupled with additional information on school performance indicators, council tax rates, amenities and education, crime rates, insurance claims, population demographics and housing types and average prices. Please let us know if you wish us to carry out either of these searches and we will provide you with a quotation.
In addition to the above there may be:
- estate agents fees (if selling via an estate agent)
- an administration fee payable to the freeholder/managing agents for providing replies to enquiries (if applicable).
- In order to protect you our policy is to check that the identity of your buyer’s conveyancer using Lawyer Checker at a cost of £12 plus VAT. Unfortunately, criminals aren’t only stealing the identities of individuals; there are a number of cases where criminals are stealing the identities of legitimate legal firms in order to steal houses and purchase funds and we want to protect you from this threat.
Lawyer Checker allows us to check the account details of the buyer’s conveyancer’s firm against a database of previous conveyancing transactions. The results provided by the service will help us to better assess the risk associated with your transaction.
Unless you specifically authorise us not to do this check, we will carry it out and include it on your completion bill.
Anticipated disbursements*
- Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £0- £300 (but could be more than this).
- Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £0- £300 (but could be more than this).
- 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 £0 and £500 (but could be more than this).
- Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £0 and £500 (but could be more than this).
*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 we receive this information.
Stamp Duty or Land Tax
This depends on the purchase price of your property. 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.
Please note that the above pricing applies to conveyancing work in which we are instructed direct by the buyer or seller and not via a third party. An alternative fee structure may apply if your instructions are referred to us via an arrangement with a third party”.
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. The average process takes between 8 – 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 6 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 12 and 16 weeks. In such a situation, we would notify you of any delays and additional charges would apply.
Advice given
The anticipated time scale for the completion of this matter would normally be approximately 8-12 weeks. Please bear in mind that this is subject to fluctuation as the speed is predominantly governed by the speed at which any mortgage offer is processed, the enquiries raised and any subsequent action required and any related transactions.
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
- Draft Transfer
- Advise you on joint ownership
- Obtain pre-completion searches
- 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
Details of lawyers who may work on the matter
| Name of individual undertaking the work | Role | Qualifications | Year qualified | Complexity or type of issues they typically deal with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Jones | Associate Solicitor | Solicitor | 2015 | All aspects of residential conveyancing |
| Rhianne Mace | Conveyancer | All aspects of residential conveyancing under supervision | ||
| Peter Hurn | Partner and Head of Property | Solicitor | 2001 | Commercial property and all aspects of residential property |
Details of supervisors
| Name of the individual undertaking the work | Qualifications | Year qualified | Complexity or type of issues they typically deal with |
|---|---|---|---|
| David King | Solicitor | 1994 | All aspects of residential conveyancing, commercial property, telecoms, and residential property |
| Peter Hurn | Solicitor | 2001 | Commercial property and all aspects of residential property |
We have a specialist Property Department providing a fast, efficient and cost-effective service. We are committed to exceeding our clients’ expectations and are proud to hold the Law Society’s Lexcel accreditation, only awarded to firms with the highest standards of management and client care.
In addition, we have been awarded the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme Accreditation which sets our Property Department apart, recognising that we have the mark of excellence in good and efficient practice management standards for all residential property transactions.
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