Fees

An overview of our fees and timescales.

Residential property

Our legal fees

We offer a wide range of residential property services but primarily we undertake the legal work relating to sales, purchases, re-mortgages and transfer of equity.

We offer a fixed fee service on all standard residential conveyancing transactions, and we will agree the fee with you in writing at the point of instruction..

Our fees are calculated on the sale/purchase/re-mortgage value.  Average fees can range from £900.00 to £2,000.00 plus VAT depending on the nature of the transaction on a property up to a value of £1 million.

If your transaction value exceeds £1 million, you will need to contact us due to the potential additional complexities of the transaction.

In order to give a precise estimate, we will need to consider the following:

  • Are you a first time buyer?
  • Is the property freehold or leasehold?
  • Is the property a new build?
  • Is it an unregistered property?
  • Are you having a mortgage?
  • Is it a buy to let or second home?
  • Are there multiple owners?
  • Is there a shared ownership scheme?
  • Is there a help to buy scheme?
  • Is the property being purchased under right to buy?
  • Did you buy the property at auction?
  • Whether the property has been repossessed.
  • Whether the property is a leasehold
  • Is there a help to buy ISA?
  • Is the property being bought in the name of a limited company or partnership?

There may be other relevant factors which would affect a bespoke quotation.  Therefore for a no obligation chat with one of our team, who will be able to confirm the quotation for your particular matter please get in touch.

Disbursements

During the sale or purchase there will be a number of disbursements payable, these are costs payable to third parties that relate to the matter, for example, stamp duty and fees payable to the Land Registry.

There will be additional disbursements payable for searches. The searches we recommend and which a mortgage lender would insist on generally are:

  • Local Search

This is a search that is required on any purchase of a property. It is conducted with the Local Authority responsible for the property. The cost of this search varies all over the country but is typically in the region of £80 to £140. This search looks into such matters as:-

  • Road Proposals
    · Adoption of the Highways
    · Planning Permissions
    · Environmental Health Matters
    · Compulsory Purchase Orders
    · Tree Preservation Orders
    · Enforcement Notices

Please note that the search only covers information about the property you are buying. It does not, for instance, enquire as to development in the vicinity of the property, such as adjacent vacant land or the proposed neighbour’s plans. We can recommend additional searches if you have concerns and will confirm the cost of these before proceeding with them.

  • Mining Search

This report is only relevant in known coal mining areas. The cost of this report is around £50-65.

Other similar searches are available, such as tin, china, brine and limestone mining, dependent of the area of the country you are buying in, and we will confirm the price of these if they are required.

  • Drainage Search

This covers information as to whether the property is connected to the mains water supply and whether the sewers and drains are maintained and repaired by the water company or whether the owner of the property would be responsible for such work. This search varies according to the water company responsible, but it is usually around £55-70.

  • Environmental Search

An Environmental Search is necessary to ascertain whether the property you are intending to purchase may potentially be affected by factors such as flooding, subsidence or landslip. The search provides information on these factors together with information regarding air quality, landfill sites, waste sites or contaminated sites near the property. This again is a desktop search and usually costs in the region of £55-65.

If the property is leasehold there will be additional fees, which are either set out in the lease or are set by the freeholder or ground landlord. These are specific to each transaction, and we would let you have these amounts as soon as the information came through from the seller’s solicitors.

 

Usual conveyancing steps

Sales:

  1. Initial letter sent to client
  2. Client Care Letter and Questionnaire completed and received from client
  3. Protocol Forms received from client. We will now prepare the draft Sale Contract in readiness for submission to the Buyer’s Solicitors
  4. Initial letter sent to Buyers Solicitors informing them we have been instructed
  5. Contract package sent to Buyers Solicitors. We would normally expect a response from the Solicitors within 7 days and if no response received we would chase
  6. Additional enquiries received from the Buyers solicitors
  7. Where we cannot answer these, we would refer them to the client for replies
  8. Replies then sent back to the buyers solicitors
  9. Exchange of Contracts
  10. Completion

Purchases

  1. Initial letter sent to client
  2. Client Care Letter and Questionnaire received from client
  3. We have sent an initial letter to the Sellers Solicitors requesting the draft Contracts. If no Contracts have been received in 7 days, we will chase them until the draft Contract is with us
  4. Searches are submitted and enquiries raised with Sellers Solicitors. We would normally expect replies within 7/10 days. If not received, we will notify the client and also send a reminder
  5. Searches are submitted
  6. Mortgage offer received and checked if applicable
  7. Client appointment made to go through the paperwork and sign if the client is local or contract report sent out by post
  8. Exchange of Contracts
  9. Completion

How long will my house purchase take?

The average process takes between 8-10 weeks.  It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain.

Referral agreements

If the matter has been introduced to us via an Estate Agent or Mortgage Adviser with whom we have a business relationship, we are required by the Code of Conduct published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to notify clients that we will pay them a referral fee. That fee can range from £100-250 (plus VAT, if applicable) on completion of the case from our own funds. This cost is a standard authorised charge that a law firm may make to receive business. Any advice that we give is completely independent.