Conveyancing fees freehold and leasehold purchase

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 (SDLT) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (LTT) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential freehold or leasehold property vary according to the circumstances. However, the list below highlights the main stages which may be included in our work:

• 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 documents and information received
• Go through the conditions of your mortgage offer with you
• Arrange for final contract and relevant documents to be signed by you
• Draft Transfer deed
• Advise you 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 SDLT/LTT
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry

Estimated Fees

Our fees are based on the value of the property to be purchased.  Our standard legal fees range from £1,050 to £2,100 plus VAT at 20% for property purchase values from £60,000 to £1million.  For this range of purchase values H M Land Registry fees will range between £20 to £655 depending on the purchase price.  All other applicable disbursements** will be at the values set out in the example below.

As an example our fees and disbursements** for a £180k freehold purchase are as set out below;

Unlike some firms we do not charge an additional legal fee for dealing with your mortgage.  We also do not pay referral fees to estate agents or third parties.

That said, there may be instances where considerable further legal work may be needed once we have inspected the title.  If it is not a straightforward freehold sale, further fees as below will be charged:

• Leasehold – £450 + VAT (£540 in total)
• Transfer of part – £250 + VAT (£300 in total)
• Help to Buy Redemption – £160 + VAT (£192 in total)

Please note that if the property is leasehold a further legal fee of £450 + VAT (£540 in total) will be charged for the extra work involved in dealing with the leasehold aspect.

* The above estimated fees are given on the basis that the following points apply;

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. this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease (if leasehold)
3. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications 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.

Stamp Duty Land 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://beta.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator).

Estimated total for a property purchased for £180,000 is £nil (This figure is based upon a purchase of a freehold residential property in England by an individual or couple using the rates in force in January 2023.  It assumes that no other properties are owned by the buyer(s), the buyer(s) are domiciled in the UK and the buyer(s) are not first time buyers.)  Please be aware that SDLT rates are due to change in April 2025 and there is no guarantee that your transaction will go through before the end of March 2025.

Anticipated Disbursements ** (for leasehold properties only)

There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors as these disbursements can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges we have given. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out below.  This list is not exhaustive, and other disbursements may apply depending on the terms of the lease:

• Notice of Transfer fee (payable to Landlord) – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50 and £125
• Notice of Charge fee (payable to Landlord) (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £50 and £125
• 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 £150 and £200.
• Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, this can range between £60 and £2£50.

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.

^**  What are 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.

How long will my house purchase/sale or remortgage 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 6-12 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 completed new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 6-8 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 2 and 6 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.