Conveyancing

For many people, buying a property is the largest financial commitment they will ever make. It is vital that it is done properly. If it is not the consequences can be expensive.

Sadly, too many firms cut corners on conveyancing work, taking advantage of a perception that it is routine work that can safely be delegated to unqualified staff. It is not.

Whether you are moving home, buying a property for the first time or changing your lender, we provide a first class conveyancing service. All our staff are friendly but professional in their careful attention to detail, which ensures that your transaction is a successful one.

Our fees

Some transactions are inevitably more straightforward than others. So that our charges fairly reflect the complexity of a matter, we charge according to the time needed to be spent by our professional staff to undertake each matter.

Our current hourly rates are:

£310 + VAT for partners
£275 + VAT for senior solicitors
£250 + VAT for solicitors
£220 + VAT for conveyancing executives

The majority of our residential conveyancing transactions are undertaken by partner Joanna Leslie who has has been specialising in this area since 1998.

Typical fees

We are always happy to provide estimates of our charges for particular transactions, but our typical charges for transactions which do not present unusual difficulties are as follows:

Sale of a freehold property - £1,400 + VAT
Sale of a leasehold property - £1,600 + VAT
Purchase of a freehold property - £1,800 + VAT
Purchase of a leasehold property - £2,200 + VAT
Purchase of a new build freehold property - £2,500 + VAT
Purchase of a new build leasehold property - £3,000 + VAT
Remortgage of a freehold property - £900 + VAT
Remortgage of a leasehold property - £1,200 + VAT

Where funds are remitted by telegraphic transfer/CHAPS (which is usually the case on a purchase or remortgage), there is an additional charge of £24 + VAT.

Disbursements

Disbursements are expenses which we have to pay to others to enable your transaction to proceed. The actual disbursements payable will depend upon the property. Typical disbursements on a purchase or remortgage may include:

Local Authority Search fee - £60 - £340 + VAT depending upon the local authority involved - those in London tend to be the most expensive
Environmental Search fee - £59 + VAT
Chancel Check Search fee - £24 + VAT
Drainage Search fee - £49.25 + VAT
Land Registry Search fee - £3 + VAT
Land Charge Search fee - £2 per name + VAT
Land Registry fee - £100 - £1,105 depending upon the purchase price
Mining Search - £55 + VAT
Freeholder's Notice fee - £50 - 550 + VAT, payable when you purchase a leasehold property - those in London tend to be the most expensive
Stamp Duty Land Tax - depends on the purchase price of your property and your particular circumstances but HMRC have a useful calculator

On a sale of a property, the only disbursements are usually:

Land Registry fee - £6 + VAT
Freeholder Agent’s fee – £150 - £500 + VAT, payable only on the sale of a leasehold property

How long will it take?

Typically conveyancing transactions take 6 to 10 weeks, but it can be more or less. If you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property without a mortgage it could be very swift. On the other hand, if you are in a lengthy chain, it may take some time before everyone in the chain is ready to proceed.

Much may also depend upon who is acting for the other party. If they instruct a firm that delegates much of its conveyancing work to junior staff, this may well delay progress. It will generally be in both parties interests for each side to be represented by traditional firms with strong reputations rather than either party instructing a volume conveyancing practice.

Stages of the process - purchases and remortgages

The precise stages involved in the purchase or remortgage of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances. However, the following are the typical key stages that are included in our fee estimates above:

Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
Checking finances are in place to fund the purchase and contacting the lender's solicitors if needed
Receiving and advising on contract documents (purchases only)
Carrying out searches
Obtaining further planning documentation if required
Making any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor and drafting the transfer deed (purchases only)
Giving you advice on all documents and information received
Going through conditions of mortgage offer with you
Sending final documents to you for signature
Agreeing completion date (date from which you own the property/the remortgage is effective)
Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened (purchases only)
Arranging for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
Completing purchase/remortgage
Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax (purchases only)
Dealing with application for registration at Land Registry

Stages of the process - sales

Again, the precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances. However, the following are the typical key stages that are included in our fee estimates above:

Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
Investigating and verifying your title to the property
Drafting the sale contract and associated documents
Responding to enquiries from the purchaser's solicitors
Obtaining a redemption figure from your existing mortgage lender
Sending final documents to you for signature
Agreeing completion date (date on which you will sell/move out of the property)
Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
Completing sale
Discharging existing mortgage
Accounting to you for balance of sale proceeds