Freehold purchases

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. 

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Our current hourly rates are:

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• £250 for partners,

• £225 for senior solicitors

• £205 for solicitors

• £180 for conveyancing assistants

• £135 for trainee solicitors.

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The majority of our residential conveyancing transactions are undertaken by senior solicitor Joanna Leslie and/or her conveyancing assistant Lisa Jenkins. Joanna has been undertaking residential conveyancing work since 1998 and Lisa since 2006.

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Typical fees

We are always happy to provides quotes of our charges for particular transactions, but our typical charges for purchase of a freehold residential property which does not present unusual difficulties is around £725 + VAT.  If the property is a new-build, the fee is likely to be around £1,200 + VAT.  In either case, where funds are remitted by telegraphic transfer/CHAPS (which is usually the case), there is an additional charge of £24 + VAT. 

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​​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 may include:​

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• Local Authority Search fee  - £60 - £400 + VAT depending upon the local authority involved.- those in London tend to be the most expensive.

• Environmental Search fee - £49 + VAT

• Chancel Check Search fee - £20 + VAT

• Drainage Search fee - £41.80 + VAT

• Land Registry Search fee - £3 + VAT

• Land Charge Search fee - £2 per name + VAT

• Land Registry fee - £40 - £910 depending upon the purchase price

• Stamp Duty Land Tax - depends on the purchase price of your property and your particular circumstances but HMRC have a useful calculator.

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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 X-X 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 X weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between X and X months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process - purchase

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

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• 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 and draft the transfer deed

• Give you advice on all documents and information received

• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you

• Send final documents 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

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Overall, a typical purchase takes around 6 weeks, but much will depend upon who is acting for the seller.  If the seller instructs 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 the seller to instruct a traditional firm with a strong reputation rather than a volume conveyancing practice.