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 transactions which do not present unusual difficulties are as follows:

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Our charges are likely to - £725 + VAT

Sale of a leasehold property - £850 + VAT

Purchase of a freehold property - £850 + VAT

Purchase of a leasehold property - £1,200 + VAT

Purchase of a new build freehold property - £1,200 + VAT

Purchase of a new build leasehold property - £1,500 + VAT

Remortgage of a freehold property - £500 + VAT

Remortgage of a leasehold property - £750 + VAT

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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. 

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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 or remortgage 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

• Mining search - £*** + VAT

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

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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: 

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• Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice

• Checking finances are in place to fund purchase and contacting 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

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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: 

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• Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice

• Investigating and verifying your title to the property

• Drafting the sale contract and associated documents

• Arranging completion of the **********************

• 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

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How long will it take?

Typically typical conveyancing  transactions takes ** to **  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.

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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 a strong reputations rather than either party instructing volume conveyancing practice.