Buying or selling your house remains one of the most uncertain times in many of our lives.  We have developed our processes to try to minimise that uncertainty as far as possible.  This guide sets out not only the fees we will charge on a sale or purchase but also the other costs that may be payable.

There is no standard sale or purchase of a house.  The system has become more digitalised but all of the traditional complications still exist; structural defects, mortgage difficulties, personal preferences on timing and relationship issues can slowly change a “straightforward deal” to a long drawn-out and frustrating affair.  We reflect this in the price we charge to offer you the certainty of a fixed fee whilst affording our team the time to deal with each and every client on an individual basis.

As no two transactions are ever the same, it is difficult to predict how long a sale or purchase may take.  It can commonly take eight to twelve weeks but we will aim, if possible, to complete far quicker than that but unfortunately it may sometimes take longer.

The price information that follows is given for guidance and should not be taken as a binding quote.  When we work for clients, we always ensure that we give a personalised costs estimate at the outset, based on the actualities of each transaction.

Disbursements

“Disbursements” are payable during the conveyancing process.  Disbursements are costs that are payable to third parties (whether or not we handle the processes).  Disbursements are not set by us and what is payable will depend upon whether it is a sale or purchase, freehold or leasehold.  We have set out below the most common disbursements which are likely to be found in different transactions.

As disbursements are payable to third parties we request money from you before we incur those costs and this is usually at the start of the transaction.  Typically, we ask you to pay £25.00 on a sale and £250.00 on a purchase.

Our Costs

Our costs have been carefully calculated to ensure that we can provide the certainty of fixed prices for individual transactions whilst giving our team the time to deal with each client and matter on an individual basis rather than as part of an industrial-style process.

Our costs reflect the level of work we anticipate is likely to be involved based upon our many decades of conveyancing experience.  As you will see, we consider there is likely to be slightly less time involved in acting on a sale rather than a purchase.

Our costs also reflect the value of the property.  Each sale or purchase, no matter the value of the property, will be dealt with in the same way with the same level of dedication and attention to detail.  However, we are mindful that our costs must remain proportionate but also reflect the element of risk we take in dealing with higher value transactions.

Sale of a Property

Our Costs on the Sale of Property

Selling Price	Legal Fees	VAT	Total
£0 - £100,000	£675	£135	£810
£100,001 - £150,000	£725	£145	£870
£150,001 - £200,000	£750	£150	£900
£200,001 - £300,000	£825	£165	£990
£300,001 - £500,000	£925	£185	£1,110
£500,001 - £750,000	£1,000	£200	£1,200
£750,001 - £1,000,000	£1,250	£250	£1,500
£1,000,001 +	Quote on individual basis

Additional Costs	Legal Fees	VAT	Total
Electronic Money Transfer Fee	£25	£5	£30

Likely Disbursements on the Sale of Property

Items	Cost	VAT	Total
Land Registry Office Copy Entries fee	£7	£1.40	£8.40
Land Registry Title Plan fee	£7	£1.40	£8.40
Land Registry Lease (Leasehold)	£7	£1.40	£8.40
Managing Agent Fees (Leasehold)	Variable, commonly £150 - £350

Work likely to be involved on Sale of Property

	Supplying information to you and those involved with the transaction
	Correspondence with the Selling Agents
	Applying for your title deeds and upon receipt of the same perusing title and preparing draft Contract and submitting the same to your Purchaser’s Solicitors
	Dealing with replies to preliminary enquiries and matters arising out of the same
	If the property is Leasehold, applying for any necessary Landlord consents and approving and completing necessary documentation
	In due course proceeding to exchange of contracts and reporting to you – if applicable applying for a redemption figure in respect of your current mortgage and attending to the redemption of the same upon completion and re-assigning or releasing any life policies
	Approving draft Transfer and dealing with the Requisitions on Title
	Obtaining your Estate Agent’s account
	Preparing and submitting a Completion Statement to you and in due course proceeding to completion and thereafter attending to all the necessary post-completion matter and complying with undertakings given to you Purchaser’s Solicitors and to your Mortgagee where appropriate

Purchase a Property

Costs on the Purchase of Property

Purchase Price	Legal Fees	VAT	Total
£0 - £100,000	£675	£135	£810
£100,001 - £150,000	£725	£145	£870
£150,001 - £200,000	£750	£150	£900
£200,001 - £300,000	£825	£165	£990
£300,001 - £500,000	£925	£185	£1,110
£500,001 - £750,000	£,100	£220	£1,320
£750,001 - 1,000,000	£1,300	£260	£1,560
£1,000,000 +	Quote on individual basis

Possible Additional Costs	Legal Fees	VAT	Total
Assist with Unregistered Land	£300	£60	£360
Assist in dealing with Leasehold Title	£300	£60	£360
Assist in dealing with Right to Buy Purchase	£100	£20	£120
Assist in dealing with a Freehold Management Company	£150	£30	£180
Assist with Exchange Deadline	£200	£40	£240
Assist with Expediting your file	£300	£60	£360
Assist in dealing with Multiple Titles (Per additional title)	£150	£30	£180
Assist in dealing with Second and Subsequent Charges (Per Charge)	£150	£30	£180
Assist with Source of Funds Check via Armalytix (Per Check)	£15.83	£3.17	£19
Assist in dealing with Third Party Lawyers	£200	£40	£240
Assist in dealing with drafting a Deed of Covenant	£150	£30	£180
Assist in dealing with an Occupiers Consent Form	£30	£6	£36
Assist in a Concessionary Purchase	£75	£15	£90
Assist in dealing with a Gifted Deposit	£75	£15	£90
Assist in drafting basic Declaration of Trust	£150	£30	£180
Assist in drafting Key Undertaking Agreement	£100	£20	£120
Assist in drafting Deed of Easement	£250	£50	£300
Assist in a Property Sold by Auction	£300	£60	£360
Assist in a Repossession Purchase	£300	£60	£360
Assist in a Buy to Let Purchase	£50	£10	£60
Assist in a New Build Transaction	£300	£60	£360
Assist in a Shared Equity Transaction	£500	£100	£600
Assist in a Shared Ownership Transaction	£500	£100	£600
Assist with Help to Buy ISA	£50	£10	£60
Assist with a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Loan	£150	£30	£180
Assist with Lawyer Check (Checking Solicitor Bank Details)	£17.50	£3.50	£21
Assist with Indemnity Insurance Policy (Per Policy)	£50	£10	£60
Assist with Rectifying a Defective Title	£200	£40	£240
Assist with ID Compliance and Regulatory Checking	£30	£6	£36
Assist with Source of Funds/Wealth Review	£30	£6	£36

Likely Disbursements on the Purchase of Property

Items	Cost	VAT	Total
Local Authority Search Fee	£100 - £150	£20 - £30	£120 - £180
Drainage & Water Search Fee	£40 - £60	£8 - £12	£48 - £72
Environmental Search Fee	£50 - £100	£10 - £20	£60 - £120
Land Registry Fee			See table below
Land Registry Search fee	£7	£1.40	£8.40
Land Charges Search fee	£6	£1.20	£7.20
Stamp Duty			See note below
Notice of Transfer fee (Leasehold Only)	£100 - £150	£20 - £30	£120 - £180
Notice of Charge fee (Leasehold Only)	£50 - £150	£10 - £30	£60 - £180
Deed of Covenant fee (Leasehold Only)	£75 - £200	£15 - £40	£90 - £240

Land Registration Fees

You can work out the fee that maybe due for the application using the Land Registry Calculator

Purchase Price	Fee Via Portal	Fee via Paper
£0 - £80,000	£20	£40
£80,001 – £100,000	£40	£80
£100,001 – £200,000	£95	£190
£200,001 – £500,000	£135	£270
£500,001 – £1,000,000	£270	£540
£1,000,001 and over	£455	£910

Stamp Duty Tax

This depends on the purchase price of your property and also whether you are a first time buyer or own other property.  You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.

Work Likely to be involved on Purchase of Property

	Supplying information to you and those involved with the transaction
	Approving the draft Contract on your behalf
	Raising preliminary enquiries
	Conducting Local Authority and other relevant searches
	Investigating title, preparing Mortgage (if applicable) and Transfer documents and in due course proceeding to exchange of contracts at which time you will be legally bound to the transaction
	Making the pre-completion legal arrangements, including all appropriate Searches at the Land Registry and the Land Charges Register
	Reporting on title to your Building Society/Mortgagee and arranging for the release of the mortgage advance funds if applicable
	Preparing Completion Statement and arranging for you to place us in funds for the balance required
	Dealing with all post-completion matters including the Registration of your title at the Land Registry and in due course, if appropriate, forwarding your title deeds to the Building Society/Mortgagee if applicable

Referral Fees

On occasions we will pay a fee to a third party who has introduced a client to us.  These vary according to the introducer and the value of the transaction.  If we pay a referral fee and propose to add it to the fees set out above we will tell you at the beginning of the matter, setting out both the amount and recipient of the referral fee.