Purchase Fees

Fees & Disbursements

1. What Our Fee Includes

Our fees cover all of 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 (Stamp Duty).

2. Legal Costs

The following table provides an indicative guide of legal costs (i.e. our fees and disbursements) information
in respect of different transaction prices as detailed within the first column.

We can of course more accurately calculate the total cost for your particular transaction and we should be
pleased to provide you with a written quotation upon request.

Property PriceOur Basic
Fee (plus VAT)
Bank Transfer Fee
(plus VAT)
Stamp Duty Filing of Return Fee
(plus VAT)
Disbursements
(Costs relating to your matter that are payable to
third parties.)
Stamp Duty
N.B. Stamp Duty will be payable in
addition to the Total Cost shown in the next column.
The amount of Stamp Duty will depend on
various factors.
Please see Note 3 below.
Land
Registry
Fee
(no VAT)
Search Fees
(no VAT) Local and
Drainage –
depending on
the
locality of the
property
Up to £200,000£995£35£145£100£300 approx.
£200,001 – £400,000£1045£35£145£150£300 approx.
£400,001 – £500,000£1095£35£145£150£300 approx.
£500,001 – £650,000£1195£35£145£295£300 approx.
£650,001 – £900,000£1295£35£145£295£300 approx.

The Total Cost indicated above is based on the assumption of a standard transaction with no unforeseen issues arising. These can include for example (but are not limited to) defects in title which require remedying and first registration of title if the title is unregistered. Supplemental fees may arise in certain circumstances (please see Note 4 below).

If you are buying a leasehold property additional disbursements are usually incurred (please see Note 5 below).

3. Stamp Duty

The Stamp Duty amount has not been included in the Total Cost above as it is dependent on a number of factors including (i) the purchase price of the property (ii) whether you already own another property and (iii) whether you are a First Time Buyer.

You can calculate the amount Stamp Duty applicable to you by using HMRC’s Stamp Duty Calculator.

4. Supplemental Fees

Supplemental fees may apply (in additional to the above Total Cost) to your transaction in the following circumstances:

Leasehold Purchase [Private Landlord]£250 + VAT
Leasehold Purchase [Local Authority Landlord]£250 + VAT
Shared Ownership Purchase£495 + VAT
Communal Services Freehold Management£250 + VAT
Acting on behalf of your Mortgage Lender£250 + VAT
Acting on behalf of your Mortgage Lender On a Corporate Purchase£450 + VAT
New Build Acquisition£595 + VAT
Purchase using the Government Help to Buy Scheme£595 + VAT
Gifted Deposits Supplement£175 + VAT
Help to Buy ISA’s/LISA’s£50 + VAT

5. Leasehold Disbursements

Leasehold disbursements will vary from property to property as they are set by the owners of the freehold and management companies who manage the maintenance of the communal areas.

In general, you can expect to incur the following leasehold disbursements:

Notice of Transfer£50 – £75 + VAT
Notice of Mortgage£50 – £75 + VAT
Application for Membership of Management Company£25 – £50 + VAT
Deed of Covenant£50 – £75 + VAT
Certificate of Compliance£50 – £75 + VAT

These disbursements can differ from the range above depending on the particular leasehold development. We can give you an accurate figure for your particular transaction.

You should also be aware that ground rent and maintenance charges are likely to apply throughout your ownership of a leasehold property.

We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated maintenance charge as part of our conveyancing work on your behalf.

6. General Guidance Notes

  • How long will my transaction take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move into your property will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 8-12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the length of the chain of the transaction. For example, if you are a first-time buyer purchasing a chain free property it could take some 8 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold, a new build property using the Government Help to Buy Scheme or your transaction is part of a long chain it could take 12 weeks or more.

  • Stages of the Transaction Process

The stages involved in a typical residential property transaction include:

  • Taking of your instructions and giving you initial advice.
  • Checking finances are in place to fund the transaction including mortgage requirements.
  • Considering and advising on contract documents.
  • Carrying out the searches.
  • Obtaining further planning and building regulations documentation if required.
  • Making all necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor relating to the contract documentation.
  • Providing you with a full report on all documents and information received including the conditions of your
    mortgage offer.
  • Providing you with the approved contract for signature and agreeing dates for exchange of contracts and
    completion and advising you as to buildings insurance requirements.
  • Receiving from you the deposit monies in order to exchange of contracts.
  • Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened.
  • Providing you with a financial completion statement for the transaction and arranging for the balance of monies
    needed to be received from you and your mortgage lender in readiness for completion.
  • Completing the transaction.
  • Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty and filing of the Stamp Duty return at HMRC.
  • Dealing with application for registration of title at the Land Registry and providing you with the updated
    registered entries of ownership once received from the Land Registry (typically 4-6 weeks after the completion
    date).

Contact Us

Call us on 01279 444456 or for urgent criminal matters when the office is closed please call 07710509991. Alternatively, please use this contact form and one of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.