Residential Conveyancing Fees and Disbursements
Our fees cover all of the work required to complete your matter. In addition, there will be disbursements, which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. The cost of some of the disbursements may not be known at the outset and will depend on the specific property. Where this is the case, we will give you our best estimate of the likely cost.
Our fee estimates are made on a fixed fee basis. However, each property tends to be unique and our fee will reflect the requirements of your particular transaction. For example, dealing with a listed building or newly built property may, cost more than dealing with a standard freehold property because of added complexities. Our range of fees are set out in the table below. At the lower end, they assume:
- your matter will be a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise, including (for example, but not limited to) a defect in the title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
- the property is registered at the Land Registry
- a leasehold transaction relates to an existing lease and not the grant of a new lease
- the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
- all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties
- you supply us promptly with all information we request from you
- no indemnity policies are required
- your matter is dealt with by a conveyancing assistant. A supplement will apply if you wish your matter to be dealt with by a partner or associate.
If one or more of the above do not apply then the fees will increase with the range. For example, an unregistered freehold sale for £800k would be charged at £2,500 plus VAT at 20% because of the added complexities this involves. Equally a senior fee earner dealing with a registered freehold sale for the £800k would be charged at £2,500 plus VAT at 20% whereas a junior fee earner would charge less for the same transaction. In addition many clients prefer to pay a supplement in order to get their choice of lawyer or office, or higher number of face to face meetings than would ordinarily be anticipated.
Legal Fee Range (excluding disbursements):
| Transaction value | Freehold sale | Freehold purchase | Leasehold sale | Leasehold purchase | Remortgage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £0 –
£1,000,000 VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
£1,600 – £2,500 £1,920 – £3,000 |
£1,600 – £2,500 £1,920 – £3,000 |
£1,600 – £2,500 £1,920 – £3,000 |
£1,600 – £2,500 £1,920 – £3,000 |
£800 – £1,000 £960 – £1,200 |
| £1,000,001 – £1,500,000
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
£1,800 – £3,000 £2,160 – £3,600 |
£1,800 – £3,000 £2,160 – £3,600 |
£1,800 – £3,000 £2,160 – £3,600 |
£2000 – £3,500 £2,400 – £4,200 |
£1,000 – £1,500 £1,200 – £1,800 |
| £1,500,001 – £2,000,000
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
£2,000 – £3,500 £2,400 – £4,200 |
£2,000 – £3,500 £2,400 – £4,200 |
£2,000 – £4,000 £2,400 – £4,800 |
£2,500 – £5,000 £3,000 – £6,000 |
£1,500 – £2,000 £1,800 – £2,400 |
| £2,000,001 – £3,000,000
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
£2,500 – £4,000 £3,000 – £4,800 |
£2,500 – £4,000 £3,000 – £4,800 |
£2,000 – £4,500 £2,400 – £5,400 |
£3,000 – £5,500 £3,600 – £6,600 |
£2,000 – £2,500 £2,400 – £3,000 |
| £3,000,001 – £4,000,000
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
£3,000 – £4,500 £3,600 – £5,400 |
£3,000 – £4,500 £3,600 – £5,400 |
£3,000 – £5,000 £3,600 – £6,000 |
£3,500 – £6,000 £4,200 – £7,200 |
£2,500 – £3,000 £3,000 – £3,600 |
| £4,000,001 – £5,000,000
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
£4,000 – £6,000 £4,800 – £7,200 |
£4,000 – £6,000 £4,800 – £7,200 |
£4,000 – £6,500 £4,800 – £7,800 |
£4,500 – £6,500 £5,400 – £7,800 |
£3,500 – £4,000 £4,200 – £4,800 |
| £5,000,001 and over | 0.25% of transaction value plus VAT at 20% | ||||
| Add: | |||||
| New build
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
n/a | £1,000 £1,200 |
n/a | £1,000 £1,200 |
n/a |
| Shared ownership
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
n/a | n/a | n/a | £1,000 £1,200 |
n/a |
| Help to Buy
VAT at 20% inclusive amount |
n/a | £500 £600 |
n/a | £500 £600 |
n/a |
| Our fee for sending an electronic transfer at 20% VAT inclusive amount | £96 | £48 | £96 | £48 | £48 |
Disbursements:
Typical disbursements are set out below. These are estimated and the exact amounts will depend on the specific circumstances of the transaction. The disbursements payable should be the same regardless of who is acting for you.
| Disbursements (no VAT except where shown) | Freehold Sale | Freehold Purchase | Leasehold Sale | Leasehold Purchase | Re-mortgage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search fees | – | £400 | – | £400 | £200 |
| Land Registry search fees | – | £3 | – | £3 | £3 |
| Land Registry title documents | £6 | – | £15 | – | £6 |
| Estimated Land Registry registration fee | – | Varies | – | Varies | Varies |
| Bank Electronic money transfer fee (incl. VAT at 20%) | £12 | £6 | £12 | £6 | £6 |
| Land Charges search fees | – | £4 | – | £4 | £4 |
| Landlord’s information pack | – | – | £350 | – | £350 |
| Landlord’s registration fee | – | – | – | £300 | £150 |
| SDLT / Land Transaction Tax | – | Varies | – | Varies | – |
| Estimated total disbursements (excluding SDLT and LR fees) | £102 | Varies | £461 | Varies | £761 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax (or Land Transaction Tax for properties in Wales): The amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) / Land Transaction Tax will depend on the purchase price of your 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).
Land Registration Fee: The fee for registering your purchase at the Land Registry depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the Land Registry Website
Landlord’s Information Pack and Registration Fee: the amount of payable is set by the individual landlord and any managing agent.
Searches: the cost of searches will depend on the local authority and other search providers.
Examples:
We set out below some examples to show you the total amount payable for a variety of transactions including SDLT at the standard rate. In each case, we have assumed a simple transaction with a mortgage to be repaid or taken out in which a junior fee earner is acting. These are examples only and many items will depend on the specific circumstances of the transaction.
| Cost (no VAT except where shown) | Freehold Sale £500k | Freehold Purchase £500k | Leasehold Sale £500k | Leasehold Purchase £500k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal fees inclusive of VAT at 20% | £2,400 | £2,400 | £2,400 | £2,400 |
| Search fees | – | £400 | – | £400 |
| Land Registry search fees | – | £3 | – | £3 |
| Land Registry title documents | £6 | – | £15 | – |
| Estimated Land Registry registration fee | – | £150 | – | £150 |
| Electronic money transfer fee (incl. VAT at 20%) | £96 | £48 | £96 | £48 |
| Land Charges search fees | – | £4 | – | £4 |
| Landlord’s information pack | – | – | £350 | – |
| Landlord’s registration fee | – | – | – | £150 |
| SDLT* | – | £15,000 | – | £15,000 |
| Total payable including disbursements | £2,502 | £18,005 | £2,861 | £18,155 |
* Assuming only standard rates of SDLT apply.
What our fee includes:
Our fee includes acting for you on all stages of your transaction. The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. We have set out below some of the likely key stages:
| Purchases | Sales | Remortgages | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
How long will my transaction take?
Sales and Purchases: The average process takes between 6-10 weeks.
Re-mortgages: the average process takes between 3-5 weeks.
These timescales can be quicker or slower, depending on a number of factors, e.g. the length of any chain, the type of property involved, whether or not mortgage offers have been received.
People who may work on your case: