Freehold sale or purchase, leasehold sale or purchase, mortgages and re-mortgages
Our expert residential conveyancing solicitors understand that buying a house or any other property transaction can be an expensive and a stressful time. Our property team consists of:-
- Andrew Baskerville (Partner)
- Pierre Bell (Partner)
- Gerard McLachlan (Partner)
- Lucy Wiggins (Partner)
- Rachel Beeby (Senior Associate)
- Nigel Flanagan (Consultant)
- Sian Carter (Associate Chartered Legal Executive)
- Hannah Ledwitch (Solicitor)
- Alexis Rothery-Jones (Solicitor)
- Alice Fowler (Solicitor)
- Ben Sherborne (Solicitor)
At the outset, you will be allocated a dedicated contact who will keep you informed and will offer advice whenever you need it.
Our services for sales include:
- collating and deducing title
- drafting and negotiating contract documentation
- dealing with enquiries
- arranging redemption of mortgages
- co-ordinating arrangements for exchange and completion
Our services for purchases include:
- reviewing and investigating title
- drafting and negotiating contract documentation
- raising and pursuing enquiries
- arranging mortgage documentation with your lender where relevant
- Providing you with a report on title for the property
- co-ordinating arrangements for exchange and completion
- Submitting Stamp Duty Land Tax Returns on your behalf
- Applying for and dealing with registration of your purchase at the Land Registry
There are different categories of property which in turn can affect the costs you will incur, these are:
- Freehold sale or purchase
- Leasehold sale or purchase
- Registered or unregistered property
- Mortgages or re-mortgages
With this in mind the following pricing structure should help you to budget. Our hourly rates start at £140 plus VAT (at a rate of 20%) for a paralegal through to £440 plus VAT (at a rate of 20%) for a senior partner.
| House Value | Sale (plus VAT at a rate of 20%) | Purchase (plus VAT at a rate of 20%) |
| Up to £500,000 | £1,600 – £1,950 | £2100 – £3,750 |
| £500,000 – £1,000,000 | £2100 – £3250 | £3750 – £5350 |
| Over £1,000,000 | £3250 – £8500 | £5250 – £10,700 |
| Prices relate to property with a registered title | ||
| Additional fee of £850 – £1,600 (plus VAT at 20%) when the property is unregistered | ||
| Additional fee of £525 – £850 (plus VAT at 20%) when a mortgage is required | ||
| Additional fee of £525 – £850 (plus VAT at 20%) when the property is leasehold. | ||
Third Party Disbursements
- Local search fees – £120 – £270 (depending on the relevant Local Authority)
- More complex transactions will incur higher search fees – these will be explained where appropriate.
- Mining searches – £100 – £320
- Drainage and water searches – £60 – £110
- Highways Search – £50 – £75
- Environmental Search – £70 – £535
- Chancel check – £25 – £55
- Land registry pre-completion searches – £7 per title
- Bankruptcy searches – £6 per person
- Land Registry searches and document charges – £6 – £100
- Bank charges – £35 per transfer
- Land Registry – Registration fee (The Land Registry’s fees depend on the purchase price). Please see the Land Registry website for up to date details
- Stamp Duty – (this again depends on the purchase price of your property and personal circumstances as well as the location of the property) see the HMRC website or the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website for up to date details
The prices are exclusive of VAT, which is charged at a rate of 20%.
Our Fees
When calculating your fees, we use a blended rate. The team consists of a range of skills and we use the right person for specific tasks. The rates detailed below take into account specialists from our most junior and senior rates depending on the lawyer assisting, with a view to using the most cost effective as well as the correct level of expertise. It is difficult to estimate the number of hours your purchase or sale will take as these depend on a variety of factors. If no issues arose, the time scales to be expected would be between 6 and 10 weeks.
| Our current hourly charge rates are: | |
| Senior Partners | £400 – £440 |
| Junior Partners | £385 – £400 |
| Consultant | £370 |
| Senior Associates | £320 – £370 |
| Associate Chartered Legal Executive | £300 |
| Associates | £260 |
| Solicitors | £200 – £230 |
| Trainee Solicitors | £165 |
| Paralegals | £140 – £150 |
Timescales
A typical timescale for a standard transaction without undue complications will be between 6 and 16 weeks, and will vary depending on the complexity of the title and the transaction, as well as the speed of other parties involved.
Registration of a purchase with the Land Registry can vary between 1 month to over a year depending on the nature and complexity of the transaction.
Complex Residential Properties, which include landed estates and/or farms.
Our team have extensive knowledge and experience of dealing with residential properties which involve multiple titles or transfer of part of titles (whether registered or unregistered), large parcels of land, non-residential elements and complex estates. Such properties can also involve legal and practical issues such as private water supplies, overage and clawback rights and shooting rights.
As specialists in rural property we understand the challenges that owners of farms and rural businesses, country house and landed estates can face. Our expertise enables us to progress country house sales and purchases quickly, with as little fuss as possible.
Your sale or purchase will be dealt with by a specific individual who will be a single point of contact and will handle your transaction from start to finish.
If you would like a quotation for any such transaction, please contact any member of the relevant team which you can find in the “Our Services” section of this website.