Purchase:

Our conveyancing fees for a purchase will cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home.  This includes checking the title of the property, dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales and dealing with registration at the HM Land Registry.

Conveyancer's fees and disbursements for a purchase:

• Our fee will start at £1,100.00
• Local Authority Search fees – this will depend on the Local Authority where the property is situate and can range between £65.00 to £350.00 (the higher figures for properties in London).  This search is compulsory if you have a lender
• Optional Searches – Water and Drainage (£60.00 – South West Water Authority area) and Environmental Search (£55.00)
• HM Land Registry fee – this depends on the purchase price and whether the property is a new build.  Prices will range from £100.00 to £655.00.
• Official Searches – an official search of the Land Registry (£3.00) and Bankruptcy Search (£2.00 per person)
• Bank transfer fee £7.00 
• VAT payable @ 20% on the above

Please note that if a Declaration of Trust is required for the property there will be a charge of £200.00 plus VAT.

Please note that additional fees will be applied where the property being purchased is a new build, shared ownership or leasehold and if you are obtaining a Help to Buy Mortgage.

Disbursements 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.

Leasehold properties will require a Notice of Transfer Fee and Notice of Mortgage/Charge and in some instances, a Deed of Covenant to be sent to the Freeholder to enable them to provide a Certificate of Compliance following completion and they will charge a fee.  You should also be aware that ground rent and service charge are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as we receive this information.

Our fee is based on the following assumptions:

1. this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
2. this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
3. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
4. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
5. no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents but for an initial quotation please contact us and let us have the following:

• Purchase price;
• Whether the property is freehold, leasehold, new build, shared ownership;
• Location of the property;
• Whether you are obtaining a mortgage;
• Whether you are obtaining a Help to Buy mortgage;
• If you are a First Time Buyer;
• If you are a current home owner and if this property is an investment purchase.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends 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.  Please note that if you are a current home owner and you are purchasing an additional property there will be a Stamp Duty Surcharge applied of 3% on any purchase price over £40,000.00.

How long will my house purchase take?

The time frame from when your offer is accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors.  On average the process can take between 8 - 12 weeks.  We can advise if we anticipate if this will take longer.

The length of the transaction will depend on a number of factors. For example, if you are purchasing a new build property it will depend on when the property will be ready for occupation and completing the paperwork for your mortgage, especially where you are obtaining a Help to Buy Mortgage as they have specific time scales we have to comply with. If you are buying a leasehold property this will require a pack to be obtained from the Freeholder and this can delay the transaction in waiting for that to be provided or if it requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer for the extension to be negotiated and new lease prepared. In such a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process:

The process for a property purchase may vary from property to property, but in essence the structure of the process will be as follows:

• We take your instructions and give you initial advice - establish your finance for the purchase
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor based on contract papers received and search results
• Report to you on the purchase and provide advice on the property
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree a completion date (date from which you own the property) with you and the Seller’s Solicitor
• Exchange contracts and provide you with confirmation that this has been done so you may arrange insurance for the property
• Request monies from you and your lender for the completion date
• Arrange for you to sign the completion paperwork such as Transfer Deed, Stamp Duty Land Transaction Return Form and Mortgage Deed
• Do pre Completion searches and complete the purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at the HM Land Registry
• Following registration at the HM Land Registry send a copy of the title to you with the deeds and documents for the property

Sale:

Our conveyancing fees for a sale will cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your property.  This includeschecking the title of the property, preparing the contract papers for the Buyer’s Solicitor, dealing with any enquiries raised. Exchanging contracts and completing the sale.

Conveyancer's fees and disbursements for a sale:

• Our fee will start at £1,000.00 
• Official Copies of Title – £12.00 (additional copy documents from HM Land Registry are £3.00 per document required if you do not hold the deeds)
• Bank transfers fee of £14.00
• VAT payable @ 20% on the above

Please note that if a Declaraion of Trust is required an extra cost of £200.00 plus VAT will be required.

Please note that additional fees will be applied where the property being sold is leasehold as we will need to obtain a Pack from the Freeholder with information from them about the property.  The cost of this Pack will vary from Freeholder to Freeholder and we will advise once we are aware of the cost.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as copy title documents, copy planning documents, indemnity policies etc. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and will advise if any are required.

Leasehold properties will require as noted above a Pack from the Freeholder and in some leases there is a % fee to be paid to the freeholder, if this applies it will be in the lease.

Our fee is based on the following assumptions:

1. this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
2. this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
3. the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise
4. all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
5. no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents but for an initial quotation please contact us and let us have the following:

• Sale price;
• Whether the property is freehold, leasehold, new build, shared ownership;
• Whether you have a mortgage;
• Whether you have a Help to Buy mortgage;

How long will my house sale take?

The time frame from when you accept an offer on your property until completion will depend on a number of factors.  On average the process can take between 8 - 12 weeks.  We can advise if we anticipate if this will take longer.

The length of the transaction will depend on a number of factors. For example, if yourbuyer requires a mortgage, there is a chain. If you are selling a leasehold property you will require a pack from the Freeholder and this can delay the transaction in waiting for that to be provided or if it requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer for the extension to be negotiated and new lease prepared. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

The process for a property sale may vary from property to property, but in essence the structure of the process will be as follows:

• We take your instructions and give you initial advice - establish if you have a mortgage
• Ask you to complete standard forms for the sale and then prepare the contract documents
• Reply to any enquiries raised by the Buyer’s Solicitor
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree a completion date (date from which you own the property) with you and the Buyer’s Solicitor
• Exchange contracts and provide you with confirmation that this has been done
• Request a redemption statement from your lender for the completion date and ask estate agent for their fees
• Arrange for you to sign the completion paperwork such as the Transfer Deed
• Prepare a Completion Statement
• Complete the sale and pay the mortgage, pay the estate agents and any balance to you
• Send deeds and documents to the Buyer’s Solicitor

 

Probate Fees

We are able to assist with the estate administration of someone who has passed away.

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets – You are the Executor:

We anticipate this will take between 10 and 14 hours work at £195.00 per hour. Total costs estimated at -£1,950.00 - £2,730.00 (+VAT).

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• You require us to obtain valuations for the assets and liabilities for the estate
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 3 bank or building society accounts held with more than one bank or building society
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 1-3 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
• There are no claims made against the estate
• Income Tax for the estate is handled by an Accountant
• We distribute the assets as per the Will

Disbursements included in this fee:

• Probate application fee of £273.00
• Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£2.00 per beneficiary)
• £250.00 approximately Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.
• £50 approximately Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Potential additional costs

• If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
• If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £1.50 (1 per asset usually).
• Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 9-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 4-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 4-6 weeks.

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets – We are the Executor:

The same fees and process as above will apply but in addition we will also charge a small percentage of the value of the estate as we will be required to collect the information for the estate from the deceased’s property and organise the funeral in addition to the above.

Our percentages are as follows:

• 0.5% of the gross value of any property in the estate
• 0.75% of the gross value of the estate (not including any property)

These fees are subject to VAT @ 20%

Fixed Fees:

If you only require our assistance in obtaining a Grant of Probate and are able to collect in the values for the assets and liabilities for the estate and once Probate has been obtained you are able to collect the assets in, pay liabilities and distribute the gifts as per the Will we will charge a fixed fee of £750.00 + VAT based on the estate not being subject to Inheritance Tax and transferrable reliefs not being claimed.

Where Inheritance Tax is charged or more detailed forms are required to be submitted direct to the HM Revenue and Customs then our fees for doing so will be based on our time in completing the relevant forms at a cost of £195.00 per hour + VAT @ 20%.  A basic set of more detailed forms will take 3 hours to complete (£585.00 + VAT) and this will be in addition to the above fixed fee.

Wills

Our fees for preparing Wills are as follows:

For a single Will - £185.00 + VAT @ 20%

For Couples’ Wills (For both Partners/Husband & Wife/Civil Partners) you do not have to have the same Wills - £260.00 + VAT @ 20%

In addition to the above we may also need to obtain title documents from the HM Land Registry at a cost of £3.00 to assist in any advice required for property ownership.

Our process for the preparation of Wills is that we will initially send to you a Will Questionnaire for you to review and complete.  We will then arrange a meeting for us to discuss your wishes and offer any advice you may require with regards to Inheritance Tax and Estate Planning.  After that meeting we will prepare and send to you a draft Will with a letter of explanation.  If you wish to make changes please let us know and they will be made and a further draft sent to you for approval at no additional cost.  If the draft Wills are agreed then we can arrange for you to attend our office to sign these in the presence of two members of our staff as independent witnesses or if you are unable to attend our office we can send our proper copies of the Wills with instructions on how they are to be signed. 

Once the Wills are signed, witnessed and dated then we will hold the original Will at our office for safe keeping free of charge and send a copy to you in the post, together with a note of our fees.