Purchase of a residential property

What are the total solicitors’ fees for buying a house?

Click here for an instant quote and full cost breakdown for a purchase of a residential property.

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) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.

What services are included within the fee?

• Taking your instructions
• Verifying your identity
• Giving you initial advice
• Receiving and advising on contract documents
• Carrying out searches
• Making any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
• Giving you advice on all documents and information received
• Going through conditions of mortgage offer with you
• Drafting Transfer
• Advising you on joint ownership
• Sending final contract to you for signature
• Agreeing completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
• Arranging for all monies needed to be received from lender and yourself
• Completing purchase
• Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Dealing with application for registration at Land Registry
• Purchase of a leasehold residential property

What are disbursements?

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the property. The disbursements which we anticipate are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the term of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors.

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 8-10 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, with a mortgage in principle, it could take 6 weeks. However, if you have a property to sell as well as purchase and are in a chain it can take significantly longer. Or, for example, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 4 months.

Our fee assumes that:

• This is a standard transaction and no unforeseen matters including for example a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
• If the property is leasehold, it is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
• All parties are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
• No indemnity policies are required
• The property is registered at the Land Registry
• There is only one mortgage/charge secured against the property
• You do not have an equity mortgage on the property