Fees for Conveyancing

Residential Conveyancing

The purchase, sale, mortgage & re-mortgage of both freehold and leasehold houses, flats etc.

Freehold or Leasehold sales & purchases

Our scale of fees for each transaction is set out below. These fees do not include disbursements – see later.

Note: – No extra charges are made for preparing and submitting SDLT forms, dealing with unregistered titles or for mortgage work (assuming we also act for the lender).

Sales & Purchases at auction are normally dealt with on the same scale. However, with auction scales the seller will usually undertake the usual conveyancing searches and pass the cost onto the buyer on completion. Many auction houses charge administration fees or buyer premiums which are in addition to the purchase price.

We do not pay referral fees to estate agents, since we consider this may compromise our independence.

In dealing with any conveyancing matter you will incur certain disbursements. We set out below a guide as to the most common items and an indication of what each item costs.

Conveyancing Disbursements

These will depend on the location, description and value of what you are buying, selling or mortgaging/re-mortgaging. Listed below are the usual disbursements. These costs do vary and are not under our control.

Purchases

Search fees:

Local Authority £80-£250
Water/drainage £50-£80
Mining £40-£80

(Depending on what each authority charges)

Land Registry registration fees £20-£500 (depending on purchase price)
For properties in the range –
£100,001 to £200,000 the fee is £100
£200,001 to £500,000 the fee is £150
(Where the title is unregistered the Land registry fees will double)

SDLT – There is an online calculator for you to use.
Remember there is an additional 3% levy for second homes

Sales

Land Registry title entries – £3-£20 (usual range)

Planning & Building regulation documents £5-£50 (usual range)
(may be needed)

Indemnity policies £20-£300 (usual range)

To cover title problems and local authority planning/building regulation issues.

Leasehold sales and purchases

Experience shows that leasehold sales and purchases entail significant extra work and disbursements. In any sale we are normally required to obtain a “Management Pack” from the landlord/management company. The cost varies between £200 to £500 plus VAT.

On completing any purchase of a leasehold house or flat, notice has to be given to the landlord regarding the transfer and your mortgage. You may be required to enter a Deed of Covenant with the landlord/management company and take up a share in the management company. The precise requirements vary as do the costs, but are usually in the range of £50-£400. Until we see the actual documentation we cannot give precise figures.

Mortgages/re-mortgages

We do not charge extra when we act for both you and the lender. The same scale of fees as shown above apply. Where a lender employs their own lawyers, that cost will need to be met by you and is usually in the range of £300-£750 plus VAT. We are on most lender panels, holding the Conveyancing Quality Mark, but where a lender instructs its own lawyer this does result in extra work for which we will charge between £75 and £125 plus VAT extra depending on the lenders requirements. For re-mortgages involving no purchase, many lenders have “fee free” schemes. Where we do act for you we will usually charge between £250-£350 plus VAT depending on the size of the loan and actual lender requirements. In addition, the lender may require searches to be carried out. In addition, HM Land Registry fees will be payable based on the amount borrowed.

Timescales

Average timescales of sales/purchases range between 8-14 weeks. Where there is a chain of sales and purchases, you may find longer periods involved. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee timescales, which are frequently dependant on other parties. Re-mortgages (not involving a purchase) are usually far quicker, most taking place between 4 to 6 weeks.

In order to assist you we have provided a brief summary of the work we carry out on both freehold and leasehold sales and purchases.

What work do we carry out in conveyancing timescales?

For a brief summary of the work Harrop White, Vallance & Dawson will carry out on your behalf we have provided a brief guide which is set out below, dealing with the purchase of freehold properties, leasehold properties, and sales generally. Please take time to read these – they will help you better understand what is involved in property transactions.

Summary

Before you instruct us, we are always willing to discuss your proposed sale/purchase/mortgage or re-mortgage. Whilst our website attempts to be informative, it cannot cater for every eventuality and must inevitably be a guide only. When we are instructed by you we will supply our terms of business letter which will details most of the figures applicable to your particular transaction.