Purchase of a freehold registered residential property

Our fees cover all of the standard work required to complete the purchase of the property, 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.

Our range of fees

Anticipated disbursements

These are payments which are additional costs that are payable to third parties.

We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The disbursements you may have to pay are:

• Search fees – these can range between £300 and £500 (including VAT) and will vary depending on where in the country you are buying and whether or not you are having a mortgage. We will be happy to give you an estimate. See our guide at this link
• Land Registry fees – these depend on the purchase price of the property and whether or not the property is registered. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using the Land Registry website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees. (Scale 1)
• Stamp Duty Land Tax or Land Transaction Tax – this depends on the purchase price of the property, how many properties you own and whether you have previously owned a 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.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a freehold registered residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below are the key stages generally included in the fees quoted for standard work.

• Taking instructions and initial advice
• Checking finances are in place to fund the purchase (including mortgage)
• Receiving and advising on contract documents
• Carrying out searches and reporting results
• Requesting planning or other documentation from the seller’s solicitor
• Making any necessary enquiries of the seller’s solicitor
• Advising on all documents and information received
• Reviewing conditions of mortgage offer with you (if any)
• Preparing SDLT return and obtaining your signature
• Sending final contract to you for signature or seeing you in person
• Receiving deposit monies from you (if applicable)
• Drafting Transfer documentation
• Corresponding with seller’s solicitors regarding completion date (date from which you own the property)
  DO NOT AGREE A DATE WITHOUT CONFIRMING WITH US FIRST
• Advising you on joint ownership (if necessary)
• Exchanging contracts and notifying you when this has happened
• Arranging for all monies needed to be received from the lender (if any) and you
• Obtaining pre-completion searches
• Completing the purchase
• Dealing with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax
• Dealing with application for registration at Land Registry
• Providing copies of completed registration to you and the lender (if any)
• General telephone discussions with you throughout

Standard work does not include checking unregistered titles and preparing applications for first registration; buy to let purchases; new build properties; shared ownership purchases; staircasing; purchase by a company; auction repossessions; purchase from a Trustee in Bankruptcy; any additional charges, second mortgages, Islamic mortgages or charging orders; gifted deposits; Help to Buy Equity Mortgages; dealing with third party solicitors acting for a lender; applying for a Help to Buy ISA bonus; any unforeseen matters or complexity such as, but not limited to, flying freeholds, deeds of covenant or compliance with rent charges, listed buildings, more than one piece of land or title, compliance with restrictions on the register, resolving or suggesting ways to resolve any title defect, arranging or approving indemnity insurance policies for any defects found, additional documents ancillary to the main transaction such as, but not limited to, a declaration of trust between joint owners, and any other unusual features.

This is not an exhaustive list and does not include all possible exclusions. Examples of additional fees for common items of non-standard work are listed here.

Standard work assumes all parties are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay by third parties providing documentation.

How long will my purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can complete the purchase will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 8 and 16 weeks. However, it can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain, how long the chain is and whether any of the parties need a mortgage.  If you have any dates in mind these can be discussed at an early stage but cannot be guaranteed.