When we act for you in the purchase of a home or other dwelling, we transfer ownership to you and help you make the decision as to whether it is a safe buy. We may also secure a mortgage against the property.
What can I expect to pay?
Legal fees for residential purchases are generally dependent on the purchase price of the property. In some cases, where purchase is particularly complex the overall cost may be higher than the estimates listed below. The lawyer dealing with your purchase will advise you in writing if they anticipate the costs being higher.
VAT is charged at 20%.
| Purchase Price | Average Legal Fees |
| Up to £200,000 | £ 1,200.00 plus VAT |
| £200,001 to £300,000 | £ 1,300.00 plus VAT |
| £300,001 to £400,000 | £ 1,400.00 plus VAT |
| £400,001 to £450,000 | £ 1,500.00 plus VAT |
| £450,001 to £500,000 | £ 1,600.00 plus VAT |
| £500,001 to £600,000 | £ 1,800.00 plus VAT |
| £600,001 to £700,000 | £ 1,900.00 plus VAT |
| £700,001 to £800,000 | £ 2,000.00 plus VAT |
| £800,001 to £900,000 | £ 2,100.00 plus VAT |
| £900,001 to £1,000,000 | £ 2,200.00 plus VAT |
| £1million – £1.25million | £ 2,900.00 plus VAT |
| £1.25million to £1.5million | £ 3,200.00 plus VAT |
| £1.5million to £1.75million | £ 3,500.00 plus VAT |
| £1.75million to £2million | £ 3,750.00 plus VAT |
| £2million to £2.5million | £ 4,000.00 plus VAT |
| £3million to £4million | £ 5,000.00 plus VAT |
| £4million and above | price on application |
Certain types of property purchases do not fall into the above fee scale:-
| Leasehold property | An additional £800 plus VAT (subject to complexities in respect of the Building Safety Act 2022) |
| New Build property purchases | An additional £600 plus VAT |
| Shared Ownership/First Homes Scheme property purchases | £1,700 plus VAT minimum (please see the for more information) |
Are there any hidden costs or disbursements?
We will always be upfront with our fees at the start of a transaction. Disbursements are not always known at the outset. For example, you may require an indemnity policy to cover alterations to the property, the exact cost of which will not be known at the outset. However, common disbursements you can expect to pay include:-
| Disbursement | Average Cost |
| Copies of documents from HM Land Registry (e.g. title registers, title plans etc) | £3.00 per document |
| Official Search of Whole or Part at HM Land Registry | £3.00 per search |
| Land Charges Search at HM Land Registry | £2.00 per name |
| Bank Transfer fees | £30.00 plus VAT per transfer |
| Mortgage Administration Fee (charged by some lenders) | £35.00 plus VAT |
| ID checks (required under the Anti Money Laundering Regulations) | £25.00 plus VAT per person
|
| Property Searches (typically Local Authority, Water & Drainage, Environmental) | £450 – £550 plus VAT depending on local authority. |
| Registration fee to HM Land Registry | These range from £20 – £1,105 dependent on the value of the property and whether or not the transfer is for consideration.
You can find more information about the Land Registry fees and how they are charged here.
We will, of course, advise you at the start of your matter how much you can expect to pay. |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and Welsh Land Transaction Tax (WLTT) | If SDLT/WLTT is payable, this is charged dependent on the value of the property being purchased amongst other factors. It is impossible to estimate SDLT/WLTT without that information but more information about SDLT/WLTT and how it is calculated can be found on the HMRC website here or on the Welsh Government website here.
We will, of course, advise you at the start of your matter how much you can expect to pay. |
What work is included in those costs?
Each purchase is different but, in general, you can expect our services to include:-
- Taking your initial instructions and advising you on various aspects
- Receiving contract documents and checking through them and asking further questions as necessary
- Making searches and checking their results
- Receiving a mortgage offer
- Reporting to you on all our investigations and any mortgage
- Obtaining your signature of documentation
- Exchanging contracts
- Calculating the figures for completion, requesting funds and carrying out final searches
- Completing then paying any Stamp Duty Land Tax and registering your property at the Land Registry.
Is there anything not included?
Our costs include all work that is usually required to complete the purchase of a residential property. However, other elements of buying a property (such as arranging for removals or updating your Will) are not included in our services.
Should you require additional legal services (e.g. a Declaration of Trust setting out shares of ownership) these will be charged separately. You can find information about the other legal services we offer in connection with residential property here.
How long will the transaction take?
Many factors will dictate speed including the chain of buyers and sellers. Six weeks to exchange and two weeks between exchange and completion could be taken as an average, but this is not a guarantee. The shorter the chain of buyers and sellers, the shorter the transactions are likely to take.
