This is dependent on the purchase price. Please click here to calculate the cost
Land Registration Fee
Please click here for the HM Land Registry fee calculator
*Plus VAT (20%)
Assumptions
The sale or purchase price is less than £500K. Please call us if your sale or purchase price is more than this.
This is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise
If leasehold, this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease
The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise
All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
There is only one mortgage to be redeemed
We do not need to resolve the split of any proceeds between sellers
The property is registered with absolute title at the HM Land Registry
The property is freehold or leasehold on a long-term lease
There is no requirement for consent from any superior landlord, managing agent or other party
What we will do for you
Purchase of freehold/leasehold
Approving contract and if necessary, negotiating any required changes with the seller’s legal advisors.
Extensive review of the legal title to the property, to ensure that the seller is legally entitled to sell the property; and to ensure that there are no onerous covenants or rights which will affect your use and enjoyment of the property; and to ensure that all necessary rights are in place to allow your use of the property for all normal residential purposes.
Carrying out a search with the Local Authority and analysis of the results to ensure amongst other things, that all necessary planning permission and Building Regulations approvals are in place; whether the property abuts a publicly maintainable highway; the results of any Tree Preservation Orders, details of any nearby road schemes, details of any proposed compulsory purchase, and whether there are any orders in place that would create further liabilities.
Carrying out further searches in relation to drainage and water supply, environmental history, and other locally relevant matters such as mining. Analysing the search reports on receipt to ensure that there are no onerous liabilities attached to the property.
Corresponding with the seller’s solicitor to raise additional enquiries to address the results of our research and searches so that any issues that we revealed are clarified and/or dealt with.
Reviewing Mortgage offer and reporting to you on the details of the Mortgage offer and clarifying with you any special conditions imposed by the lender.
Reporting to the lender any issues that have been uncovered and confirming how we intend to deal with these.
Providing you with a written summary of our findings from reviewing the legal title and the search reports. Providing you with the contract for your signature, along with a prepared Stamp Duty Land Tax return for filing with HMRC.
Exchanging Contracts and carrying out final pre-completion searches with the Land Registry to ensure that there have been no further amendments to the legal title, and to ensure that you have priority to register your ownership of the property.
Preparing the completion statement to show all payments made and received and providing you with a balance required in order to complete your purchase.
Raising requisitions on title and checking the replies, including undertakings to redeem seller’s existing charges. Drafting and agreeing a simple transfer of registered title form TR1.
Reporting to the lender to request the release of the Mortgage advance.
Completing the purchase; submitting a return to the HMRC to account for any Stamp Duty Land Tax to be paid; ensuring that any necessary indemnity policies are in place from the date of completion.
Registering the transaction with the Land Registry and ensuring that your ownership, any Mortgage and any other pertinent matters are correctly recorded.
Forwarding to you and your lender a copy of the updated Registers of Title.
Sale of freehold/leasehold
Check and deduce legal title, draft contracts for sale and advise you on the terms.
Communicate with the buyer’s solicitors at key stages.
Prepare financial statements.
Send final contract to you for signature.
Exchange contracts and notify you when this has happened.
Liaise with you to sign the transfer of registered title form TR1.
Agree on a completion date.
Produce a completion statement setting out the amount to be paid to you on completion after all necessary deductions including repayment of your mortgage and payments to your estate agent. Collect money on completion.
Notify you, your estate agent, the seller of completion, and account to you for the balance of the sale proceeds.
Re-mortgage
Obtain Land Registry copy entries of the title with copies of any documents referred to.
Review the title, to ensure that you are legally entitled to re-mortgage the property.
Check from the questionnaire completed by you that all obligations noted on the title have been complied with.
Check from the questionnaire, completed by you, whether works have been done to the property which would require planning and/or building regulations consent. Obtain copies from you where they are held, apply for copies from the local authority.
Carry out full searches where required by the lender (local authority, environmental, and drainage searches, with others that are relevant locally, eg mining search). Analyse the results to ensure, amongst other things, that all necessary consents are in place; that the road is publicly maintained with no liability to the client; that there are no orders in place which would create further liabilities.
Review the mortgage offer and ensure compliance with any special conditions imposed by the lender.
Report to the lender any issues which have been uncovered and confirming how we intend to deal with these.
Report to you in full in writing on the terms of the mortgage offer, enclosing the mortgage deed for signing.
Write to any occupiers with the occupier’s consent for signing.
Forward the completion statement to you to show all payments made and received and providing a balance required in order to complete.
On receipt of the signed mortgage deed, occupier’s consent, and cleared funds, agree a completion date with you.
Obtain a redemption statement from any existing lender.
Carry out final pre-completion searches with the Land Registry to ensure that there have been no further amendments to the legal title, and to ensure that the lender has priority to register the new mortgage.
Report to the lender to request the release of the mortgage advance.
Complete the purchase and date the mortgage deed; redeem any existing mortgage.
Register the transaction with the Land Registry with any evidence of discharge of any previous charge, ensuring that the new mortgage and any other pertinent matters are correctly recorded.
Exclusions
Transfer of equity (e.g. in divorce proceedings)
Declaration of trust
Assent
Arranging indemnity insurance for defective titles
Checking or drafting statutory declarations
Negative equity
Power of attorney
Renegotiation of the purchase price
Advice on your survey or valuation
Taxation advice
Financial advice including advice on the terms of your mortgage offer
Lease Extension
Help to Buy, or second mortgage
New Build
Shared ownership
If a lender is separately represented
The average process of a house sale/purchase 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, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take longer depending on when the property build is complete. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 6 months. In such a situation, additional charges would apply.
