Residential Conveyancing Fees

At Adams Harrison we pride ourselves on the exceptional conveyancing service and expertise we provide to our clients and the fact that the majority of our work comes from recommendations and repeat business from existing clients and their families and friends. We also feel that one of our strengths is that we do not pay referral fees to estate agents meaning that the work we get is based on our reputation, strong working relationship with agents and continued excellent service and not simply because we pay for it in contrast to a number of competitors. This fact is reflected in the reviews we regularly receive from our clients which can be seen in the review section of our website.

We have set out below our range of costs for transactions within various price bands. We have tried to take into account here variables that can arise during the course of a transaction so as to ensure that the range quoted would cover a variety of circumstances (including time sensitive requirements as well as legal issues that could arise during the course of the transaction) that could impact upon the costs quoted. It is strongly recommended that you call the team to discuss your quote at first instance which will enable us to provide a transaction specific estimate suited to your circumstances.

Do note that our quotes are provided for on a fixed fee basis and in any formal quote provided for by our conveyancing team will incorporate any additional disbursements and charges that may apply to your conveyance.

Leasehold Sale
Up to £250,000	£1,500 – £1,500 plus 20% vat
From £250,001 to £500,000	£1,450 – £1,750 plus 20% vat
From £500,001 to £1,000,000	£1,650 – £1,950 plus 20% vat
Upwards of £1,000,000	Between 0.2% and 0.25% of property value plus 20% vat

Leasehold Purchase
Up to £250,000	£1,500 – £1,800 plus 20% vat
From £250,001 to £500,000	£1,750 – £2.050 plus 20% vat
From £500,001 to £750,000	£1,900 – £2,200 plus 20% vat
Upwards of £750,000	Between 0.2% and 0.25% of property value plus 20% vat

Freehold Sale
Up to £125,000	£800 – £1,100 plus 20% vat
From £125,001 to £250,000	£900 – £1,200 plus 20% vat
From £250,001 to £500,000	£1,200 – £1,500 plus 20% vat
From £500,001 to £750,000	£1,400 – £1,700 plus 20% vat
Upwards of £750,000	Between 0.2% and 0.25% of property value plus 20% vat

Freehold Purchase
Up to £125,000	£800 – £1,000 plus 20% vat
From £125,001 to £250,000	£900 – £1,200 plus 20% vat
From £250,001 to £500,000	£1,200 – £1,500 plus 20% vat
From £500,001 to £750,000	£1,450 – £1,750 plus 20% vat
From £750,001 to £900,000	£1,800 – £2,100 plus 20% vat
Upwards of £900,000	Between 0.2% and 0.25% of property value plus 20% vat

Other Possible Costs 2024
Transfer of Equity	£600 plus 20% vat
If TOE involves remortgage	An additional £250 plus 20% vat
New build minimum charge	£3,000 plus 20% vat
Assents	From £500 plus 20% vat
First registrations	From £500 plus 20% vat
Management companies and freehold properties with leasehold garage	£250 plus 20% vat
Shared ownership properties (purchase)	From £2,000 plus 20% vat
Help to buy ISA	£50 plus 20% vat
Second charge on purchase	£300 plus 20% vat
Deed of priority	£700 plus 20% vat
Retention clause	From £250 plus 20% vat
Statutory declaration	From £150 – £300 plus 20% vat
Help to buy mortgage	£400 plus 20% vat
Declaration of trust	From £150 – £300 plus 20% vat
Mortgage	£125 plus 20% vat

Please note that in addition to the fees outlined above we may also charge an electronic transfer fee of £40 + 20% VAT should we need to make any same day payments in respect of your conveyance. This includes instances such as the redemption of an existing mortgage on a sale and the transfer of balance monies on the day of completion on a purchase. Furthermore we will also charge an additional £125 + 20% VAT for reviewing and reporting on your mortgage product if you are looking to secure a mortgage on your purchase matter.

Disbursements

In addition to our fees highlighted above disbursements will also be applied to sale matters. Disbursements are costs related to your matter but are payable to third parties such as Land Registry fees. These include but are not limited to:
• Identity checks – £7.50 (no VAT) per person
• Downloading title documents from Land Registry – £6-£24 (no VAT)

Furthermore you will need to consider adding the following disbursements on a purchase which will also include an identity check (if you do not have a linked sale transaction) and further electronic transfer charge.

• Stamp Duty Land Tax – please see attached link for details of stamp duty land tax payable. The first link provides guidance for properties in England and the second for properties in Wales. https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro and https://www.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator
• Land Registration fee – please see attached link to the Land Registry website for registration fees. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees#scale-1-fees
• Searches (enviro, water, local) – average cost £350 – £500 (no VAT): Highways search fees – average cost £75 -£150 (no VAT).
• Possible additional disbursements; Mining search – £24 (no VAT); Flood search – £24 (no VAT); Plans search – £28 (no VAT); Indemnity insurance – average cost £250 (no VAT).

Do keep in mind that these costs are based on typical house sales and purchases and there may be additional fees imposed for new build, shared ownership or other more complex transactions. We also reserve the right to increase the fees should we uncover any issues during the conveyancing process that are to be considered out of the ordinary. Examples of these would include defects in the legal titles, unregistered land and planning or building regulation concerns. It is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of issues that could lead to delays or an increase in fees, so it is always best to contact us directly should you be looking to deal with one of these types of properties or a property that you believe would not be considered a typical transaction. Our expert team will be able to advise you on potential additional costs and disbursements over the phone for those types of conveyances.

Timescales and process

The average process takes about 10 – 12 weeks from receipt of papers. It can be quicker or slower but common factors that will impact on timings will include the length of the chain and the nature of the properties involved. For example, chains involving the purchase of a new build property can often cause significant delays. The precise stages involved in a sale and/or purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However we have suggested some key stages involved in both sales and purchases:-

• Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice.
• Receiving and advising on contract documentation.
• Carry out searches and obtaining planning documentation (if required).
• Making any necessary enquiries of the seller’s solicitors.
• Giving you advice on all documents and information received.
• Going through the conditions of any mortgage offer with you.
• Sending the final contract to you for signature.
• Agree a completion date (date from which you own the property).
• Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened.
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from a lender and you.
• Completing the purchase.
• Making payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax.
• Making an application to record you as the new owners of the property at the Land Registry.
• Repaying your mortgage(s) on your sale property.

Re-mortgage

In addition to the conveyancing transactions detailed above we can assist with re-mortgage applications in respect of your main residential or buy-to-let properties. Our fees for dealing with a re-mortgage are as follows:

Value of mortgage
Up to £150,000	£500 plus 20% vat
From £150,001 to £300,000	£650 plus 20% vat
From £300,001 to £450,000	£750 plus 20% vat
From £450,001 to £600,000	£850 plus 20% vat
Upwards of £600,000	Between 0.2% and 0.25% of property value plus 20% vat

Much like with a sale or purchase transaction an electronic transfer fee of £40 + 20% VAT will also apply if we are required to redeem an existing mortgage.

Re-mortgage disbursements

Further to the fees described above a re-mortgage will also likely incur the following additional disbursements:
• Downloading title documents from the Land Registry – £6-24 (no VAT)
• Identity checks – £7.50 (no VAT) per person
• Land registration fee – please see the link to the Land Registry website for registration fees https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees#scale-1-fees
• Land Registry searches – £5 – 15 (no VAT)
• Searches – average cost £350 – £500 (no VAT) or alternatively where we are able we will look to secure an indemnity insurance product at an average fee of £100 (no VAT). Our ability to secure indemnity insurance will depend on the requirements of your lender and this will be assessed upon instruction.

Much like with the sale and purchase fees outlined above please note that these costs are based on a typical re-mortgage and we do reserve the right to increase our fees for more complex transactions for matters such as shared ownership, leasehold, equity release or other more complex matters. Furthermore we also reserve the right to increase the fees should we uncover any issues during our investigations that may impact on the time scales and work levels which would not be expected in a standard re-mortgage transaction. Examples of these types of concerns would once again include issues such as title defects, planning or building regulation concerns, non-standard lender conditions and landlord requirements. It is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of issues here either so it is always recommended that you contact us directly so our expert team can advise you on any potential issues at an early stage.

Re-mortgage timescales and process

We would anticipate that an average re-mortgage would take around 6-8 weeks but this could of course be quicker or slower depending on the type of lender involved and their requirements as each lender is different. Much like with a purchase and sale the precise stages in a re-mortgage will vary depending on the lender and type of property involved but to give you an idea of the process we have listed some keys milestones below:
• Taking instructions and providing you with initial advice
• Carrying out any searches as required or securing appropriate insurances where available
• Investigating and reporting on the title to the mortgage company
• Reporting to you on the mortgage offer and discussing dates for completion
• Receiving funds to complete
• Registering the mortgage at the Land Registry

Contact us

If you would like to discuss any of this in more detail we would refer you to our Team Page for details of the individuals (and qualification and level of experience) who will carry out work for you located at our various offices. All members of the team and their support staff will be happy to discuss your needs in more detail.