Legal Fee Information for

Sale of a Freehold or Leasehold Residential Property

Introduction

Our Legal Fees cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your home.

 

Legal Fees

Legal Fees is the amount you will be required to pay for all of the work performed by us in actioning your instructions, from the commencement of your case to conclusion.

 

Freehold Sale

Our average standard legal fee for a residential freehold property sale is from £1250 to £2,500+ VAT (£1500to £3000 Inc. VAT) Please see our fee scale below:

Up to  £400,000 From £1250+ VAT (£1500 Inc. VAT)
£400,001 – £500,000 From £1370 + VAT (£1644 Inc. VAT)
£500,001 – £600,000 From £1450 + VAT (£1740 Inc. VAT)
£600,001 – £700,000 From £1550 + VAT (£1850 Inc. VAT)
£700,001 to £800,000 From £1750 + VAT (£2100 Inc. VAT)
£800,001 to £900,000 From £1950 + VAT (£2340 Inc. VAT)
£900,001 to £999,000 From £2250 + VAT (£2700 Inc. VAT)
Over £999,001 From £2500 + VAT (£3000 Inc. VAT)
  • For Leasehold properties we charge a further £250 +VAT (£300 Inc. VAT)
  • The value of the property and any complexities of the sale will dictate the final fee charged within this range.
  • We will charge the sum of £35 + VAT (£42 inc VAT) for Electronic money transfers.
  • Below, we detail what services are covered in our standard fee.
  • VAT will be payable on our fees and some disbursements and we will clearly confirm which disbursements carry VAT in our formal quotation or as we advise you to incur them.
  • AML Search Fee (per search/person ) £30 +VAT (£36 Inc. VAT)

If at any stage our fees change, we will notify you and discuss the reason for any changes. This would typically occur if you change your instructions or your case involves an unforeseen complexity.

Our average fees assume that:

  1. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise.
  2. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.
  3. For Leasehold matters, this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease.
  4. No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

Disbursements and Other Costs

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

You will be provided with a full list of disbursements in our formal quotation.  If you need to incur any further disbursements during your case, you will be notified in advance of the reason and the amount.

The following disbursements and other costs may apply in your matter:

  • Office copies of title deeds £3.50 plus vat (£4.20 incl vat) 
  • Office copies plan £3.50 plus vat (£4,20 incl) 
  • Mortgage legal fees on purchase £150.00+VAT (£180.00 Inc. VAT)
  • Land Registry Office Copy and Title Plan (per Title) £7.00
  • Bankruptcy Search (per name) £3.50 plus vat (£4.20 incl vat) 
  • Land Registry fees. The following link provided details of land registry fees payable. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees.

We will advise the fees that are relevant to your matter when we have the details of your property.

If your property is leasehold, the following additional costs may arise:

  • Notice of Transfer fee – This fee if chargeable is set out in the lease. We will advise once reviewing the terms of your lease
  • Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease and fees can range depending on the lease
  • Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property. To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, fees can range depending on the lease.
  • Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, fees can range depending on the lease.
  • Management pack, these typically start from £300+VAT (£360 inc VAT) but can be more and we will confirm with you on application and review of your property sale.

These fees will vary from property to property and can on occasions be significantly more than the ranges given above. We will give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

 

How long will my property sale take?

How long it will take from your acceptance of an offer to the final sale of your property will depend on a number of factors.

  • The average process for a residential freehold property is between 4 – 8 weeks.
  • The average process for a residential leasehold property is between 4 – 12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on a number of factors and we will notify you if we believe your transaction may take longer than average or if something occurs in your case to extend the transaction time.

If you are selling a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take longer. In such a situation, additional charges would apply and we will notify you of the additional charges and time estimate when we, or the buyers, solicitors have engaged the landlord to discuss the extension.

 

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances.

We have set out the key stages of a standard transaction: –

  • Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice.
  • Undertaking regulatory checks.
  • Responding to enquiries of purchaser’s solicitor.
  • Giving you advice on all documents and information received.
  • Advising you on joint or shared ownership.
  • Advising on any mortgage redemption, if appropriate.
  • Sending final contract to you for signature.
  • Agreeing a completion date (date from which you no longer own the property).
  • Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened.
  • Approving transfer fee and obtaining your signature to it.
  • Completing the transaction and discharging any mortgage.
  • Arranging for all monies needed to be received from your buyer and distributing those monies.

Other Factors

Other Factors to consider which may affect your Legal Fees: –

  • Value of the property.
  • In Sale cases, whether a primary residence, buy to let or second/holiday home.
  • Multiple owners.
  • Shared ownership scheme.
  • Using a help to buy scheme, and whether it is an equity loan or ISA.
  • Sale under right to buy.
  • Sale at auction.
  • Property has been repossessed.

These fees vary from property to property and can on occasion, be significantly more than the ranges given above. We can give you an accurate figure once we have sight of your specific documents.

Fee Earners

The following fee earners handle Residential Property matters:

Paul Strube is a Director and qualified Solicitor with over 35 years PQE. He has worked at Parker Arrenberg for over 4 years and specialises in residential and commercial property matters. Paul holds a CQE Accreditation from The Law Society which is a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices.

Kirstie Edmondson is a qualified solicitor with over 8 years PQE and has been working at Parker Arrenberg for 10 years. Kirstie is part of our Property team and specialises in Residential Conveyancing, having worked in this area of law since qualifying.

Questions

If you have any questions relating to our services and our fees, please contact us on 0208 695 2330 or email us at reception@parkerarrenberg.co.uk.