Buying & Selling Your Home

Solicitor Fees For Buying &  Selling A House​

Our solicitor fees cover all of the legal work and other administrative tasks required to complete the sale or purchase of your home. This includes dealing with registration at the Land Registry and 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 legal fees typically range from £795 to £2,000. The exact solicitor fees for buying or selling a house can depend on a number of factors including the complexity of the transaction and the location of the property.

We will always be pleased to give you a quotation which will be tailored to your specific requirements. We are proud to offer a number of discounts that you may be entitled to. Please enquire at your local office.

We are not a “factory conveyancing firm” and if we are instructed, your transaction will be passed to one of our qualified staff, who has the relevant expertise to lead you through the process from start to finish. With our team of experienced solicitors, buying or selling a home has never been easier.

Churchers are also CQS accredited. To gain this accreditation Churchers underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society, which marks the firm out as meeting high standards in the residential conveyancing process.

Sale or Purchase – Freehold Properties

• Property Value £0-£250,000: From £795 plus VAT 
• Property Value £250,001- £350,000:From £895 plus VAT 
• Property Value £350,001- £500,000: From £995 plus VAT
• Property Value £500,001 and over: from £1,250 plus VAT  but you should contact us for a bespoke quotation.

Sale or Purchase – Leasehold Properties

• An additional fee to the above will be added,  of £300.00

Disbursements/Additional Items

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

• Electronic Identification (per person): from £10 plus VAT
• Search Pack for a Purchase: from £145 plus VAT
• Electronic Funds Transfer fee (per transfer): £35 plus VAT
• Land Registry fees: from £20 – £1,105
• Bankruptcy Search (per person): £2
• Land registry search: £3
• Official Copy Documents for a Sale: £6-£24 on average
• Land Registry Fee: Please visit the Land Registry website
• Stamp Duty Land Tax – This will depend upon the purchase price of the property and  whether you have an interest in any other land in the world. You can calculate your stamp duty liability by visiting HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.

Third Party  Costs – Leasehold Properties

• Notice of Transfer fee – This fee, if chargeable, is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £25- £200 per notice.*
• Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) – This fee is set out in the lease. Often the fee is between £25- £200 per notice.*
• Deed of Covenant fee – This fee is provided by the management company for the property and can be difficult to estimate. Often it is between £25- £200*
• Certificate of Compliance fee – To be confirmed upon receipt of the lease, as can range between £25- £200*
• Sales packs from a management company (if you are selling) can range from £100 – £450.

*These prices vary from property to property and can on occasion be significantly more than the ranges given above. More often than not, these costs are compulsory as your lender will require compliance. We will account to you when the information is supplied to us. You should also be aware that ground rent and service charge are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property and will most likely increase during your period of ownership. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge as soon as we receive this information.

Can the solicitor fees for buying or purchasing a house increase?

If we need to increase our fee because the matter has become protracted, we will always discuss this with you before undertaking further work. Prices are subject to our discretion and may increase depending on the factors of each individual transaction such as:

• If legal title is defective or part of the property is unregistered
• If building regulations or planning permission has not been obtained
• If there is information or documentation missing
• If the property is shared ownership
• If the property is shared equity
• If we are required to deal with multiple lenders or unregulated lenders i.e. bridging finance
• If it is a company purchase
• If you are buying with a Help to Buy ISA
• If there is a requirement for a lease extension
• If the property is a new build
• If you are buying with a Help to Buy Equity Loan

How long until I get the keys?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted to moving into your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-8 weeks. This can vary depending on the parties in the chain.
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 between 4-6 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 3 and 5 months. In such a situation additional charges would apply. Every transaction is different and you can only move as quickly as the slowest person in the chain.

Step by step

We’ve put together a brief overview of some of the milestones involved when buying a property. If you have any other questions about the process of buying or selling your home or would like to learn more about the solicitor fees involved, please contact us today.

• A very brief overview of key milestones for a purchase is as follows
• Taking your instructions and giving you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documentation
• Carrying out searches and reporting to you on the same
• Obtaining copy planning documentation if required
• Raising any necessary enquiries of the seller’s solicitor based on the contract documentation received
• Giving you advice on all documents and information received
• Going through conditions of your mortgage offer with you and correctly executing the mortgage deed. We will also deal with any specific conditions of your mortgage offer to satisfy lender requirements
• Sending to you the final contract for your signature
• Agreeing a completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
• Arranging for all monies needed to be received from your lender and from you
• Completing the purchase
• Dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
• Dealing with application for registration at Land Registry

We are here to help you right the way through your transaction. Please contact a member of the Buying and Selling Your Home team on 01329 822 333 for more information regarding our property solicitor fees.