Residential Conveyancing
Wadsworths have been assisting generations of clients to buy and sell their properties since 1986.
We are experts in both the field of property law, and also the local property market. We have excellent links with all of the major estate agents, as well as all of the other, local Solicitors.
As such, we are able to draw on this experience to provide a personal and dedicated service to all of our conveyancing clients and to do everything possible to ensure that the process runs smoothly and successfully.
Whether you are a first time buyer or a property developer, we have experience in acting for people just like you, and are able to tailor our service to suit you.
We also fully appreciate that, whatever type of property owner or purchaser you are, the conveyancing process can be very stressful. We pride ourselves on being able to minimise that stress, and we do everything we can to try to ensure that matters run smoothly and simply for you.
We offer fixed fee services for most conveyancing services, and prior to your instructing us we will have provided our estimate, for you to agree. That way, you will neither incur any fees before the transaction commences, nor will you be hit with any additional costs that you weren’t expecting.
In some cases, it is not possible to provide a fixed fee for the service, for example if there are uncertainties about what will be involved. In those circumstances, we will give you an estimate of costs, which will not be exceeded without your express permission.
Like with all of our work, our dedication to customer service is what we hope you will take away from dealing with us and also what we hope will set us apart from our competitors.
How long does it take?
Unfortunately, no one can predict the exact time a conveyancing transaction will take. The length of the chain (i.e. how many properties are involved), the type of transaction and the speed of other parties in responding to and submitting paperwork will all affect the process. For a straightforward transaction, completion should usually take place within 6-8 weeks of instruction, however this can never be guaranteed.
Residential Conveyancing Legal Fees Price Guide
Every legal transaction is unique, however in general our current fees fall within the following ranges (prices correct as at 20 February 2025):
- – Sale of Freehold Property: £1,000 – £1,850 plus VAT
- – Sale of Leasehold Property: £1150 – £2,000 plus VAT
- – Purchase of Freehold Property: £1,100 – £2,500 plus VAT
- – Purchase of Leasehold Property: £1,250 – £2,650 plus VAT
- – First Registration: £800 plus VAT
- – Remortgage: £800 plus VAT
- – Transfer of Equity/Assent: £800 plus VAT
- – Remortgage and Transfer of Equity: £1,000 plus VAT
- – Purchase of Freehold: £800 plus VAT
- – Lease Extension: £800 plus VAT
- – Equity Release: £1,000 plus VAT
- – Lifetime Equity Mortgage: £700 plus VAT
- – Deed of Variation: £600 plus VAT
Additional Fees
- – Sale/Purchase in Company Name: As above plus £300 plus VAT
- – Sale/Purchase of Shared Ownership: As above plus £150 plus VAT
- – Sale/Purchase of Unregistered: As above plus £250 plus VAT
- – Purchase of New Build Property: As above plus £300 plus VAT
- – Declaration of Trust: As above plus £450 plus VAT.
- – Help to Buy/Lifetime ISA: As above plus £110 plus VAT
- Additional fees that will not be included within the fee estimate but may be payable:
If you are purchasing a Leasehold property you may have to pay fees to the Landlord/Management Company such as the following
- – Deed of Covenant fee: £0.00 to £500.00
- – Notice of Transfer and Charge: £0.00 to £500.00
- – Certificate of Compliance: £0.00 to £350.00
- – Share Certificate fee: £0.00 to £300.00
You may also have to pay an apportionment of service charge and ground rent on completion if these fees have been paid up to date by the vendor.
Purchase of Freehold and Lease Extension
As well as the premium for the Freehold and Lease Extensions you may have to pay the freeholders legal fees and surveyors fees which could be in the region of £500.00 to £2000.00
Sale of Leasehold Property
You may have to pay fees to the Managing Agent/Landlord for them to provide a sales pack which will confirm their appropriate requirements on you selling the property, which could be in the region of £100.00 to £500.00.
For a more guaranteed price please contact us and we will provide you with a detailed estimate.
Please note, prices shown above exclude disbursements (see below for further information) and VAT is currently charged at 20%.
What do our conveyancing fees include?
The legal fees stated above include us carrying out the following work on your behalf:
With regard to your Sale:
- Checking the title to your property.
- Providing title information to the buyer’s solicitor and drafting the Contract and submitting the Contract and all relevant documentation to the buyer’s solicitor.
- Dealing with any pre-contract enquiries.
- Dealing with any mortgage lender with a charge registered against the property or any other bodies with an interest in the property.
- Dealing with any enquiries received from the buyer’s solicitors.
- Exchanging contracts.
- Approving the draft transfer on your behalf.
- Completing the matter.
- Discharging any mortgages registered against the property.
With regard to your Purchase:
- Checking the seller’s title.
- Raising appropriate enquiries before contract and reviewing the seller’s replies.
- Making searches with the local authority and other information providers in accordance with your instructions and the instructions of any lender.
- Reviewing and if necessary amending the contract and any associated documents.
- Advising you about the results of searches, replies to our enquiries and the terms of the Contract and any associated documents.
- Complying with the instructions of your mortgage lender if you are having a mortgage.
- Exchanging contracts.
- Making appropriate pre-completion searches and completing the matter.
- Making the appropriate return to HM Revenue & Customs for the purposes of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and on receipt of the signed SDLT Return Form submitting the same to HM Revenue and Customs.
- On receipt of any SDLT monies due from you, arranging for the same to be paid to HM Revenue and Customs on your behalf.
- Registering your ownership and any mortgage at the Land Registry.
Disbursements Price Guide
Disbursements arise where a payment is made on behalf of a client to a third party for which reimbursement is sought from the client.
The typical Conveyancing disbursements incurred during a sale of a property include £3.00 per title and £3.00 per title plan, any additional documents from the Land Registry are charged at £3.00 per document.
All conveyancing disbursements incurred when purchasing a property include search fees such as local authority, environmental and water searches which total to around £350.00. Additional searches may be required but we will advise you of the cost of the search before requesting the same. Most additional searches are around £40.00 and may include a flood, ground stability, energy or planning reports.
We charge a fee of £10.00 for chancel indemnity insurance along with £60.00 for completing the Land Transaction Return.
H M Land Registry charges are dependent on the purchase price and value between £20.00 to £910.00 for a registered property and between £40.00 to £910.00 for an unregistered property. The Stamp Duty that you will to have pay will be in accordance with the legalisation laid out by the Government at that time. We will also charge a telegraphic transfer charge for transferring monies and the fee for this £38.00.
All prices are subject to change dependant on various factors including property value. For an up to date and no obligation quote, please click here.
Meet Our Residential Conveyancing Team
The Residential Conveyancing department is supervised by Gemma Dempsey.
Gemma Dempsey
Alexandra Tait
Alex Browne
Jade Bromfield
Laura Staines
Paulette Fitch
Benjamin Jennings
Ellise Caldicott
Nicole Walker
Lorraine Hogshaw
Lauren Bolt
Emma Leigh
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