Purchase of a leasehold residential property

Our fees cover the work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property is in Wales.

Conveyancer’s fees and disbursements

• Legal fee: Starting from £660 (inclusive of VAT)* plus Leasehold Fee of £480 (inclusive of VAT) = £1,140 (inclusive of VAT)

(*our Legal Fee depends on the purchase price of the property)

• Fee for acting on behalf of the mortgage lender: included in the above fees

• Electronic money transfer fee: £30 (inclusive of VAT)

Legal Fees Subtotal: £1,170


Disbursements and Anticipated Disbursements as listed below

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third-parties, such as search fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. There are certain disbursements which will be set out in the individual lease relating to the Property. The disbursements which we anticipate will apply are set out separately below. This list is not exhaustive and other disbursements may apply depending on the terms of the lease. We will update you on the specific fees upon receipt and review of the lease from the seller’s solicitors.

• HM Land Registry fee: Starting from £40

• Search fees: £177.50 (inclusive of VAT)

• Bankruptcy/Land Charges Search: £2.00 per individual purchaser

• ECOS/AML fee: £30.00 per individual purchaser

• Land Registry Official Search (each title): £3.00

• Stamp Duty (SDLT): Advised on each individual case basis.


Disbursements Subtotal: £252.50

Anticipated disbursements*

Notice of Transfer fee - this fee if chargeable is set out in the Lease. Often the fee is between £100 to £200 (plus VAT) but will be dependent on the Landlord’s requirements/fees
Notice of Charge fee (if the property is to be mortgaged) - this fee is set out in the Lease. Often the fee is between £100 to £200 (plus VAT) but will be dependent on the Landlord’s requirements/fees
Deed of Covenant fee - this fee payable to the landlord/management company if a Deed of Covenant is required by the terms of the lease. The fee can be difficult to estimate. Often the fee is between £100 to £200 (plus VAT) but will be dependent on the Landlord’s requirements/fees
Certificate of Compliance fee - to be confirmed upon receipt of the lease. This can range between £100 to £200 (plus VAT) but will be dependent on the Landlord’s requirements/fees
*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 the specific leasehold documentation from the landlord.

You should also be aware that ground rent and service charge are likely to apply throughout your ownership of the property. We will confirm the ground rent and the anticipated service charge when we have this information.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax

This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you need pay by using HMRC’s website or, if the property is located in Wales, by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.

Grand total: £1,422.50 plus Anticipated Disbursements listed above

Stages of the process

These are the key stages of the process:

• • take your instructions and give you initial advice;
• • check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed;
• • receive and advise on contract documents;
• • carry out searches;
• • obtain further planning documents if required;
• • make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitors;
• • give you advice on all documents and information received;
• • go through conditions of mortgage offer with you;
• • send final report and contract to you for signature;
• • draft Transfer;
• • advise you on joint ownership;
• • obtain pre-completion searches;
• • agree completion date (date from which you own the property);
• • obtain your authority to exchange contracts, proceed to exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened;
• • arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you;
• • complete purchase;
• • deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax;
• • deal with application for registration at Land Registry;

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move into your house will depend on a number of factors. The average leasehold purchase process can take between 12 to 16 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 less time than if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, which can take significantly longer. In such a situation, additional charges would apply. Please be aware that conveyancing timetables are subject to a range of external factors and circumstances which are beyond our control, although we will look to achieve a realistic timetable with you and the solicitors acting for the other party. In Leasehold property purchases there are additional parties, e.g. the landlord, any managing agent or management company, from whom information may be required and we do not have control of their timescales in providing this to the seller. We will advise you of and explain any reasons for any significant delays and advise you if any additional unforeseen or excessive work becomes necessary.

Our fee assumes that:

• • this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction;
• • 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 the parties providing documentation;
• • no indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.