Thank you for looking at our property services. Whether you are a first-time buyer or an investor, we are here to take the stress out of buying and selling a home. We will guide you through each step of the transaction and tailor our service to your personal requirements, so you get exactly the service you need.
When it comes to selling a property, there are important decisions you need to make and we are here to ensure that all your legal obligations are met. There are lots of boxes to tick and we want to assist you in selling your house quickly and efficiently, leaving you free to move on to your next property.
Why Us
We have an experienced team who understand the stresses involved in selling property. Our approach is a simple – we provide a first-class service from our expert team who make the difference by taking care of all the important legal details and removing any confusion and uncertainty from the process of selling a property.
Whether you are selling your property through an estate agent or privately, we will make everything as clear as possible. Our team are made up of highly qualified and experienced legal advisors and support staff who have the legal and technical “know how” to resolve any issues as they arise in a professional and efficient manner.
We also recognise that communication is key, especially where there are complex issues to deal with, so will ensure you are always kept up-to-date and get answers to your questions in plain English.
We want you to feel confident that you are a priority, with our aim being that a member of the team is available to speak with you when you need some clarity and certainty at any stage in the process. We feel this provides reassurance and gives you an outlet for any concerns that you may have. We know property is often the biggest investment you have, so we want to offer a reliable, first-class service to protect that investment, while giving you value for money with no hidden fees.
We are proud to hold Lexcel and CQS Accreditations, issued by the Law Society. This involves the firm undergoing a rigorous audit process which ensures we maintain high levels of client care.
Pricing
The fees involved in any transaction are important and we review our fees on a regular basis, considering client’s feedback to ensure we always offer good value for money. We typically work on a fixed fee basis, so that from the outset you know what the fees will be for your transaction.
No two properties are exactly the same, and our fees will reflect the particular requirements of your sale. For example, dealing with an older property which has had many alterations made to it may, because of the added complexities, cost more than dealing with a new freehold property.
Because of this, we can’t give you a reliable estimate of the cost of us helping you until we have details of your intended sale. But our fees for house sales range from £600.00 plus VAT to £2,000.00 plus VAT; the average price for a freehold house sale is £844.00 plus VAT, and for a leasehold flat sale is £894.00 plus VAT.
Our fixed fee is based on a ‘standard’ transaction. If any unusual or unforeseen matters arise which demand extra time, we do charge for additional work. Our fixed fee assumes that:-
- The sale 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;
- 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 third parties providing documentation;
- No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.
If during the transaction there are unexpected complications, we always inform you of that immediately, and would fully discuss the potential consequences before any extra charges are incurred.
As an example, our fees to cover the work required to complete the sale of a registered freehold property with no mortgage by two joint owners at a price of £295,000 are set out as:
Residential Sale
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the sale of your current home.
Item | Amount | VAT | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
Our Fees | £850.00 | £170.00 | £1,020.00 |
Land Registry Official Copy entries fees | £6.00 | £6.00 | |
Bankruptcy Search fees | £4.00 | £4.00 | |
Electronic money transfer administration fee (per transfer if required) | £40.00 | £8.00 | £48.00 |
Estimate Total | £900.00 | £178.00 | £1,078.00 |
Disbursements
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. On a sale, this may include payment for obtaining copy documents (eg planning permissions, building regulation consents or documents relating to guarantees) or obtaining any necessary consent required (eg on a leasehold sale, or to comply with the terms of any covenants affecting your property).
Exclusions
We do not undertake tax advice.
Our fees are fixed. However there may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees estimated above. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided.
Factors that may lead to an increase in cost include:
- If a legal title is defective or part of the property is unregistered
- If crucial documents we have previously requested from you have not been provided to us
- If you require to exchange within six weeks of instructing us
- If you require completion within six weeks of instructing us
- If you require simultaneous exchange and completion
Time Scales
For any transaction, the timescales are subject to change depending on when your offer is accepted and other factors involved, such as:
- Number of parties in the chain
- Whether the buyer has a mortgage in place
- Whether the buyer requests lease extension for a leasehold property
- Whether the searches flag up any issues
- Whether buyer’s Survey shows up any issues
- Buyer’s Enquiries
A typical transaction will take between eight to twelve weeks. However, if any of the above apply or there are other factors we need to take into consideration, it may increase the time by a further four to six weeks and additional charges may occur. We will discuss this with you at the earliest opportunity, so you always have a clear picture of how long things are likely to take.
Key Milestones
With every transaction there are key milestones, which may vary according to individual circumstances. They may be as follows:
- Taking your instructions and giving initial advised based on the information you have provided
- Checking finances are in place for the buyer to fund the purchase
- Drafting contracts of sale and any other necessary documents and reviewing these with you
- Sending the contacts of sale to the buyer’s solicitor and dealing with any enquires they have
- Providing advice on all documents and information received
- Finalising the contract and sending to you for signature
- Agreeing a completion date (the date from which the buyer will legally own the property)
- Exchanging contracts and notifying you that this has happened
- Completing the purchase
