Solicitor for Buying a House

How much are solicitors’ fees for buying a house?

My fee for buying a home is fixed, and it is published on the Fees page, shown plus VAT and including VAT.

The total cost of the legal work has three parts. The first is my fixed fee. The second is any additional fee that applies to your purchase, for example for a leasehold property, a gifted deposit or a Lifetime ISA. The third is disbursements, which are payments to other organisations, such as the searches and the HM Land Registry fee. Stamp duty land tax, where it is payable, is a tax and not part of my fee. Everything is listed on the Fees page, and your quote shows what applies to you.

What does a solicitor do when buying a house?

A conveyancing solicitor makes sure you get good legal ownership of the property you are paying for, and that your lender’s requirements are met. When I act for you, I:

• check the contract and the legal title the seller’s solicitor sends;
• order the searches, with the council, the water company and others, and explain what they show;
• raise questions with the seller’s solicitor and check the answers;
• check your mortgage offer and deal with your lender;
• report to you in plain English before you sign;
• exchange contracts, and on completion send the money to the seller’s solicitor;
• deal with the stamp duty land tax return and register you as the owner at HM Land Registry.

How long does conveyancing take when buying?

As an estimate, 6 to 12 weeks from the accepted offer to completion. This is an estimate, not a promise. It depends on things outside my control, such as the length of the chain, the searches, your lender and the seller’s solicitor.

Who this suits

First-time buyers, home movers, buy-to-let buyers and auction buyers, wherever you are in England and Wales.

If you are buying at auction, please contact me before the auction. Contracts are usually exchanged when the hammer falls, so the legal pack needs to be checked before you bid.

How it works

1. You tell me about the property, the price and how you are paying for it.
2. I send you a fixed-fee quote and tell you which firm will act for you.
3. Identity checks and documents are handled online.
4. I carry out the searches, title checks and enquiries, and deal with your lender.
5. I report to you, and you sign online, or by post where that is needed.
6. We exchange contracts and complete, and I deal with stamp duty land tax and the registration.

Fees

My fixed fee for buying a home, and the additional fees that apply in some cases, are on the Fees page, shown plus VAT and including VAT.