Conveyancing

Our Service

We are a niche practice providing a high level of specialism in this complex area of law. We have secured membership to the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme, this is the mark of excellence for the home buying process.

The scheme requires practices to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self reporting, random audits and annual reviews in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies Association, Legal Ombudsman and the Association of British Insurers.

Once we are instructed, you will be assigned a dedicated solicitor who has many years of experience in this complex area of law. Your solicitor will provide you with a personal service to ensure that your needs are met and that you are confident that your transaction is in safe hands.

Partners Robyn Lynch and Roisin Dore are our dedicated solicitors in relation to conveyancing work

• Robyn Lynch is the firm’s senior partner. She has been with the firm since 1994 and has over 50 years of experience as a solicitor
• Roisin Dore joined the firm in 2010 and is an experienced solicitor with over ten years post qualification experience

You can be assured that your conveyance will be handled by one of our highly qualified solicitors.

Our fees

No two properties are exactly the same, and our fees will reflect the particular requirements of your sale or purchase. For example, dealing with a listed building may, because of the added complexities, cost more than dealing with a new freehold property. We will provide you with a more accurate indication of the likely cost involved once we have had an opportunity to discuss the particular features of your transaction with you.

For an indication of costs, for a property with a value in the region of £300,000 where there are no unexpected complications, we typically calculate our fee on a Fixed Fee basis as follows:

These figures are presented exclusive of VAT at 20% and disbursements which are payable in addition.

Property Value	Sale – freehold	Purchase – freehold	Re-mortgage	Acting for Lenders
£300k	From £950	From £950	From £700	From an additional £300

Our maximum charge for a freehold sale at £2m would be £2,800 plus VAT at 20%, and our maximum for a freehold purchase at £2m would be £3,000 plus VAT at 20% and disbursements.

We will always give you an individual cost estimate at the start of the transaction based on your particular circumstances and advise you immediately should any complication arise before any additional charges are incurred.

For a more accurate estimate we recommend that you get in touch with us to discuss your individual circumstances.

Leasehold

For leasehold properties our fee will be from £1200 plus VAT depending on whether your instruction relates to a sale or a purchase and dependent upon the features of your transaction.

Disbursements

In addition to our fees you are also required to pay costs that are relevant to your transaction that are payable to third parties, these are sometimes called ‘disbursements’.

An example is a search fee which is paid to a search company (for example a coal mining search or a water and drainage search) on the property that you are purchasing.

We will generally handle the payment on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The most common disbursements in a conveyance are detailed below:

For a Sale transaction
Office Copy Entries	£14 per set
Bank Transfer Fee	£40 plus VAT per transfer
For a Purchase transaction
Stamp Duty Land Tax (paid to the Inland Revenue)	The amount depends on the purchase price of your property. This can be calculated using HMRC’s website or if your property is in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website here.
Land Registry Fee	This fee varies depending on the property and further details can be confirmed on request
Search fees (to cover the usual recommended searches x 3)	In the region of £7 per person for official searches and in the region of £400 plus VAT for regulated searches
Chancel Liability Indemnity Insurance	From £19 (including Insurance Premium Tax) A scaled fee typically applies depending on the value of the property.
Sale of Leasehold Properties
For leasehold properties there are usually additional fees payable to the landlord or managing agent to obtain a Management Pack or replies to Leasehold Property Enquiries these are typically between £300- £1000 plus VAT but can be higher. There may also be other disbursements such as a fee to the landlord or their agent to register you as the new owner and your lender as an interested party. These additional disbursements could be anything from £200 – £850 depending of the requirement of the freehold management agent.

Disbursements vary from property to property and this is not an exhaustive list. We will be able to give you a specific estimate once we have had sight of the documentation relating to your transaction.

How long will the transaction take?

The time from an offer being accepted until the time that keys are exchanged will depend on many factors.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the number of parties in the chain and many other factors. For example, a first time buyer purchasing a new build property with a mortgage agreed in principle is likely to be quicker than a transaction involving a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease.

The average conveyance which is free from complications will generally take between 6-8 weeks.

We will endeavour to complete your transaction as quickly as possible and reduce any avoidable delays that are within our control as far as possible.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the home buying process and the timescales for each stage also varies. There are many factors that impact the timescales for each stage including other members of the chain, mortgage applications or results of surveys that require further investigations.

As a general guide the following steps are part of our service for a typical conveyance transaction:

• Taking instructions and giving initial advice
• Drafting or receiving and advising on contract documents
• Carrying out searches and obtaining planning documentation if required
• Raising or answering enquiries on title documents and searches
• Reporting on title and obtain mortgage offer (if appropriate)
• Obtaining authority to exchange and agree completion date
• Agreeing pre-completion documents and obtaining pre-completion searches
• Providing a financial statement
• Completing the sale/purchase
• Dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax and application for registration at Land Registry

Please do get in touch with us and we will be happy to discuss your individual needs and provide you with a bespoke estimate for our service.