Property transactions in England and Wales

The stages involved in the sale of a residential property can vary for each transaction.  However, below are the key stages we would typically expect in a standard property sale and these are covered by our standard fix legal fee:

Step 1: We take your instructions and give initial advice.

Step 2: We obtain the title documents, prepare a Contract for Sale for submission to your buyer’s solicitors and deal with any title enquiries they raise.

Step 3: We obtain a settlement figure for any charges (including mortgage) secured against your property.

Step 4: After approving the form of transfer supplied by the buyer’s solicitor, we arrange with you for your signature on the Contract and Transfer Deed.

Step 5: We take your instructions on proposed completion dates and then liaise with the buyer’s solicitor to confirm the completion date and exchange contracts to secure the sale of your property.

Step 6: We complete the sale transaction and deal with repayment of your mortgage and the settlement of any estate agent fees as pre-approved by you.

Step 7: We transfer the net sale proceeds to you.

Property sales on average take at least 12 weeks but this can vary and be considerably longer.

We offer a standard fixed fee for a residential property sale subject to the transaction having no complicating factors.  Our fee is plus VAT and additional costs (see below for typical additional costs) and the fee increases in line with the value of the property.  

Standard fees:

We will give you a written fee estimate once we have had an initial discussion with you to find out all the relevant information for the sale.  If there are any unexpected complications during the sale, we will inform you and discuss any potential impact on price before additional fees are incurred.

Additional third-party costs - Disbursements:

Typical third-party costs include:

• HM Land Registry copy documentation: £6-20
• Sales pack/Leasehold Property Enquiries//Freehold Management Enquiries: £0-500
• Same day bank transfer: £30 each
• Estate agent’s fee: As agreed by you direct
• Title Indemnity Policy (if applicable): Premium based on type and amount of cover. Plus minimum Thorntons fee of £150 plus VAT.

Complicating factors affecting costs: 

Our standard fixed fee is based on a straightforward sale with no complicating factors.  Complicating factors might include: lack of certification for any alterations or building works carried out, title defects that need to be reported to lenders, remedied or indemnity insurance put in place or non-standard mortgage conditions to be complied with.

Further additional charges to cover complicated factors will be based upon the time needed to deal with them.  The hourly rates charged will be dependent on the experience of the solicitor involved and start at £170 plus VAT.  We will provide you with an estimate of the total additional charges either at the start of the transaction or when we become aware of any complicating factors.

If your sale falls through before it is completed then we will charge for the time spent up to that point subject to our fees never exceeding the agreed fixed fee and charges for dealing with any complicating factors. 

The stages involved in the purchase of a residential property can vary for each transaction.  However, below are the key stages we would typically expect in a standard property purchase (including mortgage security work for a high street lender such as a bank or building society) and these are covered in our standard fixed legal fee.

Step 1: We take your instructions and give you initial advice.

Step 2: We establish your funding arrangements.

Step 3: We obtain the Contract, title and supporting information documents from the seller's solicitors, review them and raise any relevant title enquiries with the solicitors.  We report back to you on the documents and any replies to raised enquiries.

Step 4: We carry out the standard searches on the property.

Step 5: We receive your mortgage instructions if you are obtaining mortgage funding, review them and ensure compliance with any conditions.

Step 6: We report to you as to the title and searches.

Step 6: We prepare a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) or Land Transaction Tax return form, Transfer Deed and other relevant documents, and arrange for you to sign the Contract, and also the Transfer and Mortgage Deeds if needed.  

Step 7: We let you know the required deposit and any further funds to complete the transaction.

Step 8: We take your instructions on suitable completion dates and exchange contracts to confirm the completion date and secure the purchase of the property, and when applicable, completing the purchase transaction.

Step 9: We file the SDLT or Land Transaction Tax return and arrange payment of any tax due, register the property and your mortgage with HM Land Registry.  Also, where required, we serve notice of purchase and charge, if any, on any relevant lessor or management company.

Step 10: We provide you with confirmation of the registration of the property into your name and any pre-registration deeds and documents, and provide your mortgage lender with a copy of the updated title documents.

Buying property on average takes at least 12 weeks but this can vary and be considerably longer.

We offer a standard fixed fee for a residential property purchase subject to the transaction having no complicating factors.  The fee is plus VAT and additional costs (see below for typical additional costs) and the fee increases in line with the value of the property.  

Standard fees:

Additional costs:

Typical extra costs include:

• Help to Buy ISA or Lifetime ISA bonus claim:  £50 per account
• New build properties: From £300 is payable to reflect the considerable further work required
• Help to Buy scheme: From £450 would be charged for the extra work involved
• Title Indemnity Policy (if applicable): Premium based on type and amount of cover. Plus minimum Thorntons fee of £150 plus VAT.
• Remortgage Freehold from £600 
• Remortgage Leasehold from £800

Typical disbursements include:

• Search costs: £250-400
• HMLR pre-completion searches: £3 per title
• HMLR bankruptcy searches: £2 per name
• Same day bank transfer: £30 each
• Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Land Transaction Tax in Wales: The amount due depends on the property price and circumstances - see the HMRC’s Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator or the Welsh Government’s Land Transaction Tax calculator
• HM Land Registry registration fees: The amount due depends on property price and the nature of the application - see the Land Registry fees calculator.

Complicating factors affecting costs:

Our standard fixed fee is on the basis of a straightforward purchase with no complicating factors.  For example, complications would be issues such as lack of certification for any alterations or building works carried out, title defects that need to be reported to lenders, or non-standard mortgage conditions to be complied with.

Further additional charges to cover complicated factors will be based upon the time needed to deal with them.  The hourly rates charged will be dependent on the experience of the solicitor involved and start at £140 plus VAT.  We will provide you with an estimate of any additional charges at the start of the transaction or when we become aware of any complicating factors.

If your purchase falls through before it is completed then we will charge for the time spent up to that point subject to our fees never exceeding the agreed fixed fee and charges for dealing with any complicating factors. 

We can help with the re-mortaging of a property and also mortgaging of mortgage-free properties.  Our fees depend on the value of the property, mortgage sum, complexity or unusual aspects and any other relevant factors.  As a guide, our standard fees are:

Freehold property           From £500 plus VAT and any disbursements

Leasehold property        From £650 plus VAT and any disbursements