Purchase of a freehold property
At Hewitson & Harker, we have a team of experts that make our service stand out.
Our experienced property team provide a competitively priced, personal and dedicated service. We offer fixed fees on all our property matters, and explain the costs involved upfront so there are no hidden surprises.
How much does it cost?
Our fees cover all of 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 you wish to buy is in Wales.Conveyancer's fees and disbursements
- Legal fees starting at £600 plus VAT at 20%
- VAT payable £120 (starts at)
- Search fees £190
- HM Land Registry fee £20 (starts at and depends on purchase price)
- Electronic money transfer fee £30 plus vat
- Pre-completion searches-£5 plus vat (starts at)
- Subtotal £972
Additional costs payable
Referral fee (if any)
- The amount of referral fee payable ranges from £50 -£100 plus VAT. Your quotation provided will detail any referral fee payable (if applicable)
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.
Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)
This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC's website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority's websiteHow long will my house purchase take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 8-12 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 8-10 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 4 and 8 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.Stages of the process
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:- 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 documentation if required
- Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor
- Give you advice on all documents and information received
- Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
- Send final contract to you for signature
- Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
- 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
* 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
- the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication 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.