Leasehold Purchase: Our Fees
Fixed-fee conveyancing for buying a leasehold flat or house
To help you choose a solicitor, the SRA requires us to publish clear price and service information. Below are our fees for buying a leasehold property, the disbursements you pay to third parties, whether VAT applies, the key stages of the work, typical timescales, and who will do the work. For a fixed-fee quote tailored to your property, call 01482 228808.
Our legal fees
We charge a fixed legal fee for a leasehold purchase, based on the price of the property. The fee is confirmed in writing before any work begins and will only change if the work turns out to be materially different from what we were told, in which case we will tell you before doing any additional work.
| Property price | Legal fee | Including VAT at 20% |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £100,000 | £900 + VAT | £1,080 |
| £100,001 to £400,000 | £950 + VAT | £1,140 |
| £400,001 to £600,000 | £1,250 + VAT | £1,500 |
| £600,001 to £800,000 | £1,450 + VAT | £1,740 |
| £800,001 to £1,000,000 | £1,750 + VAT | £2,100 |
| Over £1,000,000 | Individual quote on request | |
A leasehold supplement of £250 + VAT (£300 including VAT) is added for the additional work on the lease, the landlord and any management company.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs paid to third parties on your behalf. On a typical leasehold purchase they are:
| Disbursement | Cost | VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Search pack: local authority, drainage and water, and environmental searches | £182.86 | No VAT |
| Identity and anti-money laundering checks, per person | £16.80 | No VAT |
| Bankruptcy search, per person | £7.80 | No VAT |
| HM Land Registry priority search | £8.80 | No VAT |
| Same-day bank transfer fee | £40 | Plus VAT (£8) |
| HM Land Registry registration fee | See the scale below | No VAT |
HM Land Registry registration fee
This fee is set by HM Land Registry and depends on the price of the property:
| Property price | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £80,000 | £20 |
| £80,001 to £100,000 | £40 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £100 |
| £200,001 to £500,000 | £150 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £295 |
Examples of the total cost
For one buyer, including VAT and all disbursements, but not Stamp Duty Land Tax:
| Price | Legal fee | Leasehold supplement | VAT | Disbursements | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £150,000 | £950 | £250 | £248 | £356.26 | £1,804.26 |
| £250,000 | £950 | £250 | £248 | £406.26 | £1,854.26 |
| £500,000 | £1,250 | £250 | £308 | £406.26 | £2,214.26 |
Where there is more than one buyer, the identity check and bankruptcy search fees apply to each person. For a figure for your own purchase, use our conveyancing fees calculator, which uses the same fee schedule as this page.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Stamp Duty Land Tax is a government tax, not a fee we charge, and is not included in the totals above. The amount depends on the price, whether you are a first time buyer and whether you own another property. You can calculate it with HMRC's Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator, and our fees calculator includes it in your quote.
Leasehold charges set by the landlord or managing agent
On a leasehold purchase the landlord or managing agent will usually charge for registering the transfer and your mortgage (notices of assignment and charge), and may charge for a deed of covenant or certificate of compliance. These fees vary between developments and are not set by us. We will tell you the amounts as soon as they are confirmed, and before you commit to the purchase.
The conveyancing process, step by step
- Instruction and ID checks. We open the file, run anti-money-laundering and identification checks (a regulatory requirement), and send our client care pack with the full fee breakdown.
Typical timescale: within the first week of your instructions. - Searches. We commission the search pack: local authority, drainage and water, environmental, and any property-specific searches (chancel, mining, flood). Searches take one to four weeks depending on the local authority.
Typical timescale: one to four weeks, depending on the local authority. - Reviewing the contract pack. The seller's solicitor sends the contract, title documents, fittings list and property information form. We review the pack and raise any enquiries.
Typical timescale: one to two weeks after we receive the pack, running alongside the searches. - Enquiries. We raise enquiries on anything unclear, such as boundaries, recent building works, planning or lease covenants, and obtain written replies.
Typical timescale: two to four weeks, depending on how quickly the seller's solicitor replies. - Mortgage offer. If you are buying with a mortgage, we review the lender's formal offer and its special conditions and report back to you.
Typical timescale: usually two to four weeks from your application; the timing is set by your lender. - Report on title. We send you a plain-English report on what you are buying, any issues, and what to be aware of. You sign the contract, transfer deed and mortgage deed.
Typical timescale: about a week, once the searches, enquiries and mortgage offer are complete. - Exchange of contracts. The deposit (usually 10%) is paid and a completion date is set. At this point both parties are legally committed.
Typical timescale: when everyone in the chain is ready, often eight to ten weeks from instruction. - Completion. The balance is sent to the seller's solicitor, the keys are released, and the property is yours. We then submit your Stamp Duty Land Tax return and register you as owner at HM Land Registry.
Typical timescale: usually one to four weeks after exchange, on the agreed date. We submit the Stamp Duty Land Tax return within the 14 day deadline. Registration at HM Land Registry can take several months but does not affect your ownership.
What is not included
Our fee assumes a standard transaction with no unforeseen complications. We will agree a separate fee, and tell you before doing the work, for additional matters, for example, a Shared Ownership purchase, a lease extension or deed of variation, a defective title, a statutory declaration or indemnity policy, or resolving problems revealed by the searches. Our fee does not include financial or mortgage advice, a survey, or tax advice beyond calculating Stamp Duty Land Tax.
Typical timescales
Most residential transactions take around eight to twelve weeks from instruction to completion. Searches alone take one to four weeks depending on the local authority. The overall timeline depends on the chain, the search providers, the lender, and anything the searches or enquiries raise; leasehold, new-build and long-chain matters can take longer. We give you a realistic estimate at the outset and keep you updated at each stage.
Who will do the work
Your matter will be handled by a member of our residential conveyancing team, under the supervision of a Director. At our Hull office the team is supervised by Dennis Brewer together with Senior Conveyancer Jemma Tonkiss. At our Hornsea office it is supervised by Robert Wallace.
Supervision
- Dennis Brewer, Director, Solicitor. Qualified as a solicitor in 1978. Advises on all types of property matters and supervises the conveyancing team at our Hull office.
- Robert Wallace, Director, Solicitor. Qualified as a solicitor in 1992. Supervises the conveyancing team at our Hornsea office.
- Jemma Tonkiss, Senior Conveyancer. With the firm since 2016, after around two years with another firm of solicitors in Hull. Supervises the conveyancing team at our Hull office with Dennis Brewer.
The team
- Claire Sims, Conveyancer. With the firm since it was established in 2012, and working in law firms since the late 1980s. Handles residential conveyancing at our Hornsea office.
- Kamila Bukowska, Conveyancer. Law graduate. With the firm since 2019, at our Hull office.
- Sinyin Wong, Conveyancer. With the firm since January 2018, at our Hull office.
- Rachel Livingston, Conveyancer. Joined the firm in 2022 from another local firm.
- Laura Guy, Conveyancer. Continuing her professional studies alongside her conveyancing work.
- Matthew Foley, Conveyancer.
- Billie-Jo Herbert, Conveyancer.
- Nikki Fox, Conveyancing Assistant. More than 15 years in the legal profession. With the firm since 2017, at our Hornsea office.
- Donna Francis, Conveyancing Assistant.
- Rachel Burr, Conveyancing Assistant.
We will confirm who is handling your matter, and who supervises them, when you instruct us.
From our specialistLeasehold purchases need extra care over the lease and its management, and we price that openly with a fixed supplement. You will know the full cost, and who is doing the work, before you commit.”
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For a fixed-fee quote on your leasehold purchase, please contact our conveyancing team.
SRA-regulated . CQS-accredited conveyancing