Costs & Fees

Residential Purchase

Our service for your residential purchase will include the following stages, our quote will cover all these steps:

Initial Stages

Ahead of us beginning work on your file, we will ensure we understand your instructions relating to the transaction. We will then complete our due diligence for Anti-Money Laundering and ID checks and you will be asked to sign an Engagement Letter.

Before Completion

This stage involves us investigating the Title, carrying out searches, reviewing any replies given by the seller and raising any necessary additional enquiries, negotiating Contract and Transfer documents and advising in respect of your mortgage offer. Once all this is completed, we liaise with the Seller's solicitors to agree exchange and completion dates and liaise with the bank to ensure mortgage money is received in time.

Exchange and Completion

Once you exchange on your new house, both you and the Seller will sign the Contracts. You will be asked to provide us with your deposit funds ahead of exchanging. Once the contracts are signed, you will be legally bound to buy the property, or forfeit your deposit. Completion can sometimes fall on the same day as exchange (known as a simultaneous exchange and completion) or, completion could be further down the line. Once you officially complete, this will be the day that you pick up the keys and gain access to the property as you will then be the legal owner.

Post Completion

After completion, there are still a number of tasks that we will need to undertake. We will firstly prepare and submit your Land Transaction Tax / Stamp Duty Land Transaction tax return to the appropriate authorities and then register your purchase (and mortgage, where applicable) at the Land Registry.

Costs - Purchase

The following table sets out our costs for a purchase:

Purchase Price & Associated Costs

£0 – £149,999.99 - £725.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£150,000.00 – £249,999.99 - £800.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£250,000.00 – £349,999.99 - £875.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£350,000.00 – £499,999.99 - £950.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£500,000.00 – £649,999.99 - £1,025.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£650,000.00 – £749,999.99 - £1,150.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£750,000.00 – £999,999.99 - £1,225.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Over £1,000,000.00 - 0.175% of the purchase price plus VAT charged at 20%

The above costs are for freehold properties. If the property is leasehold, an additional cost of £100 plus VAT charged at 20% will be added to the above.

Please note our firm does not deal with leasehold properties that fall under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Although all of our service costs are included in the quote, there will be additional disbursement charges (which we have to pay out on your behalf). These costs will be added to your quote so that you have a full picture of what you will be expected to pay.

These additional Disbursements can include:

CHAPS Payment Fee (for any payments made over £100,000.00) - £42.00 (£35.00 + £7.00 VAT)
Bank Transfer Fee (for any payments made of £99,999.99 or less) - £12.00 (£10.00 + £2.00 VAT)
Local Searches - price dependent on Local Authority - current average of £252.26 + VAT charged at 20%
Office Copies – £25.20 (£21.00 + £4.20 VAT) + £8.40 (£7.00 + £1.40 VAT) for each additional document
Search of the Index Map - from £9.60 (£8.00 + £1.60 VAT) per search
Priority Search - £8.40 (£7.00 + £1.40 VAT) per search
Bankruptcy Searches - £7.20 (£6.00 + £1.20 VAT) per individual
Identity Verification Searches - £3.96 (£3.30 + £0.66 VAT) to £16.80 (£14.00 + £2.80 VAT) per individual per search
Company Insolvency Searches – £19.40 (£16.17 + £3.23 VAT) per company
LMS/ULS Panel Admin Fee (if applicable) - £42.00 (£35.00 + £7.00 VAT)
Land Registration Submission Fee - £6.00 (£5.00 + £1.00 VAT)
Land Registration Fee – this can be calculated here Fees Calculator (landregistry.gov.uk)
Land Transaction Tax (Wales) – this can be calculated here Calculate Land Transaction Tax | GOV.WALES
Stamp Duty (England) – this can be calculated here Stamp Duty Land Tax Calculator

There is no VAT charged on Land Registration Fees, Land Transaction Tax or Stamp Duty.

Please note that the list above is not exhaustive and additional fees may be applied dependent on individual transactions. The estimated costs above are on the basis that the transaction does not become protracted and no unforeseen issues arise.

Additional Costs

The following shows the costs for additional services that may be required depending on the circumstances of the instruction:

Declaration of Trust - £150.00 to £495.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Help to Buy ISA or Lifetime ISA Administration Fee - £50.00 plus VAT charged at 20% per ISA

Help to Buy Scheme or Shared Ownership - £150.00 to £350.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

For Leasehold properties (that do not fall under the Building Safety Act) - £100.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Gifted Deposit Declarations - £125.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Residential Sale

Our service for your residential sale will include the following stages, our quote will cover all these steps:

Initial Stages

Ahead of us beginning work on your file, we will ensure we understand your instructions relating to the transaction. We will then complete our due diligence for Anti-Money Laundering and ID checks and you will be asked to sign an Engagement Letter.

Before Completion

This stage involves us investigating the Title, dealing with enquiries raised from the Purchaser's solicitor and negotiating the Contract and Transfer documents.

Exchange and Completion

Once you exchange, both you and the Purchaser will sign the Contracts. Completion can sometimes fall on the same day as exchange (known as a simultaneous exchange and completion) or, completion could be further down the line. Once you officially complete, this will be the day that you must hand over your keys and you will no longer have access to the property.

Post Completion

After completion, we will redeem your mortgage (if applicable) and arrange to return any proceeds of sale to you.

Costs - Sale

The following table sets out our costs for a sale:

Sale Price & Associated Costs

£0 – £149,999.99 - £650.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£150,000.00 – £249,999.99 - £725.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£250,000.00 – £349,999.99 - £800.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£350,000.00 – £499,999.99 - £875.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£500,000.00 – £649,999.99 - £950.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£650,000.00 – £749,999.99 - £1,025.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£750,000.00 – £999,999.99 - £1,150.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Over £1,000,000.00 - 0.125% of the sale price plus VAT charged at 20%

The above costs are for freehold properties. If the property is leasehold, an additional cost of £100 plus VAT charged at 20% will be added to the above.

Please note our firm does not deal with leasehold properties that fall under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Although all of our service costs are included in the quote, there will be additional disbursement charges (which we have to pay out on your behalf). These costs will be added to your quote so that you have a full picture of what you will be expected to pay.

These additional Disbursements can include:

CHAPS Payment Fee (for any payments made over £100,000.00) - £42.00 (£35.00 + £7.00 VAT)
Bank Transfer Fee (for any payments made of £99,999.99 or less) - £12.00 (£10.00 + £2.00 VAT)
Office Copies – £25.20 (£21.00 + £4.20 VAT) + £8.40 (£7.00 + £1.40 VAT) for each additional document
Search of the Index Map - from £9.60 (£8.00 + £1.60 VAT) per search
Bankruptcy Searches - £7.20 (£6.00 + £1.20 VAT) per individual
Identity Verification Searches - £3.96 (£3.30 + £0.66 VAT) to £16.80 (£14.00 + £2.80 VAT) per individual per search
Company Insolvency Searches – £19.40 (£16.17 + £3.23 VAT) per company

Please note that the list above is not exhaustive and additional fees may be applied dependent on individual transactions. The estimated costs above are on the basis that the transaction does not become protracted and no unforeseen issues arise.

Costs - Transfer of Equity / Remortgage

The following table sets out our costs for a Transfer of Equity / Remortage (without and with a mortgage):

Property price and cost without a mortgage:

£0 – £249,999.99 - £495.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£250,000.00 – £499,999.99 - £595.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£500,000.00 – £749,999.99 - £725.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£750,000.00 – £999,999.99 - £895.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Over £1,000,000.00 - 0.1% of the property price plus VAT charged at 20%

Property price and cost with a mortgage:

£0 – £249,999.99 - £595.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£250,000.00 – £499,999.99 - £795.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£500,000.00 – £749,999.99 - £895.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

£750,000.00 – £999,999.99 - £995.00 plus VAT charged at 20%

Over £1,000,000.00 - 0.125% of the property price plus VAT charged at 20%

The above costs are for freehold properties. If the property is leasehold, an additional cost of £100 plus VAT charged at 20% will be added to the above.

Please note our firm does not deal with leasehold properties that fall under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Although all of our service costs are included in the quote, there will be additional disbursement charges (which we have to pay out on your behalf). These costs will be added to your quote so that you have a full picture of what you will be expected to pay.

CHAPS Payment Fee (for any payments made over £100,000.00) - £42.00 (£35.00 + £7.00 VAT)
Bank Transfer Fee (for any payments made of £99,999.99 or less) - £12.00 (£10.00 + £2.00 VAT)
Local Searches - price dependent on Local Authority - current average of £252.26 + VAT charged at 20%
Office Copies – £25.20 (£21.00 + £4.20 VAT) + £8.40 (£7.00 + £1.40 VAT) for each additional document
Search of the Index Map - from £9.60 (£8.00 + £1.60 VAT) per search
Priority Search - £8.40 (£7.00 + £1.40 VAT) per search
Bankruptcy Searches - £7.20 (£6.00 + £1.20 VAT) per individual
Identity Verification Searches - £3.96 (£3.30 + £0.66 VAT) to £16.80 (£14.00 + £2.80 VAT) per individual per search
Company Insolvency Searches – £19.40 (£16.17 + £3.23 VAT) per company
LMS/ULS Panel Admin Fee (if applicable) - £42.00 (£35.00 + £7.00 VAT)
Land Registration Submission Fee - £6.00 (£5.00 + £1.00 VAT)
Land Registration Fee – this can be calculated here Fees Calculator (landregistry.gov.uk)
Land Transaction Tax (Wales) – this can be calculated here Calculate Land Transaction Tax | GOV.WALES
Stamp Duty (England) – this can be calculated here Stamp Duty Land Tax Calculator

Wills & Probate

Whilst it is understandably uncomfortable to think about and discuss, it is important to ensure that your finances, property and personal assets will be looked after and distributed in accordance with your wishes. It is also imperative to consider what would happen to you, your home and personal affairs if you became incapable of handling one or more of these things yourself. We offer a compassionate approach to dealing with these often sensitive areas whilst providing you with fundamental and clear-cut advice.

Wills
The laws of intestacy sometimes do not favour the people that you would want to inherit or benefit from your assets when you pass away. For this reason, it is important to ensure that you make a will. Wills are legal documents and it is therefore essential to ensure that you receive the correct advice and that the will is correctly drafted and executed. Recent case law highlights the risk of making a will that is not executed in the correct way.

Our Wills costs are from £150.00 plus VAT charged at 20% per Will. In the event any Office Copies are required, these are charged at £8.40 each (£7.00 + £1.40 VAT) per document.

Lasting Powers of Attorney
If you are worried about what would happen to you, your welfare and your home and affairs if you became unable to make decisions on these matters, you should consider making a Lasting Power of Attorney. A Lasting Power of Attorney gives someone else - usually a family member or someone close to you - the legal right to manage your affairs. There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney:

Lasting Powers of Attorney (Property and Affairs); and
Lasting Powers of Attorney (Personal Welfare).

A Lasting Power of Attorney (Property and Affairs) will give the Attorney the legal right to deal with your property and affairs either as soon as the LPA is registered, or when you lose the mental capacity to deal with your property affairs yourself.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (Personal Welfare) allows you to specify or indicate the level and type of care you want and do not want should you lose the mental capacity to make or communicate these decisions in the future.

We can draft both types of LPA for you and can advise on the legal effects of making an LPA.

Our Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Fees are £300.00 plus VAT charged at 20% per LPA plus a Registration Fee of £82.00 (no VAT charged) per LPA.

Probate
When a family member or friend dies, it can be overwhelming to think about sorting out their estate at what is an emotional and distressing time. We can assist executors and administrators with handling the administration of the estate and can make the process as stress-free as possible.

We will gather details of the estates assets and liabilities from you, apply for a grant of probate, complete an inheritance tax return and pay any tax due and distribute the estate in accordance with the terms of the deceased's Will. If there is no Will, the process is slightly different but we can still administer the estate under the rules of intestacy. We can't give exact timescales that it would take to obtain a grant as this will depend on the complexity of the estate and could take anything from 6 months to 2 years.

We do not deal with contentious estates, however the list below highlights some of the circumstances which would make administration more complex, and therefore have an impact on the costs below:

There is no valid Will;
Where Inheritance Tax is payable;
Where one or more executor(s) wishes to renounce executorship;
Where an executor has lost mental capacity and is unable to act;
Where we have to trace beneficiaries on an intestacy which may involve enquiry agents;
Where trusts are created by the Will;
Where assets include foreign property which has to be sold;
Where we have to obtain a valuation for stocks and shares and arrange sale of the same which can be time consuming. Similarly where the estate includes agricultural land or business assets;
Where there are disputes amongst beneficiaries which need to be resolved;
The sale of a property forming part of the estate which would be a separate transaction;
Where the estate is insolvent.

The list is a guide only.

For our probate fees, hourly rates apply as set out below:

Claudia Le Gros - £200.00 plus VAT charged at 20% per hour

Lynne Guttridge - £130.00 plus VAT charged at 20% per hour

On average probate files take 40 hours to complete and therefore the range of fees is usually between £5,000.00 and £10,000.00 plus VAT charged at 20%.

The disbursements that would typically be needed are £300.00 (no VAT) for the grant of probate plus £1.50 (no VAT) for each additional office copies of the grant.

Please note that any sale or transfer of property in the Estate is not included in the above costs. Please refer to our conveyancing costs set out further above on this page.

Our Probate team consists of Shelley Jones, who has 44 years’ experience in residential Conveyancing and has been a qualified Solicitor since 1980, and Lynne Guttridge who has 27 years’ experience in residential Conveyancing and has been a qualified CILEX member since 1997. Both have vast experience in all types of Probate and would be happy to discuss any of these needs with you, please contact our Head of Private Client, Shelley Jones on 029 2267 1301 or by email at shelley@legrossolicitors.com.