An introduction to our Residential Property Team:
- Clifton Ingram’s Residential Property team are accredited members of The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme – the mark of excellence for residential property solicitors.
- Our Residential Property team are highly skilled professionals who specialise in residential property conveyancing and have over 150 years’ experience between them.
- Our team have insider knowledge of the property market, and excellent relationships with local estate agents and property developers.
- Our qualified property professionals know which legal searches need to be made and which can be left out, so we can help you avoid any unnecessary expense.
- Once you appoint Clifton Ingram you will have a single dedicated person assigned to your property transaction from start to finish, with support from their experienced assistant, ensuring that they are familiar with all aspects and can provide you with continuity.
- Our team will keep you informed at every stage of the process and can meet with you personally should you wish to discuss any issues.
- Clifton Ingram is authorised under the Legal Services Act and therefore carries a much higher professional indemnity insurance than non-authorised firms for your peace of mind.
- You also have the assurance that if you believe that a regulated firm like us owes you money, you may be able to claim from the SRA Compensation Fund.
No property is exactly the same and our fee 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 a non-listed property. Leasehold and new build purchases are other examples where a substantial amount of time may be spent due to the sheer volume of documentation that has to be reviewed and checked. However, some property transactions may be at the bottom of our scale, for example a plot purchase on an estate/development where we have had multiple instructions previously. Our fees vary from £895 - £5,000 + VAT depending on the value of the property and the complexity of the transaction.
Transparency is key and we would encourage you to contact our Residential Property team for a more accurate fee estimate. It is our policy to provide detailed fee estimates up front and if a property transaction does have unexpected complications, we will always inform you of that immediately and would discuss in full the potential consequences before any extra charges were incurred.
Variable Factors
Factors that may increase the cost of the service include (this list is not exhaustive):
- if legal title is defective or part of the property is unregistered
- if building regulations or planning permission has not been obtained
- if crucial documents we have requested are not provided
- if parties in the transaction are uncooperative and there is unreasonable delay from third parties
- matrimonial matters or disputes over ownership
- delay in mortgage offers being issued and/or lenders requirements
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
The amount of SDLT paid is dependent on the purchase price of your property. As taxes charged by HMRC are subject to change we have not included it in our estimates. Please find a link to HMRC’ s online SDLT calculator that will work out the tax payable for most property transactions.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your transaction which 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. These disbursements are payable on top of our own legal fees. Below are some of the most common disbursements but further disbursements may be payable in your particular case. We will be able to advise which disbursements are applicable to you if you ask us to provide a quotation based on your specific requirements.
- Property search fees: Approximately £450 (further searches may be advisable and these will be priced individually)
- HM Land Registry fee: these fees vary depending on the nature of your transaction. You can see the fees in full here
- Land Registry Search fee: £3.00 per title
- Land Charges Search fee: from £2.00 per name
- Electronic Transfer fee: £35.00+VAT
- Leasehold properties often attract extra disbursements which have to be paid, for example, to a landlord or managing agent. These fees vary.
- VAT payable in some instances
How long will my house sale or purchase take?
The average residential property purchase or sale process takes 8 weeks from acceptance of offer to exchange of contracts however the time taken to complete your transaction can depend on a number of factors.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the number of parties in the chain as all parties need to have completed the necessary steps. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 8 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer.
Stages of the process
The precise stages involved in a residential property purchase or sale can vary according to the circumstances. We have produced a short video on the buying and selling process and what your solicitor does for you, which can be viewed on the right, or you can read our guides below:
Who will advise you?
We allocate the most appropriate member of our Residential Property team to your transaction once you instruct us, taking into account the type of transaction, complexity and experience required and the workloads within the department.
You can see details on all members of our Residential Property team by selecting that department on our People Page here.