This page sets out our fees for buying, selling and remortgaging a home, the third-party costs (disbursements) you are likely to pay, what is and is not included, and how long a typical transaction takes. Every figure is shown with the VAT that applies to it. We will always confirm our fees in writing before we start work.
How we charge
For sales, purchases and remortgages of properties worth up to £2,000,000 we charge a fixed legal fee based on the price of the property (or the amount borrowed on a remortgage), with fixed supplements for the additional work involved in leasehold and other transactions listed below. The fee does not change if the matter takes longer than expected. If the scope of the work changes, we will tell you and agree a revised fee before doing any further work.
For properties worth more than £2,000,000 we charge on the basis of the time spent, at the hourly rates below, and we give worked examples of typical total costs.
| Who | Hourly rate | VAT at 20% | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner | £450 | £90 | £540 |
| Consultant or Senior Associate Solicitor | £375 | £75 | £450 |
| Associate Solicitor | £275 | £55 | £330 |
Our residential conveyancing is carried out by partners. The other rates apply only if part of a matter is delegated to another solicitor, which we will agree with you first.
Who will do the work
Our residential conveyancing is carried out by the firm’s two partners, each of whom supervises the work at their own office.
- Stephen Thirsk, Partner (admitted 1970), at our Woodford Green office. Stephen’s practice has centred on property work for over five decades, acting on residential and commercial sales, purchases and leases.
- Jason Winton, Partner (admitted 2006), at our Mayfair office. Jason has been a partner since the firm was founded in 2009 and leads its leasehold enfranchisement practice, acting on lease extensions and freehold acquisitions for leaseholders, landlords and investors.
Buying a freehold home
Our fees
| Purchase price | Legal fee | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £500,000 | £1,950 | £390 | £2,340 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £2,500 | £500 | £3,000 |
| £1,000,001 to £2,000,000 | £3,500 | £700 | £4,200 |
| Over £2,000,000 | See high-value transactions |
The legal fee includes acting for your mortgage lender, unless the lender requires separate representation.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs payable to third parties, which we pay on your behalf.
| Disbursement | Cost | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search fees (local authority, drainage and water, environmental), which vary by area | £400 to £600 | Included where charged (up to £100) | £400 to £600 |
| HM Land Registry registration fee, which depends on the price: up to £500,000 | £20 to £150 | None | £20 to £150 |
| HM Land Registry registration fee: £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £295 | None | £295 |
| HM Land Registry registration fee: over £1,000,000 | £500 | None | £500 |
| HM Land Registry pre-completion search | £7 | None | £7 |
| Bankruptcy search, per buyer | £2 | None | £2 |
| Electronic identity verification, per person | £15 | £3 | £18 |
| Electronic money transfer fee, per transfer | £40 | £8 | £48 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax return | No charge |
HM Land Registry’s fees are set out in its fee scale. There is no separate fee for registering your mortgage when it is registered with the purchase.
Estimated total, excluding Stamp Duty Land Tax
For one buyer, with a mortgage and one electronic money transfer:
| Purchase price | Legal fee and disbursements, including VAT |
|---|---|
| £350,000 | £2,965 to £3,165 |
| £750,000 | £3,770 to £3,970 |
| £1,500,000 | £5,175 to £5,375 |
The range reflects the variation in search fees between local authorities.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Stamp Duty Land Tax is payable on most purchases and is not included in the figures above. The amount depends on the price, whether you are a first-time buyer, whether you will own more than one home, and whether you are resident in the UK. You can estimate it using HMRC’s Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator. We will confirm the amount payable before you exchange contracts.
Buying a leasehold home
Our fee for a leasehold purchase is the freehold fee above plus a leasehold supplement of £500 + VAT £100 = £600, reflecting the additional work of reviewing the lease and the management information.
| Purchase price | Legal fee | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £500,000 | £2,450 | £490 | £2,940 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £3,000 | £600 | £3,600 |
| £1,000,001 to £2,000,000 | £4,000 | £800 | £4,800 |
In addition to the freehold disbursements, the following are likely. They are set by the landlord or managing agent and vary from building to building, so the figures are typical ranges, including any VAT they charge.
| Disbursement | Typical cost, including any VAT |
|---|---|
| Notice of transfer fee | £50 to £250 |
| Notice of charge fee (if you have a mortgage) | £50 to £250 |
| Deed of covenant fee | £100 to £500 |
| Certificate of compliance fee | £50 to £300 |
This list is not exhaustive: some leases require other consents or registrations, and we will tell you as soon as we know. You will also pay ground rent and service charge from completion, and we will tell you the amounts once we have received the information from the seller’s solicitors.
Selling a home
| Sale price | Freehold: fee + VAT = total | Leasehold: fee + VAT = total |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £500,000 | £1,950 + £390 = £2,340 | £2,450 + £490 = £2,940 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £2,500 + £500 = £3,000 | £3,000 + £600 = £3,600 |
| £1,000,001 to £2,000,000 | £3,500 + £700 = £4,200 | £4,000 + £800 = £4,800 |
| Over £2,000,000 | See high-value transactions |
The fee includes redeeming one mortgage. Likely disbursements on a sale:
| Disbursement | Cost | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| HM Land Registry official copies of the title and plan, per document (usually two or three) | £7 | None | £7 |
| Electronic identity verification, per person | £15 | £3 | £18 |
| Electronic money transfer fee, per transfer | £40 | £8 | £48 |
| Leasehold only: management information pack from the landlord or managing agent | £250 to £900, including any VAT | Included where charged | £250 to £900 |
Remortgaging
| Amount borrowed | Legal fee | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £500,000 | £950 | £190 | £1,140 |
| Over £500,000 | £1,250 | £250 | £1,500 |
Leasehold remortgages carry a supplement of £250 + VAT £50 = £300. Likely disbursements:
| Disbursement | Cost | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| HM Land Registry fee for registering the new mortgage, which depends on the amount borrowed | £20 to £140 | None | £20 to £140 |
| HM Land Registry official copies (per document) and pre-completion search | £7 each | None | £7 each |
| Search indemnity policy, where the lender accepts one instead of searches | £25 to £75, including insurance premium tax | None | £25 to £75 |
| Full searches, only where the lender requires them | £400 to £600 | Included where charged (up to £100) | £400 to £600 |
| Electronic identity verification, per person | £15 | £3 | £18 |
| Electronic money transfer fee, per transfer | £40 | £8 | £48 |
Transfers of equity
Transfers of equity are not covered by the SRA’s price transparency requirements, but we publish our fees for them so that you know what to expect. Our fee is £950 + VAT £190 = £1,140, or £1,500 + VAT £300 = £1,800 where it is combined with a remortgage. HM Land Registry’s fee depends on the value of the share transferred and on whether anything is paid for it, and is typically £20 to £500 (no VAT).
Additional work and supplements
The following are charged in addition to the fees above where they apply.
| Additional work | Fee | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New-build purchase | £350 | £70 | £420 |
| Gifted deposit (per person making a gift) | £150 | £30 | £180 |
| Unregistered title | £350 | £70 | £420 |
| Building Safety Act review (leasehold flats in buildings of 11 metres or more) | £250 | £50 | £300 |
| Declaration of trust | £350 | £70 | £420 |
| Buy-to-let purchase | £150 | £30 | £180 |
| Purchase by a company | £350 | £70 | £420 |
High-value transactions
For properties worth more than £2,000,000, the work is usually more extensive, and we charge on the basis of the time spent at the hourly rates set out above. The examples below show typical total costs.
| Example | Legal fee | VAT | Total | Disbursements, including VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase of a leasehold flat in central London for about £2,000,000, with a mortgage | £4,950 to £6,950 | £990 to £1,390 | £5,940 to £8,340 | about £1,225 to £2,475 |
| Purchase of a freehold house in central London for about £5,000,000 | £7,500 to £11,500 | £1,500 to £2,300 | £9,000 to £13,800 | about £975 to £1,175 |
| Sale of a freehold property worth about £3,000,000 | £4,500 to £6,500 | £900 to £1,300 | £5,400 to £7,800 | about £80 |
The disbursements in these examples are the search fees, HM Land Registry fees, identity checks and money transfer fees set out above, and for the leasehold flat the landlord’s notice and covenant fees. A leasehold sale would add the management information pack (£250 to £900). Stamp Duty Land Tax is not included.
The factors that move the cost towards the higher end of each range include: a complex title or estate lease; a listed building or works requiring consents; an overseas buyer or seller, or ownership through a company or trust; a tight timetable; and a long or unreliable chain.
What is included
Our fees cover the following work on a typical transaction:
- taking your instructions, verifying your identity and checking the source of funds;
- for a purchase: reviewing the title and contract package, ordering and reporting on searches, raising enquiries, reviewing your mortgage offer and reporting to you in writing;
- for a sale: obtaining the title, preparing the contract package and dealing with the buyer’s enquiries;
- exchanging contracts and completing the transaction;
- for a purchase: preparing and submitting your Stamp Duty Land Tax return and registering you as owner at HM Land Registry;
- for a sale: redeeming one mortgage and accounting to you for the proceeds.
The fees on this page assume that:
- this is a standard transaction with no unforeseen complications;
- the title is registered and has no defects that need putting right;
- for a leasehold property, it is the assignment of an existing lease and not the grant of a new one;
- the transaction is concluded in a timely manner; and
- no indemnity policies are required.
If any of these does not apply, we will tell you, explain why, and agree any additional fee with you before doing the work.
What is not included
- Stamp Duty Land Tax itself.
- Advice on tax beyond the Stamp Duty Land Tax return, for example on capital gains tax or inheritance tax, which we will quote for separately or refer to your accountant.
- Surveys and valuations, which you arrange with a surveyor.
- Estate agents’ fees, which we can pay from the sale proceeds on your instructions.
- Disputes with the other party, the landlord or neighbours, which we quote for separately.
- Statutory lease extensions under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993: see our lease extension service.
- Shared ownership and Lifetime ISA purchases, which we do not currently undertake.
Key stages and how long they take
How long a transaction takes depends on the number of parties in the chain, how quickly the other solicitors, the local authority and the lender respond, and how quickly you are able to provide information. A typical transaction takes:
| Transaction | Typical time from instruction to completion |
|---|---|
| Freehold purchase | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Leasehold purchase | 12 to 18 weeks |
| Sale | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Remortgage | 4 to 8 weeks |
The stages of a purchase
- Taking your instructions and verifying your identity (about 1 week).
- Receiving and reviewing the contract package from the seller’s solicitors, and raising enquiries (2 to 4 weeks; longer for a leasehold property while the management information is obtained).
- Ordering and reviewing searches (2 to 6 weeks, depending on the local authority), running alongside stage 2.
- Reviewing your mortgage offer and checking the lender’s requirements.
- Reporting to you on the title, searches and replies to enquiries, and sending you the contract and mortgage deed to sign (about 1 week).
- Exchange of contracts, once your deposit has been received and the chain is ready.
- Completion, usually 1 to 4 weeks after exchange, as agreed between the parties.
- Stamp Duty Land Tax return and payment within 14 days of completion, then registration at HM Land Registry.
The stages of a sale
- Taking your instructions, verifying your identity and obtaining a redemption statement from your lender.
- Preparing the contract package, including the property information forms you complete (1 to 2 weeks; longer for a leasehold property while the management information pack is obtained).
- Dealing with the buyer’s enquiries (3 to 6 weeks).
- Exchange of contracts.
- Completion: redeeming your mortgage, paying the estate agent if instructed, and sending the balance to you.
The stages of a remortgage
- Taking your instructions, verifying your identity and obtaining a redemption statement from your existing lender.
- Checking the title against the new lender’s requirements and obtaining searches or a search indemnity (1 to 3 weeks).
- Sending you the mortgage deed to sign and certifying the title to the lender.
- Completion, then registration of the new mortgage at HM Land Registry.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with our service, please see our complaints procedure, which explains how to raise a complaint with us and how and when you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman or the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Related information
- Residential conveyancing: the service in more detail
- Buying a home, Selling a home, Remortgaging, Transfers of equity and gifts
- How we charge
Last reviewed 9 November 2026. This information is published in accordance with the SRA Transparency Rules. Every matter is different: the figures on this page are a guide to typical costs, and we will always confirm a written estimate before work begins.