Purchase

At TMJ Legal Services, we offer a fixed fee residential purchase package to alleviate as much of the stress from you as possible.

Our fixed fees* cover the legal work we expect to complete on the purchase of your new home under normal, straightforward circumstances. This includes dealing with registration at the Land Registry and 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.

Our fees take into account the purchase price of the property and a number of other factors.

Set out below are our guidelines, but please contact us for a personalised quote, as fees can vary from property to property.  To get the most accurate information, you may find it helpful to complete and submit our “Request a Quote” form on our website.

• Legal fees – start at £450.00 plus VAT at 20% (£90.00). There is an additional fee for standard legal work in connection with a leasehold property)
• Search fees – dependent on the location of the property
• HM Land Registry fee – from £20.00 based on the price paid for the property
• Electronic money transfer fee £30.00 plus VAT at 20% (£6.00)
• Bankruptcy Search fee - £2.00 per name plus VAT at 20% (£0.40)
• Official Search of Whole Title - £3.00 per title number plus VAT at 20% (£0.60)
• ID check fee of £7.50 plus VAT at 20% (£1.50)

Disbursements are costs related to your matter payable to third parties, such as Land Registry fees. We handle payment of disbursements on your behalf with money you pay into the client account to ensure a smoother process. There may be additional disbursements to those listed above, depending upon the circumstances of your transaction. Please note that the cost of disbursements is not included in our legal fees. 

*Our fees assume that:

1. It is a standard transaction, and no unforeseen matters arise, such as remedying a defect in the title before completion or the need to prepare additional documents ancillary to the main transaction
2. It is the transfer of an existing residential freehold property and is not the creation of a new title
3. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner with no unforeseen complications
4. All parties to the transaction are cooperative, and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation
5. No indemnity policies are required (additional disbursements may have to be paid if indemnity policies are required)

Stamp Duty Land Tax

The amount to be paid depends on the purchase price of your property. You can make the calculation by using HMRC's website.

How long will my house purchase take?

The time it takes from acceptance of your offer to purchase until you can move into your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6-12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the circumstances of the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first-time buyer purchasing an empty property with a mortgage in principle, it may take 6 weeks. On the other hand, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer. In such a situation, additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

Please see our Conveyancing Process Flowchart for a full explanation of the usual stages of a residential conveyancing transaction. Work carried out that does not fall into these stages may incur extra charges. However, we always obtain your authority before incurring any further costs.

People dealing with your matter

Our team of staff have many years of collective experience in delivering high-quality conveyancing work.  The members of the team who may work on your matter can be found on our website, along with our Non-Contentious Standard Terms of Business.