Buying a flat (leasehold)
Legal Fees
These will usually range between £1,650.00- £2,500.00 plus VAT (currently 20%) and will be dependent on the type and value of property being purchased. If there are any unforeseen or unusual circumstances the fees may be more. In addition, there are always costs (known as disbursements) related to your purchase which have to be paid to third parties. We pay these on your behalf to ensure a smooth process. These are set out further below.
Payment on account
We will request a payment on account at the outset of the transaction, currently £600.00.
Search & Disbursement Fees
The three main searches carried out for a purchase include:
Local Authority Search
Price: £100.00 - £400.00 (This varies depending on the Council the property is based in)
VAT: £20.00 - £80.00*
Environmental Search
Price: £73.56
VAT: £14.71
Drainage And Water Search
£75.00-£150.00
VAT: £15.00- £30.00
* Search providers usually include VAT in their charges. However, in most circumstances where they do not, we must add VAT to these costs.
The above search fees payable to third parties may increase and we will let you know if they do. There are other searches such as a commons registration search, highways search, a coal mining search, plan search and chancel searches which may apply depending on the location of the property. We will advise you of the cost if any of these searches are necessary.
Other disbursements Including VAT:
InfoTrack Client Onboarding Fee Including Anti Money Laundering Check
Price: £14.40 pp
Bankruptcy Search
Price: £6.00 pp
Land Registry Official Search
£7.00
Land Registry Fee
£20.00-£500.00
Lawyer Check
£24.00
The price will be determined by these following factors:
If you are a first-time buyer.
The value of the property.
Whether the property is a new build (which can often result in a large number of additional matters to be dealt with, and additional costs).
Whether the lease for the property being purchased requires any rectification or variation to its terms including any extension of its term.
Whether the purchase will involve a first registration of title at the Land Registry.
Whether a mortgage is required or not and the type of mortgage.
Whether the Lender is separately represented by another firm of Solicitors.
Whether the property will be your primary residence, a buy to let or second/holiday home.
Whether there are to be multiple owners.
Whether the buyer is using a help to buy scheme, and whether there will be an equity loan or ISA.
Whether the purchase is under the Right to Buy scheme.
Whether the purchase is under a shared ownership scheme.
Whether the purchase is at auction.
Whether the property has been repossessed
Stages of the process
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have outlined some key stages:
Take your instructions and give you initial advice, complete client care documentation and customer due diligence.
Confirm your Stamp Duty Land Tax position.
Check finances are in place to fund purchase.
Contact lender’s solicitors if needed.
Receive and advise on contract documentation.
Review the Lease and Leasehold Management Pack.
Investigate the seller’s title.
Carry out searches and review the results.
Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor.
Report and advise you on all documents and information received.
Review the conditions of the mortgage offer with you.
Arrange for Contract Documentation to be signed in readiness.
Agree a completion date (date from which you own the property).
Obtain your authority to exchange.
Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened.
Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you.
Complete your purchase.
Deal with filing and payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax.
Deal with application for registration at HM Land Registry.
Serve notices on the Landlord and/or Management Company.
HM Land Registry Fee
This is on a sliding scale and could cost between £20.00 -£1105.00 depending on the value of the property and whether the application can be made electronically. These fees can be calculated by visiting the Land Registry website at the following link http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/fees-calculator.html .
Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)
This depends on the purchase price of your property. If the property is located in England you can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website here or if the property is located in Wales use the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website here. You must be aware of the potential additional 3% Stamp Duty for ownership of an additional residential property and the 17% penal rate of tax applicable to a company purchase of residential property costing more than £500,000.00.
How long will my flat purchase take?
The time it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your flat will depend on a number of factors, which are often largely outside your control or ours. The average process may take between 8 to 16 weeks.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the time taken to obtain any mortgage required, survey report and property searches. It also depends on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 8 weeks (on the basis that the property is already built and not “off-plan”).
Purchase not proceeding
If, for any reason, we are unable to complete the purchase of your property, we will make a charge which will be a proportion of the fixed fee quoted relative to the time spent. Purchases that fail to complete often involve as much work as those which reach completion. Any charge made will not exceed the amount of the fixed fee we have given.
Please note that we will always provide you with individual costs information and a copy of our terms and conditions of business.
Example of a purchase
For the purchase of an existing leasehold flat (not a new build) with a purchase price of £400,000.00 in the London borough of Enfield with a mortgage, our fees and disbursements would be as follows (rates as of January 2026):
Service Cost VAT Applicable VAT Amount Total
Legal Fees £1750.00 ✓ £ 350.00 £2034.00
Legal Fees acting for your Lender £200.00 ✓ £40.00 £240.00
Disbursements
Local Authority Search £286.25 ✓ £54.25 £340.50
Drainage and Water Search £92.19 ✓ £18.44 £110.63
Environmental Search £61.20 ✓ £12.36 £73.56
Notice of Transfer and Charge Fee (to freeholder) £150.00 ✓ £30.00 £180.00
Deed of Covenant fee (if applicable)(to Freeholder) £150.00 ✓ £30.00 £180.00
Certificate of Compliance fee (if applicable) (to Freeholder) £150.00 ✓ £30.00 £180.00
Land Registration fee £150.00 £150.00
Land Registry Priority Search fee £7.00 £7.00
Bankruptcy Search fee £6.00 (per name) ✓ £0.00 £6.00
Bank Transfer Fee £15.00 ✓ £3.00 £18.00
Anti Money Laundering Check fee
Including InfoTrack Onboarding Charge £12.00 (per name) ✓ £2.40 £14.40
Lawyer Checker Fee £19.20 ✓ £4.80 £24.00
Disbursements Total £1099.34 ✓ £215.55 £1284.89
Final Total £2849.34 ✓ £569.87 £3419.21
The above example does not include the Stamp Duty Land Tax Fee.
Search providers usually include VAT in their charges. However, in most circumstances where they do not, we must add VAT to these costs.
The example is set out on the assumption that:
This is the transfer of an existing lease and not the grant of a new lease.
This is a standard transaction where the property is being bought with mortgage funding and no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction.
The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise.
All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentations.
No indemnity policies are required. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.