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Buying a House Solicitors

Our highly experienced conveyancing solicitors will help guide you through the legal steps of buying a property.

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At Forbes Solicitors we have a dedicated and specialised team able to help you through the complex and sometimes confusing stages of buying a house.

Once you've found your dream home or investment property, the last thing anyone needs is to be faced with a long, drawn out and stressful buying process. This is why the conveyancing solicitors at Forbes offer a comprehensive personal service to ensure your purchase is as smooth as possible and every step of the process is completely explained in plain English.

Buying a House with Confidence

We care about our clients and understand that people want contactable solicitors for their property purchase who will take responsibility for their case. We will see to it that there are no unwelcome surprises further down the line in your purchase by going through all aspect of your purchase with you including the explaining of all mortgage documents and any legal complexities associated with buying your home.

Good communication is something our conveyancing solicitors pride themselves on and is just part of the reason we have established strong working relationships with repeat clients.

Buying a House with our Fixed Fee Service

Our conveyancing solicitors offer their services on a fixed fee basis and utilise the very best in conveyancing software to ensure you receive a speedy service that other firms simply cannot offer. Our fixed price conveyancing fees are just that; fixed - which means you only pay the quoted amount for our comprehensive service.

Our conveyancing solicitors ensure you are aware of any and all fees involved with the purchase of a property and handle everything with your best interests at heart. We can ensure stamp duty forms are filled out correctly and payments are made accurately.

We will ensure that your transaction is kept on schedule, even if it means contacting members of a property chain to keep things moving swiftly and as we always take an entirely proactive approach to every conveyancing project.

If you have found your dream home or investment property, get in touch with the expert conveyancing solicitors for buying a house at Forbes today and let us help make sure your transaction is as smooth as possible.

Additional Information

How much are solicitor's fees for buying a house?

 

Conveyancing solicitor charges are broken down into costs and disbursements. Disbursements are costs payable to third parties such as Land Registry fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Our estimates and quotes will give a breakdown of all charges and will then have a total figure, which is inclusive of VAT.

Buying a Property

The average costs on a purchase at £100,000 are £600 plus VAT at 20% and range to £1,250 plus VAT at 20% on a purchase at £500,000. We do not charge extra for leasehold properties unless the property is an apartment or flat.

Our figures may however vary for either higher value transactions which are often complex or for properties which have special complications.

That is why we will always give you an individual costs estimate at the start of the transaction taking into account the actual features of your purchase.

We will always advise you immediately about any complications and discuss the potential impact on our fees or payments to third parties before any additional charges are incurred.

On each transaction there are likely to be the following additional payments:

  • Search Pack (variable by area)
  • SIM Search
  • Chancel Insurance
  • Land Charges Search fee

The charges vary by area but will cost in the region of £300 plus VAT at 20%

We make an additional charge of £25 plus VAT AT 20% for each telegraphic transfer of monies that is required during the transaction.

If required, we will charge a fee of up to £15 plus VAT for each check to verify your identity.

If required, we will charge a fee of £12 plus VAT to verify bank details of the law firm on the other side of the transaction.

Land Registry fees are also payable and based on the value of the property. Land Registry Scale 1 fees:

Value or amount Apply by post Apply using the portal or Business Gateway, for transfers or surrenders which affect the whole of a registered title Apply using the portal or Business Gateway, for registration of all leases and transfers or urrenders which affect part of a registered title Voluntary first registration (reduced fee)

0 to £80,000

£40

£20

£40

£30

£80,001 to £100,000

£80

£40

£80

£60

£100,001 to £200,000

£190

£95

£190

£140

£200,001 to £500,000

£270

£135

£270

£200

£500,001 to £1,000,000

£540

£270

£540

£400

£1,000,001 and over

£910

£455

£910

£680

What will our fees cover on a purchase?

Our fees cover all of our solicitor's charges for buying a property. This includes sending off searches, approving the contract, checking the legal title, and dealing with the Land Registry. It also includes the cost of time for payment of Stamp Duty which many firms charge extra but is included in our fees.

Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of the property. You can calculate the amount you need to pay by using HMRC's website (https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#intro) or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority's website here (https://beta.gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator)

How long will it take?

A standard transaction will take approximately 8 weeks from the time we are instructed however there can be a number of factors which impact on the timescale such as:

  • The number of parties in the chain
  • If there is a delay in your mortgage offer being issued or the offer is incorrect
  • If there is something unexpected in your search results
  • If the legal title to your property is complex
  • If there is a Management Company involved
  • The timescales wanted by other people in the chain

There are some variables with any property transaction so please either give us a call or drop us a line and we will give you a detailed breakdown of all the fees and costs involved for your particular circumstances.

How will we communicate with you?

At the outset of the transaction, we will ask you how you prefer to be contacted. If you have an email address this can save a considerable amount of time but buying and selling a property is not yet a paperless exercise so there will be some documents that will need to be signed by you. We will offer you a personal appointment in the office so you get chance to sit down with us so that we can talk you through the paperwork and the process face to face or, if you prefer, we will arrange a telephone appointment.

How can our house buying solicitors help?

 

When you're looking to buy a house, whether as a first-time buyer, when moving to a new property or as an investment, it's important that you have expertise and market knowledge on hand to assist you throughout the conveyancing process.

The team at Forbes are highly experienced in handling many different types of property purchase and can manage all of the legal requirements for the transaction, helping the process go as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Why choose our house buying solicitors?

 

House buying can sometimes be a stressful process, so having solicitors for your property purchase that you can trust and who communicate clearly and regularly can make a big difference to your home buying experience.

With the conveyancing team at Forbes, you'll always know where things are up to and what to expect next, and we'll always keep you in the loop.

Contact Us

Get in touch to see how our experts could help you.

Call0800 689 1358

CallRequest a call back

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Contacting Us

Monday to Friday:
09:00 to 17:00

Saturday and Sunday:
Closed

FAQs

How do I choose a solicitor for buying a house?
 
 

There are lots of conveyancing services out there for home buyers to choose from, but with such an important process at stake, you'll want to ensure the solicitor you instruct is up to the task. Take a look at online reviews for prospective companies and their reputation. Also ensure you get a quote for fees before you commit.

Do you need a local solicitor when buying a house?
 
 

There are benefits of using a local solicitor for conveyancing when you buy a house. These include the firm's local property market knowledge and their existing positive relationships with professionals who can help with your purchase, such as surveyors and estate agents.

What should I expect from my solicitor when buying a house?
 
 

There are a variety of different stages involved when buying a house so you can expect different things from your solicitor at different times. Firstly, they will provide terms of engagement before you instruct them, then they will communicate with you as needed.

This will usually include:

  • Contacting you when documents or forms need to be filled in or signed e.g. contract for the purchase before exchange
  • Notifying you if the searches bring up any results that could impact the purchase
  • Contacting you to arrange a completion date
  • Updating you on progress throughout the process
  • Keeping you up to date on completion day i.e. when the funds have transferred and the transaction is done
  • Confirming the stamp duty payment and that the Land Registry has been informed of the change of ownership

Our expert conveyancing team can assist with your property purchase. Get in touch to find out more.

Need more help?

Get in touch to see how our experts could help you.

Call0800 689 1358

CallRequest a call back

EmailSend us an email

Our dedicated Residential Conveyancing team

Partner and Conveyancing Solicitor

Michelle Thompson

Partner, Conveyancing Solicitor, Blackburn

Residential Conveyancing

PinBlackburn

Call01254 222 349

Jennifer Ross

Jennifer Ross

Associate

Residential Conveyancing

PinBlackburn

Call01254 222471

Kathryn Lofthouse

Kathryn Lofthouse

Residential Property Paralegal

Residential Conveyancing

PinBlackburn

Call01254 222398

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Contact Us

If you have a general enquiry then please fill in your details and someone will contact you.

Call0800 689 1358

CallRequest a call back

EmailSend us an email

Contacting Us

Monday to Friday: 09:00 to 17:00
Saturday and Sunday: Closed