Hamers was the first firm in the region to be awarded the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Standard (CQS) accreditation. This accreditation is increasingly important to third parties such as mortgage lenders. Some will not instruct a non-accredited firm to act on their behalf, causing additional delay, costs and stress for house purchasers.

Whether you are remortgaging to replace a fixed rate mortgage, or raising money for home improvements, we will ensure that the process is explained in simple terms and that it proceeds as quickly as possible.

If you are looking to change the legal owners of your property, by adding or removing a person, Hamers can help. We take care of all the formalities with the land registry and your mortgage lender.

We offer a fixed fee service and the fee’s quoted cover all of the work required to complete your matter.

We are happy to discuss your individual matter with you prior to instruction but we hope this guide will provide useful in outlining the major steps involved and the costs of each type of matter. This is a brief summary of the types of work we cover but if you have any additional questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

PURCHASE TRANSACTIONS

The fee’s quoted below cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home. They are all subject to VAT. We will deal with all matters including the payment of any stamp duty land tax due and the registration of your purchase, and (if applicable) your mortgage with the Land Registry.

Disbursements

In addition to the fee’s quoted above, there will be various disbursements payable. Disbursements are payments to third parties, for example Land Registry Fee’s and search fee’s. We will handle the payment of these disbursements on your behalf.

Examples of the typical disbursements incurred are as follows:

1. Search fee’s £209.87
2. Land Registry priority search £3
3. Bankruptcy search £2 per client
4. Online identity verification £8.08 plus VAT per client
5. Lender portal administration fee £30 (if applicable)
6. We will be required to register your purchase with the land registry. They charge a fee based upon the value of the property and you can find full details on their website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees
7. Leasehold matters can include various disbursements individual to each property such as fee’s for information pack, deeds of covenant, compliance certificate and notice fee’s

Stamp Duty or Land Transaction tax

The amount of tax due will depend upon the purchase price of your property. HMRC provides a useful calculator which can be accessed on the following links:

For properties in England https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro

For properties in Wales https://gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-calculator

Additional Fee’s

Although we work on a fixed fee there may be times when additional fees are imposed. These depend upon the type of instructions received and the additional work required over and above the initial instructions. Examples include:

1. Leasehold property supplement purchase £330 (£275 plus VAT @ £55)
2. New build property supplement £360 (£300 plus VAT @ £60)
3. Help to Buy equity scheme £120 (£100 plus VAT @ £20)
4. Help to Buy ISA involvement £60 (£50 plus VAT @ £10)
5. Lender separate representation £240 (£200 plus VAT @ £40)
6. Unregistered land supplement £90 (£75 plus VAT @ £15)

Worked example – Purchase @ £150,000.00

Stages of a Purchase Transaction

Each transaction is different and there are various stages in every matter but below is a list of some of the more important steps:

1. Take initial instructions and open a file
2. Received contracts from the seller’s solicitor
3. Check the contract and title and instruct searches
4. Raise any applicable enquiries and request documents not previously provided by the sellers, for example planning documentation
5. Check incoming mortgage offer
6. Check replies to enquiries received from the sellers
7. Check incoming search results
8. Report to client on the contract, mortgage and search results
9. Agree a completion date with all parties in the chain and exchange contracts
10. Complete the purchase
11. Deal with Stamp Duty/Land Tax
12. Submit the land registry application

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SALE TRANSACTIONS

The fees quoted below cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your property. They are all subject to VAT. We will deal with all matters including redeeming any mortgage registered against the property and settling the selling agents invoice from the net sale proceeds.

Disbursements

In addition to the fee’s quoted above, there will be various disbursements payable. Disbursements are payments to third parties, such as obtaining the land registry office copies. Examples of typical disbursements are:

1. Land Registry office copies and filed plan £6
2. Online identity verification check £8.08 plus VAT per client

Additional Fees

There may be additional charges if your matter is not straightforward or different to your initial instructions. Examples of additional fees include:

1. Leasehold property supplement sale £150 (£125 plus VAT @ £25)
2. Help to Buy mortgage redemption £120 (£100 plus VAT @ £20)

Worked example – Leasehold Sale @ £175,000.00

Stages of a Sale Transaction

Each transaction is different and there are various stages in every matter but below is a list of some of the more important steps:

1. Take initial instructions and open a file
2. Draft the sale contract and issue this to the purchaser’s solicitor
3. Obtain a redemption statement for each registered charge
4. Assist you in responding to any additional enquiries raised by the purchaser’s solicitor
5. Approve the transfer provided by the purchaser’s solicitor
6. Report to client on the contract and transfer
7. Agree a completion date with all parties in the chain and exchange contracts
8. Complete the sale
9. Redeem any registered charges and settle the selling agents account

REMORTGAGE TRANSACTIONS

Re-mortgage matters are carried out on a fixed fee basis.

The legal costs for this type of work are from £500 plus VAT.

Disbursements:

The typical disbursements incurred on a re-mortgage are as follows:

1. Land Registry office copies and filed plan £6

1. Land Registry office copies and filed plan £6
2. Land Registry priority search £3
3. Bankruptcy search £2 per client
4. Online identity verification £8.08 plus VAT per client
5. Lender portal administration fee £15 (if applicable)
6. Search fee’s £161.60 or search indemnity insurance dependent upon the lenders requirements
7. We will be required to register your purchase with the land registry. They charge a fee based upon the value of the property and you can find full details on their website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees
8. Leasehold matters can include various disbursements individual to each property such as fee’s for information pack, deeds of covenant, compliance certificate and notice fee’s

Additional Fees

There may be additional charges if your matter is not straightforward or different to your initial instructions. Examples of additional fees include:

1. Leasehold property supplement £150 (£125 plus VAT @ £25)
2. Help to Buy mortgage redemption £120 (£100 plus VAT @ £20)

Stages of a Remortgage

1. Take initial instructions and open a file
2. Obtain the land registry office copies and check the title
3. Check the mortgage offer and investigate the lenders requirements, in particular search requirements
4. Obtain a redemption statement for any existing registered charges
5. Report to you on the mortgage and obtain a signed mortgage deed
6. Agree a date to complete the new mortgage
7. Draw down mortgage funds and redeem any existing charges
8. Register the mortgage at the Land Registry

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INTRODUCED CASES

We receive a number of cases where clients have been introduced to us by a third party. These third parties assist us with marketing our services, and in some cases assist in the collection of payments on account and instructing purchase searches.

In return for their assistance we pay a referral fee which varies by introducer and starts at £50. This fee is payable by us and is not an additional fee paid by you.

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HOW LONG WILL MY TRANSACTION TAKE

There are several factors, which determine how long a transaction will take so we cannot give an accurate timescale but we would anticipate that an average transaction might take in the region of 10-12 weeks.

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WHO WILL CARRY OUT THE WORK

Carl Bailey

Carl is a Partner and head of our Conveyancing Department having joined Hamers in 2014. Carl as admitted to the roll of Solicitors in 2008 and began working in residential property in 2005. Carl moved to Hull in 2006 and has focussed on the local property market ever since.

Carl deals with all aspects of residential sales and has significant experience dealing with new build plots.

Carl supervises all other members of the conveyancing department.

Danielle Lewis

Danielle is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. She specialises in conveyancing matters. Danielle’s client focussed style means she goes the extra mile on each matter, earning her an enviable reputation in a fast-paced and competitive area of law. Danielle’s knowledge means that she can explain even complex matters with clarity. She builds a relationship of confidence with her clients, appreciating at all times the importance of the transaction to each individual, making them feel valuable and supported. It is this sensitive approach which means client’s use Amanda again and again.

Sophie Rogers

Sophie was admitted as a Fellow of Chartered Legal Executives in 2015 but has been a practising Conveyancer since 1999. Sophie has spent the vast majority of that time practising in the local area and joined Hamers in 2015.

Sophie deals with all aspects of residential conveyancing but has a particular focus on Holiday Homes

Gemma Prudent

Gemma was admitted as a Fellow of Chartered Legal Executives in 2015 and has been with Hamers since 2011. Gemma joined the conveyancing team in 2018.