Residential Conveyancing

"Amazing job. You have pulled off a miracle again. I know we can always rely upon you, to do it well, quickly and with certainty. Not many others come anywhere close to your standards."

"I just wanted to thank you for your fantastic work today in keeping us updated. We are hugely impressed with everyone we have dealt with at Howes Percival. You have a great firm with a superb client ethic. Bravo!"

“Just fabulous service from start to finish. Efficient, clearly laid out documentation, proactive chasing of the other side, prompt responses to all queries raised by me, and a very smooth deal through to exchange and completion. Thank you very much indeed!”

“What the team has that I’m attracted to is the personal attention you get; it always feels as though you’ve got all their time and it feels like they genuinely care about your set of circumstances.”

To find out more about how our residential conveyancers can help, get in touch with the team here.

• Buying a house
• Selling a house
• Freehold property transactions
• Leasehold property transactions
• New-build property purchases
• Buy-to-let investments
• Remortgaging
• Transfer of equity
• Rural and country properties*
• High-value residential properties
• Property portfolio transactions
• Auction purchases

*Where the property has an agricultural element, we may refer you to our dedicated Agriculture & Rural Business team.

Our residential conveyancing team regularly advises:

• Individuals and families buying a home
• Owners selling high-value residential property
• Buy-to-let investors
• Purchasers of rural and country homes*
• Second-home buyers
• High-net-worth individuals
• Clients remortgaging residential property
• Individuals transferring equity following marriage, divorce or succession planning

*Where the property has an agricultural element, we may refer you to our dedicated Agriculture & Rural Business team.

What types of residential property transactions do you handle?

We advise on a wide range of high-value residential property matters, including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, country properties, investment properties, new build homes, buy-to-let, transfers of equity and remortgages. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to assist with the purchase or sale of properties where the Building Safety Act 2022 applies, or where compliance with the Building Safety Act forms part of the transaction.

What does the conveyancing process involve?

There are various stages in the conveyancing process that we will guide you through. Our helpful guide to the conveyancing process also outlines what you may need to consider.

How long does the conveyancing process take?

There is no set timescale and each case has to be dealt with on its individual merits. However the average transaction is currently taking between 12 and 20 weeks from instruction not completion. We have dealt with cases in days but there must be very special circumstances to permit that timescale.

Why should I work with Howes Percival’s residential conveyancing team?

We offer a highly personalised service and you will have direct access to your contact at Howes Percival throughout the process. Our conveyancers have excellent technical expertise and are supported by experienced assistants as well as legal experts across the wider firm. Rather than working on high volumes of transactions, we focus on building personal relationships and providing a bespoke service that is tailored to your needs. We are accredited by the Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

How much does your residential conveyancing service cost?

The cost will depend on the value and circumstances of the property as well as a number of other factors. You can see a detailed pricing below. Our pricing schedule provides a general guide to our fees for residential conveyancing work. The actual cost of your transaction may vary depending on the property, the complexity of the matter and any additional work required. For a more accurate estimate tailored to your circumstances, please contact our residential conveyancing team, who will be happy to take further details and provide a bespoke estimate for your transaction.

Do you act for property investors and second-home buyers?

Yes. We advise property investors, landlords and individuals purchasing second homes, and provide practical legal advice tailored to their objectives. We regularly act on the purchase of buy-to-let and investment properties, although we do not provide advice on tenancy agreements or the ongoing management of tenancies.

* Add £627 for reviewing any Assured Shorthold Tenancy on a let property.

All fees are subject to VAT at 20%.

We may have to increase our fees from the table above, if any of the following apply:

• Defective title which cannot be resolved by a standard defective title policy
   
• Complicated unregistered title
   
• Lost title deeds
   
• Multiple defective title policies required
   
• Auction
   
• Gifted deposit
   
• You are a company
   
• There are non-owning adult occupiers of the property

Our fees above do not include the following matters for which we can give you a separate quote:

• Properties with any agricultural element
   
• Portfolios of properties
   
• Properties with staff accommodation or granny annexes
   
• All tax advice, including Stamp Duty Land Tax and Capital Gains Tax
   
• Purchasing the freehold of your leasehold house or flat (enfranchisement) or extending your long lease
   
• Shared ownership purchases and subsequent stair-casing
   
• Transfer of equity
   
• Conditional contracts (e.g. purchase conditional on seller or buyer obtaining planning permission).
   
• Licence for buyer to occupy property between exchange and completion
   
• Co-habitation agreements
   
• Declarations of trust
   
• Exclusivity agreements
   
• Sale of garden land
   
• Party wall issues
   
• Islamic mortgages
   
• Bridging finance (as opposed to mortgage finance)
   
• Sale or purchase at less than market value

We will let you know as soon as possible whether your fee is going to be outside our standard scale.

The following disbursements also apply:

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If a matter is abortive we will charge all disbursements incurred and a reasonable proportion of our fees.