General Information

What is Conveyancing?

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of property from one owner to another. The conveyancing process, if properly carried out, ensures that the purchaser actually owns all the property, land and rights that have been paid for.

Our Conveyancing Service

We provide a service which is designed to safeguard your interests at each stage of the transaction. Although there are many reasons why delays can occur in the conveyancing process (problems on survey, the wait for local authority searches, broken housing chains etc), it is failure to communicate these which can cause frustration and confusion.

The conveyancing team at Chhokar & Co are fully aware of the need to keep in touch with clients at every stage of the transaction. We will do our best to ensure that delays are minimised and that the sale or purchase of your property goes through as smoothly as possible.

A Quick Guide to our Conveyancing Services

Chhokar & Co Solicitors LLP are accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) which provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing.
We are also a member of the Bold Legal Group network.
Please view this video which has been produced to explain the process of Conveyancing.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of the conveyancing process, please call on +44 (0)20 85742488 or email us at law@chhokar.com

Estimated costs

Freehold Purchase

Our Team’s Qualifications and Experience

Our dedicated Residential Property Conveyancing Team comprises three Partners, two Senior Solicitors and two Legal Assistants. Between them our Team Members have in excess of 50 years’ experience in residential property conveyancing. We are also fully accredited Members of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). We follow best practice procedures and adhere to the highest standards of technical expertise and client service.

Where a complex issue arises and additional expertise in other areas of law are required, we liaise with other departments within Chhokar & Co. Where appropriate we may also seek guidance and support from specialist barristers. Additional costs may be incurred in such cases.

Indicative Costs

We shall provide you with an Estimate of our Legal Fees and associated costs at the outset of the purchase of your freehold property.

As a general guide, we set out below our Legal Fees and additional costs which cover most of the work required to complete apurchase of a freehold property – including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and submitting a Stamp Duty Land Tax return (if required).

Legal Fees	Our fees for a purchase of a freehold property range from £1,150 plus VAT – £3 250 plus vat at 20%
Land Registry document fee	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT) if required
Our charge for Electronic money transferincluding our fee	£36 (inclusive of VAT)
Bankruptcy Search	£2.40 (inclusive of VAT) per search
Land Registry Priority Search	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT) per search
Land Registry registration fee	£20 – 910 you can check the amount you actually will need to pay by referring to HM Land Registry website
Stamp Duty Land Tax	The actual cost of Stamp Duty Land Tax depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website
Property Searches (including the Local Search, Water and Drainage Search, Environmental Search) if required	Approximately £300-500 (inclusive of VAT)
Lawyer Checker	£12 (inclusive of VAT)The range of our Legal Fees is based on a maximum purchase price of a property at £3 million. If the purchase price is in excess of£3 million, our Legal Fees may be more and we shall provide our Estimate of Legal Fees and costs..

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry or general search fees. Wehandle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We shall pay these items on your behalf and add them to your Bill.

How long will my purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. Generally speaking, the average process takes between 10-12 weeks from you making your offer to completion of your purchase and moving in. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage agreed in principle, it could be shorter but if there are other transactions involved in the ‘chain’ the process could take longer.

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in a purchase of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances. We shall keep you informed about progress.

What’s not included?

Our Estimates of Fees and costs are based on a straightforward transaction and assumes, for example, that :

all relevant planning permissions and building regulations documentation have been obtained;
all key documents are supplied at the outset;
all parties are co-operative and that there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
no indemnity policies are required other than a search indemnity insurance policy if accepted by the lender. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required;

Additional Fees and costs may become payable if there are other (possibly unforeseen) matters arising, 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 maintransaction, eg a right of way needs to be established/sorted or a breach of covenant needs resolving;
title to the property is unregistered;
a change of instructions;
the property is a new build – if the property is a new build then an additional fee will be charged and that fee ranges from £350 – 500 plus VAT;
the property is part of the Help to Buy Scheme or you are funding the purchase through a Help to Buy Loan or ISA, if so thenan additional fee of between £50 to £250 plus VAT will be charged, depending on the scheme used.

Where cases are substantially more complex or have unexpected issues and additional fees may be payable we shall provide you with details if and when they arise.

Our fees are generally fixed and the cost information supplied above is general and we will provide you with our Estimate of Legal Fees and costs which sets out more precise and personalised information including a full breakdown of costs.

Chhokar & Co Solicitors provide a high quality, friendly and proactive service to all of our clients and we seek to work to tight timescales to meet our clients’ needs. As our client you will benefit from face to face meetings, email updates or telephone updates – we can tailor our communication to suit your needs. You will also benefit from a team with a wealth of experience and knowledge of property law.

Purchase of your Leasehold Property

Our Team’s Qualifications and Experience

Indicative Costs

We shall always provide you with an Estimate of our Fees at the outset of your purchase.

However, to assist you, we also set out below an outline of the work and costs likely to be incurred in the purchase of your leasehold property – including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and submitting a Stamp Duty Land Tax return (as necessary). For this purpose we assume that your purchase will be funded with your own savings and a mortgage from a High Street Lender. If your circumstances vary, we shall notify you about any additional costs.

Legal Fees	Our fees for a purchase of a leasehold property range from £1 375 – £3 750 plus vat at 20%
Land Registry document fee	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT) (if required)
Our charge for Electronic money transferincluding our fee	£36 (inclusive of VAT)
Bankruptcy Search	£2.40 (inclusive of VAT) per search
Land Registry Priority Search	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT) per search
Land Registry registration fee	£20-910 you can check the actual amount you will need to pay by referring to HM Land Registry website
Stamp Duty Land Tax	The actual cost of Stamp Duty Land Tax depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website or if the property is located in Wales by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website
Property Searches (including the Local Search, Water and Drainage Search, Environmental Search) if required	Approximately £300-500 (inclusive of VAT)
Fee to transfer share in company, deed ofcovenant and/or licence to assign (if required)	To be confirmed – as this varies according to freeholder/managing agent and we shall check and confirm for your transaction
Fee to register notice of transfer/mortgage	To be confirmed – this varies according to freeholder/managing agent and we shall check and confirm for your transaction
Lawyer checker	£12 (inclusive of VAT)

Our estimate of our Legal Fees is based on a maximum purchase price of a property at £3 million. If your purchase price is over £3million, our Legal Fees may be more and we shall provide you with an Estimate fixed fee price.

During the process of investigating the property you are proposing to buy we shall have to obtain and pay for important information and documents from third parties. These expenses are called ‘disbursements’ and include Land Registry or general search fees. Wepay such disbursements on your behalf and add the cost to your final bill..

How long will my purchase take?

The total time from your offer being accepted and you moving in to your new home will depend on various factors. Generally, it can take between 10-12 weeks from offer to completion. However, it can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. Forexample, if you are a first time buyer, buying a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take longer. Equally, if there are a number of sale-purchase transactions in the ‘chain’, the process could take longer.

If a leasehold information pack is required from the landlord or management company or their managing agents then this can also add to the total time. The precise stages involved in a purchase of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances. We shall endeavor to keep you informed of progress.

What’s not included?

Our Estimate of Legal Fees is based on a straightforward transaction and assumes that no unforeseen matters arise.

Our assumptions include :

all relevant planning permissions and building regulations documentation have been obtained;
all key documents are supplied at the outset;
all parties are co-operative and that there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
no indemnity policies are required other than a search indemnity insurance policy if accepted by the lender. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required;

Some cases however can be substantially more complex or have unexpected issues. In those instances additional fees may be payable. Details will be provided if and when they arise and we will agree any additional fees with you first.

Such issues may include :

a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the maintransaction, For example : a right of way needs to be established/sorted or a breach of covenant needs resolving;
title to the property is unregistered;
a change of instructions;
the property is a new build – if the property is a new build then an additional fee will be charged and that additional fee ranges from £350-500 plus vat;
the property is part of the Help to Buy Scheme or you are funding the purchase through a Help to Buy Loan or ISA, if sothen an additional fee of between £50 to £250 plus vat will be charged, depending on the scheme used.

The cost information set out above is general and we will provide you with more precise and personalised information including a full breakdown of costs at the outset of your transaction.

Freehold Sale

Our Team’s Qualifications and Experience

Indicative Costs

We will provide you with an Estimate of our Legal Fees and additional costs at the outset of the sale of your freehold property.

We set out below a summary of our Legal Fees and associated costs which covers most of the work required to complete the sale ofyour freehold property – including dealing with redemption of a single mortgage, discharge of the legal charge at the Land Registry. If your circumstances vary, we shall notify you about any additional costs.

Legal Fees	Our fees for a sale of a freehold property range from £950 plus VAT – £3 250 plus VAT at 20%
Land Registry document fee	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT)
Our charge for Electronic money transferincluding our fee	£36 (inclusive of VAT)

The range of our Legal Fees is based on a maximum sale price of a property at £3 million. If the sale price is in excess of £3 million, our Legal Fees may be more and we will provide our Estimate of our fixed fee price.

Disbursements :

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry or indemnity insurance premiums. We shall add these costs to our Bill. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

How long will my sale take?

How long it will take from an offer being accepted until you can move out of your house and complete will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 10-12 weeks from offer to completion. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if your buyer is a first time buyer and obtaining a mortgage, it could be relatively quick – whereas if theer are other property transactions involved in the ‘chain’ the process will take longer.

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in a sale of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances. We shall keep you informed of progress.

What’s not included?

The above fees are based on a straightforward transaction and assumes that :

all relevant planning permissions and building regulations documentation have been obtained;
all key documents are supplied at the outset;
all parties are co-operative and that there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
no indemnity policies are required other than a search indemnity insurance policy if accepted by the lender. Additional Legal Fees and disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required;

However if 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 maintransaction, eg a right of way needs to be established/sorted or a breach of covenant needs resolving;
title to the property is unregistered;
a change of instructions;
the property is part of the Help to Buy Scheme then an additional fee of between £50 to £250 plus VAT will be charged, depending on the scheme used.

Some cases however can be substantially more complex or have unexpected issues. In those instances additional fees may be payable. We shall provide details if and when they arise and we will agree any additional fees with you first.

Some cases however can be substantially more complex or have unexpected issues. In those instances additional fees may be payable. We shall provide details if and when they arise.

Chhokar & Co Solicitors provide a high quality, friendly and proactive service to all of our clients and we seek to work to tight timescales to meet our clients’ needs. As our client you will benefit from face to face meetings, email updatesor telephone updates – we can tailor our communication to suit your needs. You will also benefit from a team with a wealth of experience

Leasehold Sale

Our Team’s Qualifications and Experience

Indicative Costs

We shall provide you with an Estimate of our Legal Fees and associated cost at the outset of the sale of your leasehold property.

We set out below a general guide to our fees which cover most of the work required to complete the sale of your leasehold property.

Legal Fees	Our fees for a sale of a leasehold property range from £1 250 plus VAT – £3 750 plus VAT at 20%
Land Registry document fee	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT)
Our charge for Electronic money transferincluding our fee	£36 (inclusive of VAT)
Licence to Assign	To be confirmed, if required (varies according to landlord/managing agent and will be confirmed on each transaction)
Management/leasehold information pack	To be confirmed (varies according to landlord/managing agent and will be confirmed on each transaction)

Our Estimate of the range of our Legal Fees is based on a maximum sale price of a property at £3 million. If the sale price is in excess of £3 million, our fees may be more and we shall provide an Estimate of our fixed Legal Fees and associated costs.

For leasehold property there are certain disbursements, as mentioned above, which will either be set out in an individual leaserelating to the property or which will be dictated by the landlord/management company or their managing agent. These vary from property to property and we will be able to give you an accurate figure once we have reviewed the relevant documents and or received this information for your property.

How long will my sale take?

How long it will take from you accepting the Buyer’s Offer until you can move out of your leasehold property and complete will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 10-12 weeks from offer to completion. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, if your buyer is a first time buyer and obtaining a mortgage, it could take less time – if a number of properties are involved it could take longer.

In addition, if there is a requirement to obtain certain leasehold information from your landlord/management company or their managingagent, this can also affect timings as there can be delays in us receiving the information or the buyer’s solicitor may wish to raise further enquiries as a result.

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in a sale of a leasehold property will vary according to the circumstances. We shall keep you informed about progress.

What’s not included?

Our Estimates of our Legal Fees and costs are based on a straightforward transaction and assumes, for example, that :

all relevant planning permissions and building regulations documentation have been obtained;
all key documents are supplied at the outset;
all parties are co-operative and that there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation;
no indemnity policies are required other than a search indemnity insurance policy if accepted by the lender. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required;

We also assume that 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, e.g. a right of way needs to be established/sorted or a breach of covenant needs resolving;
title to the property is unregistered;
a change of instructions;
the property is part of the Help to Buy Scheme then an additional fee of between £50 to £250 plus VAT will be charged, depending on the scheme used;
a lease extension which is agreed as part of the

Some cases however can be substantially more complex or have unexpected issues. In those instances additional fees may be payable. We shall provide details if and when they arise.

Re-mortgage

Our Team’s Qualifications and Experience

Indicative Costs

We will provide you with an Estimate of our Fees and other costs at the outset of your matter.

We set out below the key cost which cover the work required to complete a re-mortgage in respect of your home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry (if required).

Legal Fees	Our fees start at £875 plus VAT at 20%
Land Registry document fee	£3.60 (inclusive of VAT)
Our charge for Electronic money transfer including our fee	£36 (inclusive of VAT)
Bankruptcy Search	£2.40 per search
Land Registry Priority Search	£3.60
Land Registry registration fee	£20-125 you can check the actual amount you will need to pay by referring to HM Land Registry website
Property Searches (including the Local Search, Water and Drainage Search, Environmental Search) if required	Approximately £300-500 (inclusive of VAT)
Search Indemnity insurance if Property Searches are not required	Varies, but on a re-mortgage where the property is valued at £1m this would be

Please note that additional Fees and disbursements will be payable where the property is held in a limited company and or where an existing mortgage has to be redeemed.

Disbursements :

Leasehold properties :

If the property being re-mortgaged is a leasehold property additional work will be required and we may charge you additional Fees. In addition there may be additional disbursements which will be set out in an individual lease relating to the property such as a Notice ofCharge, and is often between £100 and £250. As a consequence Fees and disbursements may be significantly more than the range set out above. We can give you an accurate figure once we know full details of your Title and related documents.

How long will my re-mortgage take?

How long it will take from the issue of your new mortgage to completion of your re- mortgage can depend on a number of factors. Theaverage process takes between 6-8 weeks from receipt of mortgage offer to completion.

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in a re-mortgage of a residential property will vary according to the circumstances – such as whether the property is leasehold, whether there is an existing mortgage to redeem, whether more than legal charge has to be discharged, whether the property is held in a limited company. We shall endeavor to keep you informed of progress.

What’s not included?

Our Estimate of Legal Fees and disbursements set out above are based on a straightforward transaction and assumes that

all relevant planning permissions and building regulations documentation have been obtained;
all key documents are supplied at the outset;

We also assume that 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, e.g. a right of way needs to be established/sorted or a breach of covenant needs resolving;
title to the property is unregistered;
change of instructions
no indemnity policies are required other than a search indemnity insurance policy if accepted by the lender. Additional disbursements may apply if indemnity policies are required.

We pride ourselves on providing a high quality, friendly and proactive service to all of our clients and we often work to tight timescales to meet our clients’ needs.

The cost information set out above is general and we will provide you with more precise and personalised information including a full breakdown of costs at the outset of your transaction.

Please call us on 02085742488 to Discuss your matter further
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