Where to find the hidden extras….
ALWAYS CHECK THE SMALL PRINT! So many people do not check what they are signing when it comes to instructing conveyancing firms to do their conveyancing work on their sale or purchase.
Conveyancing Estimates MUST always be read in conjunction with the conveyancing lawyers terms and conditions. You’ll find the terms and conditions don’t always get supplied with the initial online quote so be wary if you feel your quote is too good to be true.
At PDR Property Lawyers we offer a Fixed Fee Guarantee and No Hidden Extras Guarantee
Here are a few Additional Conveyancing Fees Some Conveyancing Firms Hide…..
Administration Fee – £25 to £125
Administration fees are very common in conveyancing services, they are used to justify postages costs, photocopying, phone calls and office work.
At PDR Property Lawyers we do not charge extra for postage, photocopying, phone calls etc.
SDLT Filing (Stamp Duty Land Tax) – £30 to £125
This is one to spot on most online conveyancing quotes for purchases. After you complete your purchase your conveyancer will need to file a stamp duty land tax form for you.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge a fee for completing the SDLT Form online.
ID or Anti-Money Laundering Check Fee – £5 to £25
Most conveyancing quotes show this as an additional charge so if you don’t see it ask if it is going to be charged. The online ID fee is a charge to verify your name against your address as part of the ‘Know Your Client’ procedure conducted by the Property Lawyer.
Archiving / File Storage Fee – £10 to £65
Following completion the conveyancing firm will need to hold onto your file documents for a number of years. Some online conveyancing companies charge extra.
At PDR Property Lawyers we DO NOT charge a Archiving / Storage Fee.
Short Exchange and Completion Fee – £100 – £200
Where completion occurs within 5 working days of exchange, a significant amount of extra work is required by way of additional telephone calls and general chasing as the critical phase of the transaction is compressed into a shorter period of time.
At PDR Property Lawyers we DO NOT charge extra fees if you wish to exchange and complete within a week.
Dealing with the Managing Agent – £100 – £250
In cases where the property is leasehold, additional communication with landlords or managing agents will be required.
Communicating with all third parties is a standard part of the conveyancing service and is included in the PDR Property Lawyers Conveyancing fees.
Notice/Deed of Assignment – £50 – £150
When a leaseholder sells their property to someone else, a notice of assignment much be served to the freeholder of the property. A notice or deed of assignment is a record transfer of legal rights and often attracts additional conveyancing fees. This ensured that the seller will not continue to be invoiced for rent and services charges.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge a fee for this work – please note though the freeholder may charge a fee. This is a third party expense and not a legal fee charge.
Leasehold Supplement Conveyancing Fee – £75 – £250 plus
Leasehold properties require the evaluation of additional leasehold information such as the lease, the management pack, freehold title as well as dealing with managing agents and freeholder. At PDR Property Lawyers the ‘Leasehold Supplement’ is included in our standard Conveyancing Fee.
Simultaneous exchange and completion fee – £95 – £100 plus
Where exchange and completion happens simultaneously some conveyancing companies charge extra fees.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge any extra fees for simultaneously exchanging and completing on the same day.
Responding to additional enquiries £50 upwards
BE CAUTIOUS! This is one of the scariest additional fees to spot on an online conveyancing quote. This fee will be charged per enquiry raised or responded to and when there can be as many as 30 enquiries, this additional fee can cost hundreds of pounds.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge any extra fees for dealing or replying to enquiries.
Planning Permission Fees per item can be between £50 – £85
Dealing with Local Authorities with planning permission or building regulation approval copies.
Often, getting access and copies of these documents can be a timely and complicated process for your conveyancer and often involved sitting on hold and chasing local authorities.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge a fee for obtaining these documents and any disbursement charged by the local authority is passed straight on to the client without being marked up.
Preparing statutory declarations fee – £50 to £85
In some circumstances, it is necessary to obtain a statutory declaration when the deeds to a property do not contain the right of way over any road or a point of access. Without the statutory declaration, the owner does not legally have right of access to their property.
This a declaration was sworn before a solicitor/commissioner of oaths following the protocol of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge extra fees for drafting this document.
Indemnity Policy Set Up Fee £30 – £85
Finding the right indemnity policy can involve additional work although often, it is much less work than trying to fix the problem.
PDR Property Lawyers DO NOT charge a fee for setting up and checking Indemnity Policies.
At PDR Property Lawyers we provide an online conveyancing quote that is fixed and includes all of the legal work for a standard conveyancing transaction for your specific property.