Conveyancing Charges

Why instruct Dixon Ward?

Our experienced team offers a bespoke service to meet your personal requirements. We will be contactable throughout the transaction by telephone, email or in person with all legal work conducted by an experienced solicitor, conveyancer or FCILEx assigned to your case, rather than somebody less qualified to do so.  

Our continuing success is built purely on the quality of service provided to our clients.  We do not advertise externally or gain work through paid-for referrals.  The majority of our work is through repeat business from existing clients and recommendations by them as well as from estate agents and professional contacts who value our pragmatic and responsive approach to achieve a smooth and successful conclusion to property transactions.

We are very experienced in dealing with a wide variety of transactions, including high value properties. We have also built up robust working relationships with many local estate agents and solicitors which allows us to work proactively to resolve issues or challenges.  We have significant professional indemnity insurance to cover all work and are regulated by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority with our property team accredited under the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

Our approach is service-led and we will work to tight deadlines if required. At the outset of each transaction, we ensure that we fully understand our brief and your priorities and objectives. We pride ourselves on the provision of practical advice in addition to the legal advice that one would expect. We will be proactive as well as responsive and will communicate clearly to all involved in the transaction.

What will it cost?

We will agree a fixed fee for our services with you before commencing your transaction. This will include details of all legal costs, VAT and any known disbursements. In the event that there are any disbursements for which we cannot have a definitive figure at the outset (such as the landlord’s fees for providing the management pack on a leasehold property sale) we will endeavour to use our experience to provide you with a realistic estimate.

The level of fees will depend on various factors, including the required timescale, the value and whether the transaction involves freehold or leasehold property. Typically, our fees will fall within a range of £1,750.00 plus VAT (£2,100 in total) to £5,000.00 plus VAT (£6,000 in total) per property transaction.

Disbursements
These are payments we make on your behalf to third parties. The type of disbursement payable will depend on the nature of the transaction. Examples of typical disbursements are listed below (not all of these will apply to each transaction).  In addition, a disbursement is payable to a third party platform in respect of Anti-Money Laundering search reports for each individual client (and donor if providing a gifted deposit).  Full details of these disbursements will be provided with our initial estimate (usually ranging between £14 and £22 plus VAT per named individual and £12.60 plus VAT for source of funds searches on relevant transactions). 

What work is included in the price quoted?

The work undertaken will vary on the type of property transaction. By way of example, we set out below the kind work involved in a residential purchase.

• Take your instructions and provide initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Carry out searches
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Make any necessary enquiries of seller’s solicitor
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date (i.e. the date from which you will own the property)
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from your lender and/or you
• Complete the purchase
• Deal with payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax
• Deal with application for registration at HM Land Registry

What work is excluded from the price quoted above and would incur additional costs?

Our fee assumes that:

1. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise, including for example a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of ancillary documents in respect of previously unknown factors.

2. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation

3. No indemnity policies are required, which may require additional work and disbursements in respect of the policy premium.

Additional work arising as a result of any of these factors is charged at an hourly rate.

Our property team

• Ruth Muthoni is a Solicitor/Partner and Head of Property. Ruth has almost 20 years’ experience of commercial and residential matters. Her hourly rate is £330 + VAT (£396 in total).

• Surina Cohen is a Solicitor/Partner with almost 20 years’ experience of commercial and residential matters. Her hourly rate is £290 plus VAT (£348 in total).

• Joanne Wheeler is FCILEx qualified Senior Associate with over 30 years’ experience of residential matters. Her hourly rate is £280 plus VAT (£336 in total).

• Oli Cardenes is an experienced Conveyancer with over 25 years’ experience of residential matters. His hourly rate is £260 plus VAT (£312 in total).

We review our hourly rates at the end of March of each year.

How long will my house 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. The average timeframe for achieving an exchange of contracts is between 6-8 weeks.