Residential Conveyancing Solicitors Kent | Conveyancing Lawyers Tunbridge Wells & Sussex

Overview

Residential Conveyancing Solicitors

Buying or selling a home can be the largest investment you make; therefore you want to make sure you get expert property advice and the best value for money. At Thomson Snell & Passmore we seek to give you peace of mind by ensuring you have your own dedicated lawyer and that the transaction runs as smoothly and quickly as possible.

How we can help you

With a broad range of property conveyancing legal know-how we provide an efficient, personal and informative service to our clients in the following areas:

Freehold and leasehold – sales, purchases, mortgages and re-mortgages
High value properties (including large country homes and prestigious London properties)
Listed buildings
Holiday homes and investment properties
First time buyers
Executor and attorney sales
Court of Protection sales and purchases
New-builds
Lease extensions and lease enfranchisement
Matrimonial and probate transfers
First registrations of title with the Land Registry.

Why choose Thomson Snell & Passmore?

98% of our clients rate our service as ‘excellent’. If you have been referred to us by an agent it is because they are an advocate of our expertise and client care. 84% of our work comes from existing happy clients or is referred to us by an agent
Our local knowledge and strong networks with agents ensures your property transaction proceeds as efficiently as possible. We are on all of the mFajor lenders’ panels and do not receive or pay referral fees
Our market leading team of ten experienced conveyancing lawyers specialise in dealing with the sale and purchase of all types of residential property. We are one of the largest and most experienced residential conveyancing teams in Kent and the South East, with offices in Tunbridge Wells and Dartford. Because of the level of service we provide and the quality of work, the team have been recognised in the Chambers UK Guide 2019 for Real Estate, with partners Rebecca Swain and Guy Hollamby being ranked as leading individuals
We offer direct contact with the same lawyer (via telephone and email) throughout your transaction. In the event of any absence, our residential conveyancing team is structured to ensure that your transaction will be looked after by another lawyer, without a reduction in our level of service. We can provide peace of mind by offering searches that check for any future development proposed near your property. The standard searches we propose reveal details of planning permissions granted on properties nearby
All of our searches and correspondence with the Land Registry are conducted online, for speed and to keep costs down
We are committed to full transparency on fees and giving our clients meaningful choice as to the basis on which they wish to proceed. We ensure that clients are kept fully up to date on costs as the matter progresses
Our clients can also benefit from our strong network of lawyers who can provide additional advice on all aspects of your property transaction, including wills, trusts and tax planning, dispute resolution, family law and lease enfranchisement.

The pin map below identifies where in the UK our recent clients are based. This has been created using data from The Conveyancing Map supplied by the TM Group.

Fees

We appreciate that costs quickly mount when buying or selling a property. With this in mind, we offer a comprehensive range of fixed fee services aimed at keeping legal costs to an absolute minimum. To view a full summary of what is, and is not, included in our fees click on the links for a sale, purchase or a mortgage/re-mortgage.

Our fee proposal will be based on a full understanding of your needs, once we have taken into account the actual features of the matter and know what is important to you. Matters that can affect the fees include time sensitivity, leases, new-builds, private drainage, Listed Buildings, complex and/or multiple titles, complex financing arrangements, third party involvement, major building works or plans and tenanted properties; as well as those items identified in the summary of work referred to above.

The tables below provide an average fixed fee range for the type of transaction referred to. It assumes that the work is within our standard scope of work and has no unexpected complications or high priority. If there are any unexpected complications or items that are outside of our initial scope we will inform you as soon as we become aware and will discuss the potential consequences, before any additional charges are incurred. VAT will apply to these fees.

Sale

Value	Freehold	Leasehold/Newbuild
Up to £500,000	£900 - £1,500	£1,200- £2,000
£500,000-£1m	£1,500 - £2,000	£2,000 - £3,000
£1m - £2m	£2,000 - £3,000	£3,000 - £4,000
£2m - £3m	£3,000 - £4,000	£4,000 - £5,000
Above £3m	£4,000 plus	£5,000 plus

Purchase

Value	Freehold	Leasehold/Newbuild
Up to £500,000	£1,000 - £1,500	£1,500 - £2,500
£500,000-£1m	£2,000 - £2,750	£2,500 - £3,250
£1m - £2m	£2,750 - £3,500	£3,250 - £4,500
£2m - £3m	£3,500 - £4,500	£4,500 - £5,500
Above £3m	£4,500 plus	£5,500 plus

Mortgage/Re-mortgages (excluding Equity Release)

Value	Freehold	Leasehold/Newbuild
Up to £500,000	£800	£1,200
£500,000-£1m	£1,200	£1,500
£1m - £2m	£1,200 plus	£1,500 plus

Additional fees and disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as those listed below. We handle payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Search fees (for purchases and re-mortgages): £300 - £500 approx. (including VAT)
HM Land Registry fee: For purchases, please use this link to view: the Land Registry’s fee scale 1. For sales, the Land Registry fees are usually less than £20 (incl. VAT) (depending on the number of copy documents we have to obtain at £3 +VAT per document). For mortgages and re-mortgages these are usually up to £20 (incl. VAT) for obtaining copy title documents. In addition there will be a registration fee based on the value of the new mortgage. Please use this link to view: the Land Registry’s fee scale 2
Stamp Duty Land Tax (for purchases and some transfers ) Please use this link to use: HMRC’s SDLT calculator. We will also advise you on basic SDLT liability. For more complex transactions, additional charges for advice may apply
Managing agents fees (for sales, purchases and mortgages/re-mortgages). These vary and are stipulated by the Landlord and/or managing agents. They are generally unavoidable and non-negotiable. The costs are incurred for obtaining ground rent, service charge and management information, consents to sell, details of major works, notifications of changes to ownership and lenders and transferring shares in management companies among other things
Electronic money transfer fee £30 +VAT per CHAPS transfer e.g. sending money on completion.

How long will the transaction take?

The time from your offer being accepted until you can move in, will depend on a number of factors, including the size of the chain. Assuming there is no chain it typically takes between 4 – 6 weeks from when a solicitor receives/sends the contract pack. When you are part of a chain, due to factors beyond our control, it will typically take a minimum of 8 weeks. Mortgage offers, delayed searches, management packs and information from third parties are all factors that can influence the time a transaction takes.

Stages of the process

Our infographic clearly shows the entire sale and purchase process, what we do and what to expect from each stage. Which can be found here: Buying and selling a property - the legal process.

Who will work on my matter?

All work is supervised by the Head of Department, or a senior, fully qualified member of the team who also has supervisory authority. If you instruct us we will advise you as soon as possible who will be working on your matter and who the supervisor is.
See the bottom of the page for details of the team who may work on your matter.

Related Client Stories

What happens to a residential conveyancing chain when one of the parties dies

This case study demonstrates the expertise of our Residential Conveyancing team who recently acted for a client buying their first property, when the vendor unfortunately died 4 days before they were due to complete.

Purchase of property completed within 2 weeks

We were instructed by our clients in the purchase of a high value property.

Purchase of prestigious duplex apartment in London

We were involved in the sale and purchase of two multimillion pound properties in London.

Sale and purchase of multimillion pound properties and assistance with high value property portfolio

We were instructed to act on the sale and purchase of two multimillion pound properties.

Selling a property in the UK to aid a family move to Canada

Claire was instructed on behalf of Mr & Mrs A in connection with their sale of their family home. They and their two children were emigrating to Canada to be with family. We were instructed in the July but the initial buyer was unable to sell their own property so the chain was not complete until September.

Residential Conveyancing - Quick turnaround for international client

With the aid of the Buyers Solicitors we completed the whole transaction from instruction to the move date within 13 working days. Basically – the management pack is the leasehold enquiries from the Freeholder which are needed for every lease transaction. The sellers pay for this and we order it on their behalf. Usually the freeholder or management company take several weeks to obtain this but we were able to expedite the process on this occasion.

Buying a second property and transferring to a buy-to-let mortgage

We were instructed by a client to act on a purchase being funded by a re-mortgage of an existing property at very short notice.

'Land locked' in North London

Claire Josef, of our residential conveyancing team, dealt with the sale of a residential property in North London where the garden land had been retained under a lock out agreement to a Developer.

Negotiating terms of lease for prestigious Knightsbridge apartment

One of our clients wanted some help with the purchase of an apartment in the Knightsbridge area next to a very well known Department Store.

When your buyer fails to complete

This case study demonstrates the expertise of our Residential Conveyancing team who recently acted for a client whose property sale did not proceed to completion after contracts have been exchanged.
Latest Updates

Stamp Duty Land Tax - first time buyer’s relief

Whilst the current Stamp Duty Land Tax threshold is £125,000 for residential properties, there are different rules if you’re buying your first home in the Government’s attempt to help people get on the property ladder.

Help to Buy ISA

The Government introduced the Help to Buy ISA on 1 December 2015. The aim was to assist first time buyers in making the expensive leap onto the housing ladder.

The £250 ground rent issue

The ground rent payable on a leasehold property has started to cause concern amongst lenders and property professionals.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on mixed use properties

Recent changes in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) rates may have caused confusion as to what rates apply in certain circumstances, not least when purchasing farms and estates.

Preparing for your move

FAQ: Frequently asked questions from across the practice

Every month we answer frequently asked questions from across the practice and bring them together to help bring clarity to your legal needs. Each of the sections below lead off to a more comprehensive bank of information.

The government's manifesto - reforming and modernising conveyancing

The government’s manifesto committed to reforming and modernising the conveyancing process.

FAQ: Tax Planning

Q. We want to help our 20 year old daughter buy her first flat, but we’re worried about putting such a valuable asset directly in her name. Is there anything we can do to protect the property until she’s a bit older?

A technical update for buy to let

The Chancellor, it seems, has taken a dim view of individuals taking advantage of low interest rates to buy property to rent out, and obtain income tax relief for the interest on borrowings used to purchase those properties. The new rules, which will see tax relief restricted to the equivalent of basic rate tax on the finance costs of purchasing buy to let properties, are to be phased in over three years starting from 6 April 2017. The full restriction will therefore apply to interest payments from 6 April 2020.

Banks reassure savers about Help to Buy Isa

Associate, Samuel Davies from our Residential Conveyancing team speaks to the Financial Times about Help to buy Isa's.

FAQ: Residential Conveyancing

Q. My buyer’s solicitor has asked me to provide any FENSA certificates. What are these certificates for?

The legal week in 60 seconds

The Solicitors Journal reports on Thomson Snell & Passmore's recent significant promotions within the firm.

Top 25 UK Law Firm

We are pleased to receive, for another year, the accolade from eprivateclient of being listed as one of the Top 25 Law Firms in the UK.

FAQ: Budget

Q. Was there any good news for SMEs in the Budget? A. Whilst not transforming the landscape for SMEs, there was certainly some good news. The Chancellor looked to shift some of the tax burden onto large corporates, giving him some room to assist smaller businesses.

Landlord obligations

Landlords renting out residential properties are facing challenges as a result of new legislation being introduced on a number of fronts. Here are a few of the changes coming your way.

Buying a ‘listed’ property

Tunbridge Wells attracts property buyers not just for being located in the Garden of England, it is also home to roughly 3,000 ‘listed buildings’, with many more located throughout the South East. This article covers what a ‘listed building’ is and the implications of buying such a property.

Property fraud and cyber security

Following the mortgage industry and Land Registry decisions to dematerialise title deeds to properties in the early 2000’s, there has been a huge rise in property related fraud. The idea behind the decision was to save money on production and storage costs, as well as time producing documents. No longer are owners required to produce an actual Land or Charge Certificate, which were only issued by the Land Registry. Instead, all that is required is a copy of the Registry’s electronic copy of the title.

Surveying the damage – the importance of reading your building survey prior to exchange of Contracts

A recent High Court decision has highlighted the importance to buyers of only proceeding to exchange of Contracts after their building survey has been reviewed and understood.

Reflecting on a history of service in helping our valued clients buy and sell their homes

Guy Hollamby, Partner at Thomson Snell & Passmore talks about his career and achievements leading one of the largest and most experienced residential property teams in the South East.

Thomson Snell & Passmore’s Samuel Davies wins Trainee of the Year award

Leading South East law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore last week saw solicitor Samuel Davies awarded the Kent & East Sussex (Junior Lawyer Divisions) Achievement Award for Trainee Solicitor of the Year 2014.

On the move

Solicitor Rachel Taylor at Thomson Snell & Passmore writes about preparing for your big day.
Insights

Are you buying a country property for the first time?

Declarations of Trust

Helping children onto the property ladder

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Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants

The future of flood insurance

Will and estate planning services