Quick answer
Buying a new-build home, finished or off-plan, means checking the developer's contract, the plans, the new home warranty and the reservation deadlines, as well as the usual title and searches. Our fee comes from our new-build fee scale, with "New Build Property" at £250 + VAT: £1,360 + VAT, plus disbursements, for a freehold home up to £500,000 bought with a mortgage. You get a written, itemised quote before you instruct us.
On this page
What we do for you
- Read the reservation agreement and plan the work around its deadline
- Check the developer's contract, the plot plan and the boundaries against what you were shown
- Check the planning permission, building regulations sign-off and the new home warranty your lender needs
- Check the roads and drains will be adopted, or what you will pay towards them if not
- Explain any estate management charge, service charge and the lease, if there is one
- Check your mortgage offer, and its expiry date against the build timetable
- Exchange contracts, then complete when the developer gives notice that the home is finished
- File the Stamp Duty return and register you at HM Land Registry
Buying your first home? Our first-time buyer conveyancing page covers gifted deposits and Lifetime ISAs. Buying a share of a new build? See shared ownership solicitors.
What it costs
Our fees for buying a new-build home with a mortgage, by price:
| Up to £500,000 | Freehold: £1,360 + VAT (£1,632 including VAT) Leasehold: £1,710 + VAT (£2,052 including VAT) |
|---|---|
| £500,001 to £750,000 | Freehold: £1,560 + VAT (£1,872 including VAT) Leasehold: £1,810 + VAT (£2,172 including VAT) |
| £750,001 to £999,999 | Freehold: £1,660 + VAT (£1,992 including VAT) Leasehold: £1,910 + VAT (£2,292 including VAT) |
| £1 million to £1,999,999 | Freehold: £2,260 + VAT (£2,712 including VAT) Leasehold: £2,410 + VAT (£2,892 including VAT) |
Each figure is our new-build legal fee plus the standard purchase lines (Preparation of SDLT forms, Application for Registration, File Opening Fee (Non-refundable), Telegraphic Transfer Fee (Per Transfer), Mortgage Handling/Admin Fee and Lender Portal Management Fee) and "New Build Property" (£250 + VAT). A leasehold home also has "Dealing with Leasehold" (£150 + VAT). Charged only if it applies, and shown in your quote: "Dealing with Building Safety Act" (£500 + VAT) for a flat in a building of five or more storeys or over 11 metres. Buying without a mortgage, the Mortgage Handling/Admin Fee and Lender Portal Management Fee drop off. For a home of £2 million or more, your written quote confirms the fee.
Third-party costs (disbursements) are typically £319 to £341 for one or two people, including VAT where it applies. Not included: a survey or snagging inspection, indemnity premiums, management company or managing-agent charges, or lender charges. How our charges work is on our fees page.
Set by the government, shown separately: Stamp Duty Land Tax is worked out the same way as on any purchase (HMRC's Stamp Duty calculator). The HM Land Registry fee is higher on a new build: a new house is split off the developer's land and a new flat is granted on a new lease, so each pays the full Scale 1 fee rather than the lower rate for an existing home.
The HM Land Registry fee on a new build, by price:
| Up to £80,000 | £45 |
|---|---|
| £80,001 to £100,000 | £95 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £230 |
| £200,001 to £500,000 | £330 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £655 |
| Over £1,000,000 | £1,105 |
Worked example: a £350,000 new-build house
One buyer in England, replacing their main home and not a first-time buyer, buys a finished £350,000 freehold new-build house with a mortgage.
| Legal Fees (new-build scale) | £595 + VAT |
|---|---|
| Preparation of SDLT forms | £100 + VAT |
| Application for Registration | £100 + VAT |
| File Opening Fee (Non-refundable) | £100 + VAT |
| Telegraphic Transfer Fee (Per Transfer) | £40 + VAT |
| Mortgage Handling/Admin Fee | £150 + VAT |
| Lender Portal Management Fee | £25 + VAT |
| New Build Property | £250 + VAT |
| Our fees | £1,360 + VAT (£1,632 including VAT) |
| Typical disbursements, one buyer | £319, including VAT where it applies |
| Our fees and disbursements | £1,951 including VAT |
Paid to the government on top, not part of our fees:
| Stamp Duty Land Tax, standard rates | £7,500 |
|---|---|
| HM Land Registry fee, new build | £330 |
| Government charges | £7,830 |
Our figures checked against the quote engine, 20 October 2026; Stamp Duty and Land Registry figures checked on GOV.UK, 19 October 2026. A survey, your lender's fees and moving costs are not included. This is an example for a finished new build, not tax advice: your written quote confirms the exact figure for yours.
The developer's deadlines
When you reserve a plot, you pay a reservation fee and sign a reservation agreement. Most give a short, fixed time to exchange contracts, and the developer can end the reservation if it is missed. The agreement also says what happens to the reservation fee if you pull out.
So instruct us as soon as you reserve, and send us the agreement. We plan the work around its dates, ask the developer's solicitor for anything missing straight away, and tell you at once if something will hold up the exchange, such as a late mortgage offer.
Off-plan, you exchange before the home is finished. The contract gives an estimated finish date, a notice period for completion once the home is ready, and a long-stop date after which you can usually pull out if it still isn't finished. We explain each one before you sign.
New-build flats and leasehold homes
A new flat is almost always leasehold. We check the length of the lease, the service charge budget, who manages the building and what you can and can't do under the lease. For most new long leases of homes granted from 30 June 2022, the ground rent can be no more than a peppercorn, in effect nothing; we confirm what yours says.
Leasehold homes are priced on the leasehold column above, with "Dealing with Leasehold" (£150 + VAT) added. More on leases: leasehold conveyancing.
Snagging
Snagging means listing the small defects in a new home, such as poor finishes, gaps or doors that stick, so the developer puts them right. Many buyers check the home themselves or pay a surveyor to inspect it, before completion where the developer allows it, or soon after moving in.
We do not do surveys or snagging inspections, and we don't recommend a particular firm. Your new home warranty and the developer's own after-sales terms say how long the developer has to fix defects, and we point these out in our report to you.
How long it takes
For a finished new build, a purchase typically takes 8 to 10 weeks for a freehold home and 10 to 12 weeks for a leasehold one, from instruction to completion. Our fast-track service typically takes 6 to 8 weeks (freehold) or 8 to 10 weeks (leasehold), for £500 + VAT paid on completion. If we miss the fast-track timescale, you do not pay the fast-track fee, unless the delay is outside our control, for example caused by the other side, the lender or the chain. Your file stays on fast-track.
Timing depends on the chain, the searches, your lender and how quickly the developer's solicitor replies. Off-plan, completion follows the build, so the date depends on when the developer finishes the home.
If your purchase falls through, you pay our File Opening Fee (Non-refundable), £100 + VAT, and any disbursements we have already paid out on your behalf. The rest of what you have paid us is refunded, or carried over to your next property when you find one.
What clients say
Where we act
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Leicester office 3rd Floor, St George's House, 6 St George's Way, Leicester LE1 1QZ 0116 393 0334
Conveyancing in Leicester
Questions people ask
Is conveyancing cheaper on a new build?
No, it usually costs more, because there is more to check: the plans, the build and the warranty, and the developer's own contract and deadlines. Our new-build fee scale is higher than our standard one, and "New Build Property" (£250 + VAT) is added. The HM Land Registry fee is also higher on a new home. See our fees page for how our charges work.
Are new builds freehold?
New houses are usually sold freehold and new flats leasehold, but check each one. On many new estates a management company looks after the roads and green spaces, and freehold owners pay it an estate charge. We tell you what the charges are and who sets them before you exchange.
Can I use my own solicitor, or must I use the developer's recommended one?
You can choose your own solicitor. A developer may suggest firms, but the choice is yours. Whoever you choose, they act for you, not for the developer.
How quickly do I need to instruct a solicitor after reserving?
Straight away. Most reservation agreements give a short, fixed time to exchange contracts, and the developer can end the reservation if it is missed. Send us the reservation agreement on day one and we plan the work around its dates. We tell you at once if anything will hold it up.
What is a snagging survey, and do you do it?
A snagging inspection lists small defects in a new home, such as poor finishes or doors that stick, so the developer can put them right. We do not do surveys or snagging inspections, and we don't recommend a particular firm. The timing and what to check are in our new build buyer checklist.
What if my mortgage offer runs out before the home is finished?
Mortgage offers last for a limited time, and an off-plan home can take longer to finish than planned. We check the offer's expiry date against the developer's timetable at the start. If they may not line up, talk to your lender or broker early about an extension.
How long does new build conveyancing take?
For a finished home, typically 8 to 10 weeks for freehold and 10 to 12 weeks for leasehold. Our fast-track service typically takes 6 to 8 weeks (freehold) or 8 to 10 weeks (leasehold), for £500 + VAT paid on completion; if we miss that timescale, you do not pay the fast-track fee, unless the delay is outside our control, for example caused by the other side, the lender or the chain. Timing depends on the chain, the searches and your lender. Off-plan, completion follows the build, so the date depends on when the home is ready.
What if my purchase falls through?
You pay our File Opening Fee (Non-refundable), £100 + VAT, and any disbursements we have already paid out on your behalf. The rest of what you have paid us is refunded, or carried over to your next property when you find one. The developer's reservation agreement says what happens to your reservation fee.
Helpful guides
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