Quick answer
If you're buying a property to let with a home purchase plan, we handle the purchase and your finance provider's documents. We check the property and its title, explain what the provider's documents ask of you as a landlord, and register you and the plan on completion. You get a written, itemised quote before you instruct us.
On this page
What we do for you
- Check the contract and title the seller's solicitor sends, order the searches and raise questions about anything unclear
- Go through your provider's documents with you, including what they say about letting the property out
- Tell you what the plan says about ending it early or selling
- For a flat, check what the lease allows when it comes to letting
- Act for your provider as well, if we're on its panel
- On completion, send the money, file the Stamp Duty return and register the ownership and the plan at HM Land Registry
Buying a home to live in? See buying with a home purchase plan.
Before you make an offer
Some finance providers offer home purchase plans for properties you will let out, and some only for a home you will live in. Check with your provider first. When you ask us for a quote, tell us the property will be let out, so the quote includes the extra work.
If it's a flat, read about leasehold too: the lease can limit how you let it.
What it costs
| Our legal fee | £1,010 – £1,910 + VAT for a standard purchase of a freehold home under £2m. Your instant quote gives the exact figure. |
|---|---|
| Buy to Let | £100 + VAT (£150 + VAT on a new-build property), on top of our fee for the purchase |
| Dealing with Musharakah Documentation | £500 + VAT, if your finance is a Musharakah plan. Listed in your instant quote but not included in its total. |
| VAT | 20% on our fees and on some third-party costs (shown in your quote) |
| Third-party costs (disbursements), e.g. searches and ID checks | Extra: typically £319 to £341 on a purchase (one or two people, including VAT where it applies), listed one by one in your quote. |
Leasehold, new build and other extra work is charged as a separate fixed fee, set out in your quote.
You get a written, itemised quote before you instruct us. Our published fee ranges, and what they cover, are on our fees page.
Set by the government, shown separately: Stamp Duty Land Tax (paid to HMRC) and the HM Land Registry fee depend on the price and your circumstances, so they aren't part of our fee. HMRC has a Stamp Duty calculator. In Wales, Land Transaction Tax applies instead, paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority (LTT calculator).
How it works
Timings depend on the seller, the chain, your finance provider and the searches. We give you an estimate at the start and tell you if anything changes it.
- Getting started
You accept your quote, tell us who your provider is and send us your ID. We ask the seller's solicitor for the contract pack.
- Checks and searches
We review the contract and title, order searches and raise questions. Your provider's offer arrives.
- Report and sign
We report on the property and explain your provider's documents. You sign and transfer your deposit.
- Exchange
We exchange contracts with the seller's solicitor and the completion date is fixed. From this point, both sides are legally bound.
- Completion day
The money is sent to the seller's solicitor and the keys are released. Afterwards we file the Stamp Duty (or Land Transaction Tax) return and register the ownership and the plan at HM Land Registry.
What clients say
-
Regulated by the SRA SRA No. 605949, view our record
-
CQS accredited Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme
Questions landlords ask
Can I use a home purchase plan to buy a property to let?
Some finance providers offer home purchase plans for properties you will let out, and some only for a home you will live in. Your provider decides this, so check with them first. Once you have an offer, we deal with the legal side.
Do you need to know the property will be let out?
Yes. Tell us at the start. Your provider's documents and the checks we make on the property both depend on it, and our quote includes the extra work.
What does buy-to-let add to my legal fees?
Your quote includes our Buy to Let fee of £100 + VAT (£150 + VAT on a new-build property). If your plan is a Musharakah plan, our Dealing with Musharakah Documentation fee of £500 + VAT also applies. Your instant quote lists it but does not add it to the total. These are on top of our fee for the purchase, and third-party costs are extra.
I am buying a flat to let. Is there anything else to check?
Yes. A lease can limit whether, and how, you let the flat out. We check the lease and tell you what it allows before you commit.
How much Stamp Duty will I pay?
It depends on the price and your circumstances. The higher rates for additional properties may apply if you already own a home. HMRC's Stamp Duty calculator gives a figure, and your quote shows Stamp Duty on its own, separate from our fee. We file the return for you.
Who do I call about a buy-to-let purchase?
Call our London office on 020 7063 9040 or our Leicester office on 0116 393 0334, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. If you'd rather not call, our online quote gives you a written, itemised figure first.
Helpful guides
Buying to let with a home purchase plan? See what it will cost.
Get my quote