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Residential Purchase

Our Property and Conveyancing department is led by partner, Robert Macduff-Duncan.  Robert was admitted as a solicitor in 2004, joined the firm in 2018 and was assumed as a partner in 2021.

If you are buying a new home, the work undertaken is relatively similar regardless of whether you are purchasing a flat, house, new-build property or even land. This type of transaction will usually involve:

  • Speaking to you and providing advice;
  • completing of Anti-Money Laundering procedures and identity checks;
  • drafting a formal written offer;
  • liaising with estate agents and the seller’s solicitor;
  • drawing up a range of documents including further missive letters and a disposition;
  •  examining title, inspecting searches and reports,
  • drawing up mortgage security where necessary,
  • arranging settlement (completion) of the transaction,
  • obtaining and managing the funds from you and from your mortgage lender,
  • submitting a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) return and making payment of any tax to Revenue Scotland; and registering your new title (and any security documentation where a lender is involved).

We are able to offer fixed fees for residential purchase conveyancing, and can provide a full estimate of fees and outlays prior to the commencement of a transaction.  Our fees are set on scale determined by the price at the property being purchased.  Our typical legal fees for a purchase range from £750 plus VAT for simple transactions at a price under £1,000 to £3,000 plus VAT for larger properties with associated complexities. For a property purchased at a price of £200,000, for example, the fixed fee for this work may be £950 plus VAT of £190.

Outlays are dependent on price. For example, if you are buying a property for £200,000 with a mortgage, the outlays would be as follows:

£400 to Registers of Scotland for registration of the title;

£80 for registration of the mortgage;

£20 for Advance Notice for mortgage;

£300 for LBTT (reduced for first-time buyers and more – payment of Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) - if buying a second property).

LBTT and registration dues change on sliding scales dependent on the price of the property.

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