Herschel Law's conveyancing solicitors act on residential sales and transfers of equity across Slough and Berkshire. Before you instruct us you receive a written quote showing our fee and the other costs of your transaction. We do not act on purchases or remortgages. An initial consultation is from £120 plus VAT for 30 minutes.
A sale moves at the pace of its slowest link, and you do not control the other links in the chain. What you can control is your own side: the contract pack ready early, questions answered quickly and your lender's requirements known.
A quote should show the whole cost, including the parts that are easy to leave out. Ours sets out our fee and the other costs of your transaction before you instruct us.
We act on sales and on transfers of equity. We do not act on purchases or remortgages, so if you are buying or remortgaging you will need another firm.
We prepare the contract pack, answer the buyer's enquiries and arrange repayment of your existing mortgage on completion. A complete contract pack sent early does more than anything else to keep a sale on course, because it answers the buyer's questions before they ask.
Supplement: £250 plus VAT.
A transfer of equity adds or removes a name on the title, for example on marriage, separation or a gift between family members, and it needs the lender's consent. The transfer itself is simple. The difficulty is usually what it does to the mortgage and to any tax position, so we look at those first.
The fees below are our professional charges, with VAT shown at 20 per cent so you can see the total. Your written quote confirms the fee, itemises the other costs and says what is included, before any chargeable work begins.
| Service | Our fee | VAT and total |
|---|---|---|
| Sale | quoted on the price and tenure of the property | As set out in your written quote |
| Leasehold supplement | £250 | £50 VAT; £300 total |
| Transfer of equity | £800 | £160 VAT; £960 total |
The full list of published fees is on the pricing page.
Other organisations set these charges. We list them in your written quote so that the total is clear before you start.
Conveyancing is quoted as a fee for the transaction, so an hourly rate seldom applies. If a matter becomes unusually complicated, for example because of a defective title, we explain the extra work and agree the cost with you before we do it, at hourly rates of £200 to £350 plus VAT.
Every sale follows the same stages, and you are told where yours stands.
You receive a written quote itemising our fee and the other costs. We then carry out identity checks, which every conveyancer is required by law to do and which cause delay when left until late. Bring photographic identification and proof of address.
Typical timing: within one working day of your enquiry.We prepare the contract pack and send it to the buyer's solicitor, so that their questions are answered early.
We answer the buyer's enquiries and ask your lender for a figure to repay your mortgage. The pace depends on the other side and on your lender.
The completion date is fixed and the buyer pays a deposit. From this point the contract binds both sides, and a party who pulls out loses their deposit. The date is agreed along the chain.
The money arrives, the keys are released and the sale is done. We repay your mortgage and pay the balance to you.
Your matter is handled by a named solicitor, and you are told who before you instruct us. Waqas Sabah, Director and Principal Solicitor, handles matters in this area. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2018, and you can check his entry on the SRA register under SRA number 585809.
You can read more about Waqas on his profile page, or book an initial consultation.
Solicitor — SRA No. 585809
A sale is quoted on the price of your property and on whether it is freehold or leasehold. A leasehold supplement of £250 plus VAT applies, and a transfer of equity is £800 plus VAT. The written quote lists every cost before you instruct us.
The timescale depends on the chain. Slow replies to the buyer's enquiries and a leasehold management pack are the most common causes of delay.
You can shorten your own side by sending a complete contract pack early and by telling us at once if anything about your mortgage is unusual.
Until contracts are exchanged, either side can withdraw without penalty. That includes a buyer who lowers their offer at the last minute, and a seller who accepts a higher offer from someone else, known as gazumping. It is legal in England and Wales and it is the main reason to move quickly towards exchange.
After exchange the contract is binding. A party who pulls out loses their deposit and can be sued for the other side's losses.
In practice, yes. A sale needs a binding contract, a transfer to the buyer and the repayment of your mortgage on completion, and the buyer's solicitor expects to deal with a solicitor or licensed conveyancer on your side.
Freehold means you own the building and the land it stands on, indefinitely. Leasehold means you own the right to occupy for a fixed term under a lease that imposes obligations such as ground rent, service charge and restrictions on what you may do.
Selling a leasehold property takes more work, which is why we charge a supplement of £250 plus VAT.
It changes who owns a property without a sale to an outsider, for example adding a partner after marriage or taking an ex-partner's name off the title. It involves a new transfer deed and registration, and your lender has to agree. If one person is buying the other out, the mortgage needs checking first.
It can. Stamp Duty Land Tax depends on whether any money, or a share of the mortgage, passes to the person leaving the title. We check this before you proceed, because it affects the cost.
No. Herschel Law acts on sales and transfers of equity only. If you are buying or remortgaging, you will need another solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
Tell us the property address, the price you expect and whether it is freehold or leasehold. We will send a written quote before you decide anything. Call 01753 299611 or send an enquiry through the contact page.
