A guide to the costs of buying your first home 

Buying your first home is an exciting step. You will need a conveyancing solicitor to represent you in your purchase to ensure that your investment is sound and your ownership is registered with the Land Registry. You probably have many questions at this stage and you are likely to want to compare solicitors fees for first time buyers to make sure you are getting a good deal. 

At Lockings Solicitors, we regularly act for first time buyers in the purchase of their first home. Our costs are competitive and we offer an outstanding service. Our conveyancing team has many years of experience, meaning that if an issue arises, we have the knowledge to deal with it promptly and effectively. 

We know that you may want to move quickly and we always work proactively to ensure that there are no avoidable delays. We will update you throughout as to the stage your purchase has reached and you will always be able to contact us easily if you want to ask us questions. 

Below is a guide to the costs involved in buying a home, but if you would like any more information, please call us. We are always happy to have a FREE initial chat and you can reach us on 01482 300 200, email us at welcome@lockings.co.uk or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will call you back promptly. We have offices in Beverley, Hull and York and deal with conveyancing in East Yorkshire and beyond. 

Conveyancing costs for first time buyers – legal fees

We make a charge for our services based on the value and type of property you will be buying. Our costs are clear and competitive and we provide a leading service. 

It is important to instruct a solicitor with genuine property expertise. Your home is likely to be the most expensive purchase you make and it is vital to ensure that the legal title is sound and that the transaction goes smoothly.  

You are also advised to choose a solicitor who is approved by your mortgage lender. At Lockings, we act for all major mortgage lenders in purchase transactions. This means that we can report to them on the title to your property and they will not need to instruct separate solicitors themselves at extra expense to you. 

When selecting a conveyancing solicitor, you are advised to check reviews. You can see what some of our clients have said about our team by following the links below for each of our offices: 

Hull Office 

Beverley Office  

York Office  

If you ring us and let us know what type of property you are buying, for example, freehold or leasehold, we will be able to advise you of the costs. You can also download our Conveyancing Fees Guide. 

Stamp Duty 

You may be required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax or SDLT on your purchase. There is a discount for first time buyers, provided that the property you are buying is your first ever property purchase, to include overseas property. This must also be the case for any other joint owners, if there are any. 

Stamp Duty is payable as follows: 

• Price up to £425,000 – no Stamp Duty payable 
• 5% Stamp Duty is payable on the portion of the price from £425,001 to £625,000 

If the price is over £625,000 there is no Stamp Duty relief available and normal rates will apply. 

If you or any joint owner have owned a property before, then normal rates will also apply. 

Search fees 

When you buy a property, you will need to have searches carried out to make sure there are no issues that could affect the value of the property or that you should be aware of before you buy.  

Some searches are always carried out, such as searches of the local authority’s records, while others are only needed sometimes, depending on where your property is located. For around £300, we will obtain a pack of searches on your behalf (the local searches, drainage searches and environmental searches) which will cover most scenarios and we will advise you on any extras that may be necessary such as a search of mining records. 

Local searches 

Local search fees reveal a wide range of information, including that relating to planning consents that have been granted, tree preservation orders, compulsory purchase orders and rail or road proposals.  

Drainage searches 

Another search you will need is a drainage and water search. This will confirm whether or not the property is connected to the mains sewerage and water supply and where the utilities are located.  

Environmental searches 

Environmental searches are very important in making sure any previous uses of the land the property is built on haven’t stored up an issue for you which may affect your health or enjoyment of the property you are looking at. 

Land Registry searches and bankruptcy search fees 

A small charge of £7 is made for a search of the Land Registry to ensure that no entries have been made on the Land Register since the buyer’s solicitor provided an official copy of the property’s legal title. 

Your lender will also require us to carry out a bankruptcy search against your name and that of any other buyer, at a cost of £2 per name. 

HM Land Registry fee for registering your purchase 

After your purchase has been completed, we will arrange for your ownership to be registered at the Land Registry. They make a charge for this which depends on the price paid. Fees start at £45, rising to £330 for a property costing between £200,001 and £500,000. 

Instructing a solicitor for your property purchase as a first time buyer 

Once you have decided that you would like to buy your first home, you can speak to a solicitor to ask them to represent you. If you ask us to act on your behalf, we will carry out the necessary anti-money laundering checks and open a file in readiness. This means that as soon as you have had an offer accepted, we will be ready to start work.  

Contact our East Yorkshire conveyancing solicitors 

If you are a first time buyer and you would like to speak to one of our conveyancing team, give us a call. We will answer your questions and let you know how to start the conveyancing transaction to buy your first home. 

Please feel free to ring us for a FREE initial chat on 01482 300 200, email us at welcome@lockings.co.uk or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will call you back promptly. We have offices in Beverley, Hull and York and deal with conveyancing in East Yorkshire and beyond.