How much will it cost?

The three direct costs you incur when selling are: estate agents' fees, solicitors' fees and removal costs.

Estate agents fees

Estate agents fees can be anything up to 3%. Estate agents will charge you a higher fee if they are instructed on a multiple agency basis, and a lower fee if you give them a sole agency. Click here to see how they work

Legal fees

Solicitors fees for a sale should be slightly lower than the fees for a purchase of the same sort of property and price. This is because, although the solicitors for the sellers have to put all the paperwork together, the buyers' solicitors have the responsibility of checking that everything is in order, carrying out searches, and also possibly dealing with a mortgage loan.

Conveyancing is the technical term for the legal work involved in buying or selling a property. All solicitors must do a technically correct job because we are all regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority, and have insurance cover against mistakes. But different firms often quote quite different amounts. Those offering the cheapest deals will normally give you the least personal service.

We reckon not to charge anywhere near the top level of legal fees. But we charge at a level which allow us to provide a personal service and to have the time and flexibility to cope with problems which come up from time to time, even in the most straightforward deals. Many transactions are not straightforward, especially if the property is leasehold or if there is a chain of linked buyers and sellers. Most problems actually aren’t legal ones, but to do with keeping the deal on track. Our job is to solve problems.

If you give us a ring, we can give you a figure, based on the type of transaction . Please ring Christine on 020 7404 0702

Value Added Tax

You won't pay VAT on the sale price. There is no VAT on the normal sale of a purely residential property. But you will have to pay VAT on the fees you pay to your solicitors, estate agents etc.

Removal costs

Removal companies offer very little in the way of compensation for damage they do, and they don't carry much insurance either. For instance, many companies try to impose conditions under which you can only make a claim for anything lost or damaged if you notify them within an extremely short period. When insurance is provided, it is often limited to a relatively small amount, which is hardly worth having if an antique vase or your plasma TV is damaged. You only need a van and a Yellow Pages entry to be in business. There are many sharks who may let you down and then fall back on terms of business which get them out of responsibility. So only use an established reputable company. There is a British Association of Removers whose telephone number is 0208 861 3331 who can recommend removers in your area. When you get a quote check what the compensation and insurance is included in the price.