Look no further for your residential conveyancing solicitor in Watford
Whatever your property challenge, we can solve it.
Selling property in Watford
Your expert conveyancing solicitor's role when selling a property in Watford, will include:
- Draft contracts – Your conveyancing solicitor drafts the initial legal contract to be sent to the buyer's solicitor.
- Responding to enquiries – your solicitor responds to any questions the buyer's solicitor may have (this is where you'll find out if you are missing documents, which can cause delays to your sale).
- Investigating issues – your solicitor may need to complete further investigation to try and satisfy them.
- Exchange contracts – once the buyer's solicitor has satisfied their enquiries, contracts are finalised and exchanged
- On the day of completion – your solicitor receives the money for the sale, discharges the mortgage (if required), pays the estate agent, deducts their fee and then sends the net sale proceeds to you.
- Post completion – your solicitor receives the DS1 discharge documents and, when leasehold, settles your liabilities for ground rent and service charges.
Our Watford conveyancing solicitors' cost for selling a property starts from £723 INC VAT.
For Watford buying
- Draft contracts – Your solicitor reviews the draft contract sent by the seller's solicitor.
- Raising enquiries – your solicitor will ask the seller's solicitor questions based on the contract, title, and property documents to protect you from any nasty surprises.
- Exchange contracts – once your solicitor is satisfied with their enquiries, they agree with the seller to finalise and exchange contracts
- Day of completion – on the day of completion, your solicitor transfers the money for the sale.
- Post completion – following completion, your solicitor makes an application to HM Land Registry to register you as the new owner.
Our Watford conveyancing solicitors' cost for buying a property starts from £723 INC VAT.
Add or remove someone from a property title in Watford
With a Transfer of Equity, you can buy someone out of a shared property and remove them from the title, or add someone to the title to transfer ownership of a share of the property, making them a joint owner. This service includes:
- Property solicitors fees including ID checks, office copies
- HM Land Registration fees
- (if party being removed) ID1 Form verification fee
- (if mortgage) Change of mortgage fee
- (if leasehold) Notice fee to freeholder
Our Watford conveyancing solicitors' cost for a Transfer of Equity in Watford starts at £399 INC VAT.
If someone is giving up their share of the property for less than market value, they may be required to get independent legal advice, which will be an additional expense.
Switch your mortgage deal in Watford
Your remortgage solicitor will perform all the necessary checks, review your new mortgage offer, and update HM Land Registry post-completion. The process is similar to when you purchase but should take less time, as the solicitor doesn't need to raise any legal enquiries.
If you own a leasehold property, your solicitor must carry out extra work to investigate the lease terms. Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for a remortgage in Watford starts at £363 INC VAT INC VAT.
Purchase the next chunk of your equity
When you're ready to buy the next chunk of the equity in your shared ownership property, a conveyancer will be required to handle:
- The bank transfer;
- obtaining a mortgage redemption statement from your existing lender;
- receiving your new mortgage offer and confirming the lender terms;
- receiving the memorandum of staircasing;
- handling completion;
- filing SDLT form (if required); and
- registration at the Land Registry.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for shared ownership staircasing in Watford starts at £649 INC VAT.
If you need to add someone to the legal title, you will need to pay an additional fee for a transfer of equity.
Paying off your Help to Buy equity loan
You'll need a solicitor to:
- Receive redemption letter;
- review title for ownership and restrictions;
- obtain Authority to Complete;
- draft a deed of postponement for your current lender;
- handling completion;
- bank transfer; and
- if repaid in full, removal of the loan restriction at the Land Registry.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for Help to Buy loan redemption in Watford starts at £333 INC VAT.
Price based on a freehold with the loan being repaid in full using savings.
Why buy a home in Watford?
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, located just north of the borders of north-west Greater London. Its town hosts a well-known football club (Watford Football Club) and has many great shopping options, such as the Harlequin Shopping Centre.
It is also on the edge of the beautiful Chiltern Hills. The Grand Union Canal passes through Watford's Cassiobury Park. Watford Palace Theatre in Clarendon Road hosts diverse dramas in an Edwardian Grade II listed building.
Watford General Hospital, Vicarage Rd, Watford, WD18 0HB
Mount Vernon Hospital, Rickmansworth Rd, Northwood HA6 2RN
Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, Harefield UB9 6JH
Watford has a public transport hub in Watford Junction, which has trains connecting directly to London Euston and to a number of prominent urban centres further north (like Liverpool). The M1 and M25 are within easy reach. There is a terminus of the Metropolitan Line at Watford Station in Cassiobury Park.
Distance to Airports from Watford
| Airport | Miles by car |
| Luton | 17.9 miles |
| Heathrow | 21.3 miles |
| Stansted | 45.7 miles |
Parmiter's School, High Elms Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0UU
Kings Langley School, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 9HN
Bushey Hall School, London Road, BUSHEY, Hertfordshire, WD23 3AA
Fixed quote for our legal costs plus a budget-friendly breakdown of third-party disbursements.
Your sale or purchase is protected by our no sale, no fee guarantee.
Our panel solicitors are pre-approved to work with 99% of mortgage lenders in England & Wales.
Panel solicitors accredited by the Conveyancing Quality Scheme; regulated by the SRA.
Residential Conveyancing Solicitors in and around Watford
Our Watford conveyancing solicitors can help you with your conveyance locally or in any of the surrounding areas, including London, Hemel Hempstead, Rickmansworth, Bushey, Northwood, Pinner and Stanmore.
We have many offices throughout England and Wales, so you can find a solicitor near you.
- Catalonia Apartments, Metropolitan Station Approach, Watford, Herts, WD18 7BN
- 1 Tolpits Close, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 7SX
- 19 Diamond Rd, Watford, Hertfordshire WD24 5EN
- 33 Sidmouth Close, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD19 7QN
- 95a North Western Avenue, Watford, Herts, WD25 0AG
- Bucknalls Lane (house) – Garston, Watford.
Marketed by Sewell & Gardner.
Watford Property Prices
| Average property price in Watford | £519,126 |
| Population of Watford | 90,300 (2011) |
Local conveyancing solicitor
Are local, licensed conveyancing solicitors near me more expensive?
Local or high street property lawyers' costs can often be more than those of online conveyancing solicitors. They may handle less cases or be working on a referral arrangement with a local estate agent.
We provide local services, nationally, online, so you get the best of both.
Why choose SAM Conveyancing Solicitors in Watford?
Whether you're buying, selling, remortgaging, dealing with a lease, staircasing shared ownership, or paying offyour help to buy loan, you'll need a conveyancing specialist to handle the legal side of things. With SAM you get the benefit of dedicated conveyancing executive who'll guide you through the process, from start to finish, at no extra cost. Available Monday to Saturday to answer all your questions, we'll bridge the gap between you and your solicitor, with regular updates in plain English.
We have hand selected some of the best conveyancing solicitors Watford has to offer, which are backed by a no sale no fee guarantee and the Watford conveyancing fee we quote is broken down so you can see exactly what your quote includes. What we quote you is the fixed price you will pay for the agreed work. No unpleasant surprises.
You'll also benefit form our state of the art Online Conveyancing Process to track your progress and next steps along the way.
Affordable Housing Schemes
Several affordable housing schemes in Watford help make buying a property more achievable. The work is more complex, and we have specialist conveyancing solicitors to handle the following:
- Shared Ownership Solicitors
- Right to Buy Solicitors Watford - speak to Watford Borough Council to find out if you are eligible
- Discount Market Sale Watford - check with Watford Borough Council if they are running a DMS scheme
Watford conveyancing solicitors
You can rest assured that you're in good hands with our Watford Conveyancing Solicitors. They are skilled and experienced with complex property transactions from a simple purchase for a property in Watford to a Sale and Purchase of a shared ownership property, executing a Deed of Trust simultaneously.
Is the property over 5 storeys (11m)?
Many leasehold properties in Watford are in large buildings which now require an EWS1 certificate to confirm if the cladding is fire safe. Thankfully 2022's leaseholder protections mean that most leaseholders are not burdened with the cost of remediation of any defective cladding, but you will need to see the seller's Deed of Certificate to prove that the lease doesn't come with a nasty (and expensive) surprise.
Be particularly wary of purchasing a share of freehold as the freeholders may become liable for the cost of remedying defective cladding. Our specialist leasehold solicitors Watford are well experienced with handling all of these added complications, so you will be in safe hands with SAM. Property Challenges Solved.
Conveyancing FAQs: Property Lawyers Watford
The average conveyancing cost in London can be slightly higher than in the rest of the country. Depending on the property's price and the transaction's complexity, you could pay several hundred to a couple of thousand pounds. Our conveyancing fees in Watford are based on the purchase price, and start at £723 INC VAT.
Fill in our easy online form for a fixed quote tailored to your requirements.
Watford conveyancing solicitor fees vary between online conveyancing solicitors, high street licensed conveyancers or housing solicitors introduced by your estate agent.
It's unnecessary to have a local property solicitor as the conveyancing process is the same throughout England and Wales. You should prioritise service and efficiency over proximity to Watford, when choosing a good conveyancing solicitor for any property transaction.
Many factors can delay conveyancing in Watford. A simple property transaction can be completed in less than two months, but the average is closer to 12-16 weeks.
CQS Accreditation
All our panel solicitors are CQS accredited. You can trust the Conveyancing Quality Scheme for the highest standards of conveyancing.
Fixed Fee
Don't bother with an 'estimate' fee. You want to make sure that your total fee is fixed (they can't charge you more later) and it includes all the necessary components. We build your quote based on each of the costs involved in a standard transaction based on the information you give us, with no sneaky extra fees. If you have additional requirements, speak with a helpful team member to ensure everything you need is covered within your quote.
No Sale No Fee
Choose conveyancing solicitors in Watford who offer a No Sale No Fee Guarantee, like ours. If your first sale or purchase falls through, the money you've spent with us will go toward your next one. Terms apply.
Reviews
Check out their reviews to be sure they provide a good service and meet their timescales.
Communication
Not knowing what is going on is the most frustrating thing for a client. Many solicitors are too busy doing legal work to answer all their clients call for updates. With SAM Conveyancing, you'll have a dedicated conveyancing executive available Monday to Saturday. They'll keep you in the loop on progress, translate the legal jargon, chase your solicitor when required and email you about milestones.
Value
Get a fully comprehensive quote covering all your needs so you can accurately compare your options to ensure you're paying a good price.
Online conveyancing is just as safe as you protect your data on the internet as you would in any other transaction. Online conveyancing means speedier turnaround times on documents, more convenient meetings and lower running costs for the firm. We pass our savings on to you.
Yes, if you're buying and selling simultaneously, the same conveyancing solicitor can handle both transactions, saving you money, as you'll only have to do the 'new client' admin once.
1. Get a mortgage in principle
Know what you can afford to save wasting time on any false starts.
2. Instruct your conveyancing solicitor before you make your offer
Waiting until your offer is accepted can delay your transaction. As early as possible, inform them of any details, such as gifted deposits. An online service reduces snail mail delays and waiting for physical meetings, which can be conducted by video call.
3. Apply for your mortgage quickly
You can submit your application as soon as your offer is accepted. An independent broker can help speed this along.
4. Order your searches and surveys
Ordering these early can speed up your conveyancing process, especially if local authorities face delays. However, it is usually considered prudent to time this with the rest of your chain if a transaction falls through.
5. Get your building insurance ready
You'll need insurance from the exchange so research & compare insurance quotes, once your solicitor is instructed.
6. Paperwork (When selling)
Ensure you have your paperwork, including energy performance & FENSA certificates.
Hertfordshire is commonly abbreviated to the name Herts and is a county located in the south of England. It is bordered by Bedfordshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Buckinghamshire to the west and Greater London to the south (it is classed as a 'Home County' for this reason). The county town of Hertfordshire is Hertford.
Hertfordshire has 3 motorways running through it - the M1, the M25 and the A1(M). It is particularly associated with new towns as it contains 5 in total: Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Hemel Hempstead, Hatfield and Letchworth. There are two airports just outside Hertfordshire's borders: Luton and Stansted. It also has a university, the University of Hertfordshire, which is in Hatfield. There are a number of independent schools in the area, including, for example, Haileybury (Turnford), St George's Harpenden, Haberdasher's Aske's (Elstree) and Berkhamsted.
For random facts, St Alban, who gave his name to the same city in the county, was the earliest British saint - he was reputed to have been beheaded where the cathedral now stands. In addition to that, Sele Mill, near Hertford. was the site of the first paper mill in Britain, established in about 1488.
**Our panel of solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and conveyancing work is accredited with the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
***No Sale No Fee applies to any sale or purchase quote except auction, right to buy, discount market sales, or purchase of land. The No Sale No fee only protects the main solicitor's fee. All Additional Fixed Fees are payable in full. Read our No Sale No Fee Policy.
What are the conveyancing costs?
Watford Conveyancing Solicitor fees vary between online conveyancing solicitors, high street conveyancers or housing solicitors introduced by your estate agent.
The actual conveyancing costs, outside of the legal work, should be fixed, including:
For buyers: stamp duty, land registration, property searches, ID searches and leasehold charges (if buying a leasehold property).
For sellers: office copies, title plan and management information (if selling a leasehold property).
Make sure to budget for all of the above conveyancing costs and to get a fixed fee conveyancing quote from several firms, to compare value.
Making the right choice of solicitor is key to the whole process:
- Cheap Conveyancing
- Fast Conveyancing
- Best Conveyancing Service
Can you pull out after exchange of contracts?
In simple terms, you can pull out after exchange of contracts, whether you're a buyer or a seller, but the law in England and Wales treats these sides very differently.
As a buyer, you can only exchange if you've transferred your deposit monies into the seller's solicitor's account. This is normally 10% of the property's selling price, although a lower percentage can be agreed with the seller. If you pull out, you stand to lose 10% of the selling price under the law, even if you paid over an agreed deposit of less than 10%. The seller can also sue for losses resulting from the breach of contract.
As a seller, you could be sued for losses resulting from breach of contract. So, from a buyer's perspective, they might sue the seller for items like mortgage costs (product fee, valuation fee, etc.), survey costs and any deposit paid over for removals.
Therefore there are consequences for pulling out after exchange of contracts, however these clearly fall more heavily on the buyer pulling out rather than the seller.
Find out more about this topic - Can I pull out after Exchange of Contracts?
