Thank you for looking at our property services. We have been assisting people with the buying and selling of their home since 1955. We are experts in this field and would invite you to take a look at our reviews to see what we are passionate about.
Whether you are a first-time buyer or an investor, we are here to take the stress out of buying and selling a home. We will guide you through each step of the transaction and tailor our service to your personal requirements, so you get exactly the service you need.
When it comes to selling a property, there are important decisions you need to make and we are here to ensure that all your legal obligations are met. There are lots of boxes to tick and we want to assist you in selling your house quickly and efficiently, leaving you free to move on to your next property.
Why us – How are we Different?
We recognise that buying and selling your home can be a really stressful time and what you need is a friendly, helpful solicitor who understands the stresses involved.
Our approach is a simple – we provide a first-class personal service with one person dealing with your matter throughout. We do not have a pool of people that you are expected to contact, we know this causes frustration for everyone involved.
With F Barnes you can directly contact the one person that acts for you. We are real people that can adapt to each and every situation. We provide you with the service you require particularly where there is a chain or strong competition. In short, you are in a ‘Safe Pair of Experienced Hands’.
We know how important it is to take care of all the complicated legal details and to remove any confusion and uncertainty from the process of selling or buying a property.
Whether you are selling or buying your property through an estate agent or privately, we will make everything as clear as possible. Our team are made up of highly qualified conveyancers who have the legal and technical “know how” to resolve any issues as they arise in a professional and efficient manner.
We recognise that communication is key, especially where there are complex issues to deal with, so will ensure you are always kept up-to-date and get answers to your questions in plain English.
We do not operate automated telephone systems nor do we have a voicemail facility which leaves you feeling distant from us.
Our traditional values ensure that you get the very best personal ‘one to one’ service. We want you to feel confident that you are a priority, with our aim being that we are available to speak with you when you need some clarity and certainty at any stage.
We recognise you need reassurance and provide an outlet for any concerns that you may have.
Your property is often the biggest investment you have, so you need a reliable, first-class service to protect that investment.
There are no hidden extra costs in our prices.
Many firms will advertise or quote a low basic premium to attract you to call and simply add on additional fees for dealing with certain steps that will need to be completed giving you a false sense of value. Typical add-ons are for registering the property and completing the Land Transaction Return in relation to the payment of stamp duty. These are all included in our fixed fee price.
We are on all the major lending panels. This means that if you are purchasing by way of a mortgage you do not have to instruct a separate solicitor to act for the mortgage lender, we can do it all for you. You will be clear of what your costs are at the outset enabling you to plan your budget accurately with no surprises at the end.
We are proud to hold Lexcel and CQS Accreditations, issued by the Law Society. This involves the firm undergoing a rigorous audit process which ensures we maintain high levels of client care.
Pricing
The fees involved in any transaction are important and we review our fees on a regular basis, considering client’s feedback to ensure we always offer good value for money.
We always agree costs with you in advance before we start any work and will not exceed any agreed costs without prior agreement first. Our range of fees is based upon the agreed sale or purchase price of the property.
If during the transaction there is a new development, we will discuss the change in fees with you and agree a way forward.
Time Scales for purchasing or selling a residential property.
The matter will be progressed as quickly as possible. Please remember that we are dependent upon third parties to co-operate to achieve expedition. In our experience a case of this nature can take between 8 weeks and 14 weeks to complete and can vary according to the different factors such as
- Number of parties in the chain
- Whether the buyer has a mortgage in place
- Whether the buyer requests lease extension for a leasehold property
- Whether the searches flag up any issues
- Whether buyer’s Survey shows up any issues
- Buyer’s Enquiries
We will discuss timescales with you at the earliest opportunity.
Residential Purchase Freehold
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the purchase of your new home or property investment, including dealing with the registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property is in Wales.
Remember many companies will quote a basic price and subsequently charge additional set fees for certain steps that have to be undertaken. We DO NOT do that. We would highlight that our costs include all of the following:
- Take your instructions and give you initial advice
- Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed
- Act for your mortgage lender (we are on all the major lending panels and will act for the lender saving you the cost of instructing another solicitor to deal with this)
- Receive and advise on contract documents
- Carry out searches
- Obtain further planning documentation if required
- Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor
- Give you advice on all documents and information received
- Research and set up an Indemnity Policy for defective title or lack of planning consent/building regulations or covenant consent if required
- Prepare a Statutory Declaration of Title if required
- Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
- Prepare a Deed of Variation or Occupier Deed of Consent to mortgage or re-mortgage if required
- Send final contract to you for signature
- Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
- Prepare or approve a key undertaking
- Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
- Complete the purchase
- Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
- Deal with application for registration at Land Registry including registering a restriction if necessary
Purchase Price of Freehold Property | Range of Fees + VAT |
|---|---|
£0-500k | £1095 – £1600 + vat |
£500k - £1,000,000 | £1295 - £1900 + vat |
£1,000,000 + | £1500 - £4,000 + vat |
Purchasing under the Right to Buy Scheme | £1095 - £1400 + vat |
Our range is there as a guidance for you. The price quoted when we take your instructions is determined by the individual aspects of your matter. We are able to have a better understanding of the level of work involved once we have spoken to you and can give you the all-inclusive price at that stage.
What our fees do not include
We do not undertake tax advice.
Payment of disbursements which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties.
Certain expenses such as Stamp Duty, Local Authority searches and Land Registry fees are set by the Inland Revenue, Local Authority and Land Registry. The Land Registry Fees and Stamp Duty are calculated in accordance with the amount of the purchase price and can be found by clicking on
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees#scale-1-fees
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro
Disbursements/Expenses to be paid to third parties, not included in our fees will typically include:
- Search Fees (These will be specific to your property and can be quoted for upon request)
- HM Land Registry Fee (to register your property at the Land Registry)
- Electronic Money Transfer Fee – payable when sending money to sellers upon completion
- Stamp Duty Land Tax
- Vat payable
Factors that may lead to additional costs
If, once we have received the papers we ascertain that the legal title is defective, there will be additional work to complete the matter. This will result in additional costs however we would advise you of the amount and agree these additional costs before proceeding with any work.
Residential Purchase Leasehold
Our prices include the undertaking of the legal work on your transaction to complete the purchase of your new home including reviewing and discussing the terms of the lease, advising if the lease is CML (Council of Mortgage Lenders) compliant, serving of notices of transfer and or mortgage, preparation and registration of a deed of covenant, dealing with the registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property is in Wales.
Many companies will quote a basic price and subsequently charge additional set fees for certain steps that have to be undertaken. We DO NOT do that. We would highlight that our costs include all of the following:
- Take your instructions and give you initial advice
- Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed
- Act for your mortgage lender (we are on all the major lending panels and will act for the lender saving you the cost of instructing another solicitor to deal with this)
- Receive and advise on contract documents
- Review and advise on lease
- Advise if the Lease is CML (Council of Mortgage Lenders) compliant.
- Review Leasehold pack containing all the relevant service charge, ground rent and buildings insurance information and reporting on the same
- Carry out searches
- Obtain further planning documentation if required
- Make any necessary enquiries of seller's solicitor
- Give you advice on all documents and information received
- Preparation and serving of notices of transfer and or mortgage to the Landlord or Managing Agent
- Preparation of a Deed of Covenant if applicable
- Research and set up an Indemnity Policy for defective title or lack of planning consent/building regulations or covenant consent if required
- Prepare a Statutory Declaration of Title if required
- Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you
- Prepare a Deed of Variation or Occupier Deed of Consent to mortgage or re-mortgage if required
- Send final contract to you for signature
- Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
- Prepare or approve a key undertaking
- Arrange for all monies needed to be received from lender and you
- Complete the purchase
- Deal with payment of Stamp Duty/Land Tax
- Deal with application for registration at Land Registry including registering a restriction if necessary
Purchase Price of Leasehold Property | Range of Fees +VAT |
£0-500k | £1215 – £1750 |
£500k - £1,000,000 | £1315 - £2050 |
£1,000,000 + | £1650- £4000 |
Purchasing under the Right to Buy Scheme | £1095 - £1400 |
Our range is there as a guidance, the price quoted when we take your instructions is determined by the individual aspects of your matter. We are able to have a better understanding of the level of work involved once we have spoken to you and can then give you the all-inclusive price at that stage within the ranges set out as above. We charge an additional £150 plus vat when acting on Leasehold transactions as opposed to Freehold transactions due to the increase in work. These adjustments have already been included in the ranges above.
What our fees do not include
We do not undertake tax advice.
Payment of disbursements which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties.
Certain expenses such as Stamp Duty, Local Authority searches and Land Registry fees are set by the Inland Revenue, Local Authority and Land Registry. The Land Registry Fees and Stamp Duty are calculated in accordance with the amount of the purchase price and can be found by clicking on
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees#scale-1-fees
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/#/intro
Disbursements/Expenses to be paid to third parties, not included in our fees will typically include:
- Payment of the disbursements which are set out in the individual terms of the lease of the property. These can be advised upon reviewing the lease but would typically include: Notice of Transfer fee: Notice of Charge Fee : Deed of Covenant Fee ;Certificate of Compliance Fee
- Search Fees (These will be specific to your property and can be quoted for upon request)
- Stamp Duty Land Tax
- HM Land Registry Fee (to register your property at the Land Registry)
- Electronic Money Transfer Fee
- Vat payable
- Payment of Ground Rent and Service Charges that apply whilst you own the property (which can be confirmed upon receipt of documents)
Factors that may lead to additional costs
If, once we have received the papers we ascertain that the legal title is defective, or this is the assignment of an existing lease and is not the grant of a new lease there will be additional work to complete the matter. This will result in additional costs however we would advise you of the amount and agree these additional costs before proceeding with any work.
Residential Sale Freehold
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the sale of your property.
Remember many companies will quote a basic price and subsequently charge additional set fees for certain steps that have to be undertaken. We DO NOT do that. We would highlight that our costs include all of the following:
- Take your instructions and give you initial advice
- Draft and advise on contract documents
- Drafting of additional Contract Packages for sale contract race
- Prepare Epitome of Title on unregistered land if necessary
- Prepare Statutory Declaration for Title rectification
- Research and set up an Indemnity Policy for defective title or lack of planning consent/building regulations or covenant consent if required
- Receiving additional enquiries from buyers solicitor and providing responses
- Give you advice on all documents and information received
- Send final contract to you for signature
- Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
- Prepare or approve a key undertaking
- Arrange for all monies needed to be received from buyer
- Complete the sale
- Removal of each registered caution and or restriction notice
Selling Price of Freehold Property | Range of Fees + VAT |
£0-500k | £1095 – £1600 |
£500k - £1,000,000 | £1295- £1900 |
£1,000,000 + | £1500 - £4000 |
|
|
What our fees do not include
We do not undertake tax advice.
Payment of disbursements which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. These will typically include:
- Estate Agents Commission
- Removal Costs
- Electronic Transfer Fee (if more than one)
Factors that may lead to additional costs
If, once we have received the papers we ascertain that the legal title is defective, there will be additional work to complete the matter. This will result in additional costs however we would advise you of the amount and agree these additional costs before proceeding with any work.
Residential Sale Leasehold
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the sale of your property.
Remember many companies will quote a basic price and subsequently charge additional set fees for certain steps that have to be undertaken. We DO NOT do that. We would highlight that our costs include all of the following:
- Take your instructions and give you initial advice
- Draft and advise on contract documents
- Drafting of additional Contract Packages for sale contract race
- Obtaining the leasehold pack containing all the relevant service charge, ground rent and buildings insurance information from the managing agent and/or freeholder and supplying this to the buyer’s solicitor
- Prepare Epitome of Title on unregistered land if necessary
- Prepare Statutory Declaration for Title rectification
- Research and set up an Indemnity Policy for defective title or lack of planning consent/building regulations or covenant consent if required
- Receiving additional enquiries from buyer’s solicitor and providing responses
- Give you advice on all documents and information received
- Send final contract to you for signature
- Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
- Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened
- Prepare or approve a key undertaking
- Arrange for all monies needed to be received from buyer
- Complete the sale
- Removal of each registered caution and or restriction notice
Selling Price of Leasehold Property | Range of Fees + VAT |
£0-500k | £1215 – £1750 |
£500k - £1,000,000 | £1315- £2050 |
£1,000,000 + | £1650 - £4000 |
What our fees do not include
We do not undertake tax advice.
Payment of disbursements which are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. These will typically include:
- Estate Agents Commission
- Removal Costs
- Electronic Transfer Fee (if more than one)
Factors that may lead to additional costs
If, once we have received the papers we ascertain that the legal title is defective, there will be additional work to complete the matter. This will result in additional costs however we would advise you of the amount and agree these additional costs before proceeding with any work.
Mortgages and Re-Mortgages
Our fees cover all the work required to complete the mortgage or re-mortgage of your home or property investment, including dealing with the registration of the mortgage at the Land Registry and dealing with the mortgage lender.
Mortgage on Property | Range of Fees + VAT |
£0k+ | £750 – £1500 |
Our range of fees are due to the amount of work required which will depend upon the lender that you have chosen for your mortgage. We will advise as to the costs involved within the range at the time of your enquiry/instruction.
Timescales
The matter will be progressed as quickly as possible. Please remember that we are dependent upon third parties to co-operate to achieve expedition. In our experience a case of this nature can take between 3 weeks and 6 weeks to complete.
Our Property Team
Tina Marwa
Tina is the Head of the Property Department.
Tina has been specialising in property law since 2009 and joined F Barnes in February 2020 following eleven years at Gepp & Sons in Chelmsford.
Whilst Tina works tirelessly for her clients regardless of the size of the transaction she has a particular interest in higher value property matters. Becoming a client of Tina's often comes about having been recommended by one or more of her many satisfied existing clients.
Clients and estate agents alike describe Tina as a 'safe pair of hands'. You will find she works hard to ensure you are kept fully informed about the progress of your house move.
Tina is fluent in both Punjabi and Hindi making me a popular choice with clients across Metropolitan Essex and London.
Tina is based at our Gidea Park office. If instructed on an hourly rate Tina charges £300 per hour.
What the Clients Say:
I have bought, sold and remortgaged many houses in my time and I can honestly say that F Barnes and Co, and Tina in particular, have provided me with the best service I can recall. From the comforting, unsolicited updates to the calm manner in which a few hiccups were handled. Notably being proactive in arranging an indemnity policy quotation for me to cover an issue and to working beyond the call to get my exchange and completion on time in the face of obduracy on the part of my buyer's Solicitor. Happy to recommend to anyone who asks and will 100% use again. John Harvey
Ivan Ho
Ivan has been advising clients on all aspects of property law since qualifying as a solicitor in 2006.
Ivan is a conscientious, hard working member of the team with a strong 'client focus'. He is clear in his advice for both individual and business clients and can assist on a very broad range of areas.
Ivan specialises in both residential and commercial property work having gained a wealth of experience in all aspects of property law. He is used to dealing with a broad range of high net worth individuals, trustees, investors, companies and charities. He can act on all residential and commercial property transactions to include freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, auctions, transfer of equity, re-mortgages, new builds.
Ivan acts for landlords and tenants on granting, taking or termination of residential tenancies or commercial leases and underleases to include the settling of associated documents such as authorised guarantee agreements, licences to assign, underlet, alter, change of use, and charge and rent deposit deeds.
He deals with first registration of land and applying for adverse possession on both registered and unregistered land.
Ivan has acted for landed estate owners on matters such as buying or selling landed estates and advising on option, pre-emption and overage agreements. Ivan can advise property management companies on legal aspects of property management.
Ivan is based at our Romford office and supervised by Tina Marwa. If instructed on an hourly rate Ivan charges £300 per hour.
Tracey Levins
Tracey has been a Conveyancing Manager since the 1980’s. Tracey joined F Barnes as part of the merger with Fenton & Hunwicks in 2010.
She is an Affiliated Member of the Institute of Legal Executives.
Tracey prides herself on an open helpful and friendly relationship with her clients and is always happy to speak to them and as a result has an expanding following of satisfied clients who are more than happy to recommend her to family and friends. Tracey is plain speaking and skilled at progressing the matter as quickly as possible whilst taking the stress out of the situation as much as she can.
Tracey is based at our Collier Row Office. If instructed on an hourly rate Tracey charges £300 per hour
What the Clients Say:
We have recently used F Barnes Solicitors to act on our behalf to buy and sell several properties. The service provided was excellent and carried out in a timely manner with regular updates via email/phone. Tracey provided excellent explanations to some very complex legal work which involved unregistered land and access rights. We felt confident that the legals were done correctly and protected us from any unforeseen circumstances in the future. We would not hesitate in recommending F Barnes solicitors to future clients. Paul & Sandra Hobbs
Martin Lawrence
Martin joined the Conveyancing Department of the firm in July 2015.
Martin is a Conveyancing Executive with over 25 years’ experience in the legal profession and has gained a considerable amount of experience in all aspects of residential and domestic conveyancing. Martin has dealt with the purchase and sale of all types of leasehold and freehold property.
He has a particular speciality in auction property and attends a number of property auctions to provide advice to prospective bidders, acts for successful bidders in their purchase, and also prepares legal packs for clients selling properties at auction.
Martin has fixed fees for acting in auction sales or purchases. He will prepare the legal pack for your property in advance of the auction at a cost of £1200 plus vat and if successfully sold will charge £995 for taking the property to completion. . Martin charges a fixed fee from £1200 plus vat to act for successful bidders post exchange, taking the matter through to completion. Please do ask Martin if considering purchasing or selling at auction as he will be more than happy to advise in more detail.
Martin is based at our Gidea Park office. If instructed on an hourly rate Martin charges £250 per hour.
What the clients say:
I recently instructed F Barnes solicitors for the purchase of an auction property. Martin Lawrence and Stephanie Davison who handled the transaction were absolutely brilliant. From start to finish the service was outstanding. The speed, efficiency and friendly manner in which they conducted the whole matter is most impressive and exceptional. I was kept informed at all times and everything was explained in plain, jargon- free English which was very reassuring. The quotation I was given at the start by Martin was spot on and there were no nasty surprises. I can truly say it is one of the best law firms I have dealt with and would highly recommend them. My grateful thanks to Martin and Stephanie and I take this opportunity of wishing them and all at F Barnes continued success. Mrs A. Lockhat (Nuneaton)
Kirstie Tompkins
Kirstie joined F Barnes in January 2024 having spent two and a half years at Kew Law Solicitors at their Chelmsford branch, overseeing their Conveyancing department. Kirstie specialises in all areas of Conveyancing to include residential freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, transfers of equity and remortgages, new builds, shared ownerships, probate sales, Power of Attorney sales and purchases, part-exchange, Building Safety Act and Help to Buy Redemptions. Kirstie also has experience acting for companies and property developers.
Kirstie enjoys being part of a growing property team and is a keen teacher and mentor for new members of staff. She has trained a number of junior lawyers and is proud to say that several of her trainees are now practising residential property solicitors. It gives Kirstie great pleasure to see her trainees achieving their goals.
Kirstie has a great passion for achieving a successful outcome for all her clients. She is extremely well liked and respected by her them and business associates alike. Kirstie is someone that is personable, caring, efficient, and extremely knowledgeable in property law.
Kirstie is based at our Gidea Park office. If instructed on an hourly rate, Kirstie charges £250 per hour.
Rochelle Meheux
Rochelle is a Residential Conveyancing Solicitor and joined F Barnes Solicitors in November 2023.
Rochelle studied her law degree at Anglia Ruskin University, graduating with LLB Honours in 2013. After graduating Rochelle completed the Legal Practice Course at BPP University Law School in 2014.
In 2015 Rochelle began working as a paralegal at Sternberg Reed and started her training contract in September 2017. She qualified as a Solicitor in September 2019 whilst obtaining experience in Residential Conveyancing, Probate and Mental Health.
Since qualifying, Rochelle has specialised in Residential Property, enhancing the experience she gained working as both a paralegal and trainee solicitor. She has dealt with a wealth of transactions including first registrations, re-mortgages, transfer of equity, right to buy, sales and purchases.
Rochelle is a friendly, helpful and approachable person. She is a hard working, efficient, organised team player. She is extremely passionate about delivering an excellent personal service to each of her clients whilst simultaneously providing a high standard of work.
Rochelle is based at our Collier Row office. If instructed on an hourly rate, Rochelle charges £250 per hour.
Rachel Smith
Rachel joined F Barnes in May 2024 having gained a wealth of experience in property law since 2010. Rachel qualified as an Associate of CILEx Paralegals in September 2015.
Rachel joined Sanders Witherspoon in January 2012 working in both the residential and commercial property departments. In 2020 she joined Sanders Solicitors as a paralegal specialising in residential property.
Rachel has worked on a variety of transactions for freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, for both registered and unregistered land. She has worked with clients at all different stages of the property ladder including first time buyers, companies, property investors and retirees.
Rachel has solved a variety of selling issues over the years such as possessory titles, title plan errors, lack of rights of way, restrictions on title, unadopted roads, breach of covenants and lack of building regulations consent.
Rachel is known for her efficiency, attention to detail and problem solving. Clients appreciate Rachel’s patience and the way in which she can explain legal matters so that they easily understand.
Rachel is based at our Collier Row office. If instructed on an hourly rate, Rachel charges £250 per hour.