A comprehensive guide to court fees can be found here*

*This guide is not maintained by WPG, and the firm does not take responsibility for the accuracy of its content.

Our fees cover all the legal work* required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property you wish to buy is in Wales.

Conveyancer’s fees

Legal fee for purchases under £1m – £1,250.

Over £1m – POA.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the Land Registry and search companies.  We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.  When purchasing a property, disbursements are usually limited to –

1. Search fees – cost around £400 – they do vary from Local Authority to Local Authority. VAT is payable on searches.
2. HM Land Registry fees, for which there is no VAT, are determined by the Land Registry and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees
3. Stamp Duty or Land Tax (on purchase)

This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s website

https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax

*The estimated total for a purchase is the sum-total of our legal fees and the Disbursements plus VAT. 

How long will my house purchase take?

How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on several factors. The average process takes between 8-12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the number of parties in the chain. For example, if you are a first-time buyer, purchasing a new build property with a mortgage in principle, it could take 8 weeks. However, if you are buying a leasehold property that requires an extension of the lease, this can take significantly longer, between 2 and 3 months. In such, a situation additional charges would apply.

Stages of the process

The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below are the key stages that are usually included: –

• Once instructed we will confirm our instructions by letter setting out the terms of business and fee costs;
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender’s solicitors if needed;
• 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;
• Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you;
• Send final contract to you for signature;
• Agree completion date (date from which you will own the property);
• Exchange contracts and notify you that this has happened;
• Arrange for all monies needed to be received from the lender and you;
• Complete purchase;
• Deal with payment of SDLT / Land Tax;
• Deal with application for registration at Land Registry.

*Where a member of our experienced conveyancing team foresees a complexity with your purchase, they will discuss this with you and how this will impact your matter and how it could increase the fees.

Our fees cover all the work* required to complete the sale of your home, including discharging any mortgages on the property, paying the estate agents and paying to you the balance.

Conveyancer’s fees

Legal fee for purchases under £1m – £1,250.

Over £1m – POA.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land Registry.  We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.  When selling a property, disbursements are usually limited to –

Registered titles

Sometimes the registered title will state that the property is affected by provisions contained in a document which is filed at the registry – this is common with houses which were originally built by a developer as part of an estate. We may have to obtain a copy of any such document, for which the registry makes an additional charge.  HM Land Registry fees are determined by the Land Registry and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees

The estimated total for a sale is the sum-total of our Conveyancers fees and the Disbursements plus VAT.

How long will my house sale take?

Once you have secured a purchaser for your property the average process takes between 8-12 weeks.

It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. For example, it will depend upon how many are in the chain.

What are the usual steps taken to sell a property?

• Once instructed we will confirm our instructions by letter setting out the terms of business and fee costs.
• We will then carry out proof of identity checks.
• We will send you a fitting and contents form and property information form(s) for completion. If the property is leasehold, additional information will be required.
• As your solicitor we will obtain official copies of the title register and any other documents required by The Land Registry and details any existing mortgage.
• We will then prepare the draft contract and supporting contract documentation and send to the buyer’s solicitor / conveyancer.
• We will then answer pre-contract enquiries raised by the buyers solicitors / conveyancer.
• We will agree with you and the other side a completion date and contracts are then formally “exchanged” – meaning both parties are legally committed to the transaction.   The buyer’s Conveyancer drafts a transfer deed and sends to the Seller’s solicitor / Conveyancer.
• We will then check the transfer deed and send this to you for signature in readiness for completion.
• On completion you must vacate the property at a time agreed in the contract (usually by 1pm) and make arrangements to hand over the keys, usually through the estate agent. Buyer’s solicitor / Conveyancer will send the proceeds of sale to us and we will arrange for the keys to be released to the buyer. We will then pay the estate agent (if one was used), repay the amount owing to the existing mortgage lender (if applicable) and take payment for their Conveyancing service costs.
• Once all the payments have been made all the remaining money from the sale will be transferred to you, the seller, usually by bank transfer on the day of completion.

*Where a member of our experienced conveyancing team foresees a complexity with your sale, then they will discuss with you how this will impact your matter and how it could increase the fees.

As a borrower who is remortgaging your property, you will usually need a solicitor to handle the legal side of the transaction. We will handle the paperwork and arrange for the transfer of funds once the remortgage is complete.

The fee for a remortgage is usually £800 +VAT.

The purchase or sale of a lease hold property will usually result in additional steps to be undertaken which may increase legal fees. A breakdown of these fees will be provided as necessary.