Conveyancing Fees: What to Expect in 2025

We take a look at conveyancing fees and what you can expect to pay in 2025.

Angela Kerr Director, Editor

How much are conveyancing fees on average?

Average conveyancing fees when buying a house range from around £400-£1,500 plus disbursements, according to Reallymoving. These disbursements could add on up to £700 or even more.

Average conveyancing fees when selling a house are around £610-£950.

However, conveyancing fees for a leasehold property are usually £300 more.

While the average conveyancing fees when buying and selling a house in the UK is £2,380 (including disbursements).

Conveyancing fees are usually linked directly to the value of the property you are buying or selling.

UK Average Conveyancing fees in 2025 by Region

The image below shows how average conveyancing fees for buying and selling a home, including disbursements and expenses, vary by region. The data is based on analysis of approximately 34,000 conveyancing quote forms from our partners at Reallymoving.

Conveyancing fees calculator

To get an accurate idea of conveyancing costs for your purchase or sale, use our conveyancing fees calculator to instantly compare conveyancing quotes.

What are conveyancing fees?

Conveyancing fees cover the amount you’ll pay to make sure the legal side of buying or selling a house is handled correctly. Conveyancing or Solicitor fees can be split into two parts:

• The legal fees: This is what the conveyancer or solicitor charges for doing the work
• The disbursements: This is what third parties charge for certain services like searches.

Some conveyancing fees apply to sellers only while some only need to be paid by buyers.

How much are the legal fees?

The amount you’ll pay for the legal fee portion of your conveyancing fees varies due to a number of factors including:

• Whether the property is leasehold or freehold: expect to pay around £300 more in legal fees if the property is leasehold.
• Where the conveyancing solicitor is based: location can have an impact on legal fees. For example, you may pay more if your conveyancing solicitor is in the south east than in the north east.
• If you’re using a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer: If you’re using a solicitor your legal fees are likely to be higher than if you use a licensed conveyancer.
• The price of the property: More expensive properties tend to incur higher legal fees.
• If you’re using an online conveyancer: Your legal fees may be lower if you use an online conveyancing firm.
• If your purchase is more complex: For example, if you’re buying a Shared Ownership or Right to Buy property your legal fees may be higher.

Below we set out the typical costs for disbursements you can expect to pay. Bear in mind these costs are in addition to the legal fees. You can compare conveyancing quotes now with our conveyancing fees calculator.

What are the main disbursements?

• Anti-money laundering checks: These legal checks will verify your identity, and are likely to be done by an online company. You should expect to pay extra if you’re living abroad or you’re a foreign national. The cost of anti-money laundering checks is £6-£20.
• Title deeds: If you’re selling a property, you’ll need to get a copy of the Title Deeds, which are most likely held by the Land Registry. Be warned that the cost for leasehold properties is higher than freehold. The cost of getting title deeds is £10.
• Searches: If you’re buying a property, you will need local authority searches, such as a drainage search and an environmental search, and a planning search if you want to find out about any development planned for nearby. Local authority searches range in cost typically from £250-£450.
• Property fraud: You will want to check that the lawyer you’re sending money to is a real company. Property fraud checks are £10.
• Transferring ownership: You have to pay the Land Registry a fee for transferring your name with your buyer’s name on completion. The cost of transferring ownership is £200-£300.
• Telegraphic transfer or bank transfer fee: You’ll need to use a telegraphic transfer to guarantee funds reach an account on a certain day, as requested by your mortgage provider. Your solicitor will charge a fee for performing the transfer, plus the bank’s charge. Bank transfer fees are £20-£30.
• Stamp Duty Land Tax: If you’re buying a property worth more than £125,000 you’ll need to pay stamp duty. Stamp duty costs vary because it is charged on a sliding scale. And the rules are different for first time buyers. Plus, you’ll pay more if you’re investing in a Buy to Let.
• Gifted deposits: If you’re getting help with your deposit, you will likely need to pay more to cover the paperwork to prove that the money comes from a legitimate source. You can be charged up to £100 by law firms if you use the Bank of Mum and Dad for a deposit. You may also be offered insurance which can cost up to £200, but think very carefully whether this is necessary. For more information see our guide on Gifted Deposits Explained
• Lifetime or Help to Buy ISA: Your conveyancer will have extra work to do to redeem the Lifetime or Help to Buy ISA bonus but charges are capped at £50+VAT.
• Unregistered Property Supplement Fee: While most properties are registered with HM Land Registry some are not. And if the property is unregistered it involves extra work for the conveyancer. This typically adds on £120-£240.

Table of typical conveyancing fees

To get an idea of how much typical conveyancing fees are, use the table below to see which disbursements you’re likely to need when you’re buying and selling a house and their typical costs.

Compare conveyancing quotes from regulated and reviewed conveyancing solicitors that cover your area.

Key factors influencing conveyancing fees

Some of the main factors influencing conveyancing fees are:

• Whether you are looking at solicitor fees when buying, or solicitor fees when selling or solicitor fees for buying and selling at the same time
• Property value: More expensive properties typically result in higher conveyancing fees
• Property type: Leasehold properties usually incur highest legal fees due to the extra work involved.
• Location: Fees can vary depending on where the property and the conveyancer are located.
• Complexity: If the property transaction is less straight forward, such as if you’re buying or selling a shared ownership property, conveyancing fees may be higher.
• Mortgage vs cash buyer: If you’re a cash buyer, your conveyancing fees may be lower as your conveyancer won’t need to deal with mortgage lenders.
• Conveyancer type: Licenced conveyancers are typically cheaper than a solicitor. While online conveyancers may be the cheapest.
• Disbursements: If you need additional searches, this will increase conveyancing fees.

Are there any other conveyancing fees?

The most common associated costs have been listed above, however there are occasions when you may need to pay for other fees. One example is that if a seller doesn’t have a FENSA or building regulation certificate for their double glazed windows, an insurance policy may be needed. This is known as indemnity insurance and you can normally negotiate who pays.

What are the charges for leasehold properties?

The conveyancing fees for leasehold properties will be much higher, as there are likely to be additional costs. You’ll usually need to pay around an extra £300 in legal fees and you may also need to pay for a Deed of Covenant, for example, which is a legally binding agreement between the buyer and landlord or management company about factors such as carrying out repair work.

Other work could include additional investigations into the length of the lease as well as liaising with the landlord to serve notices on them or the managing agent.

While sellers will have to pay for the Leasehold Management Pack which contains information about services charges etc. The cost for this can vary significantly from £300 to as much as £800.

And you’ll have to pay for a Notice of Assignment, also known as a Notice of Transfer, too. Your conveyancer sends this to the landlord informing them you are the new owner. However while some management firms don’t charge for this, others charge up to £300.

Compare conveyancing quotes from regulated and reviewed conveyancing solicitors that cover your area.

Find the right conveyancing solicitor

Conveyancy is the area of law that draws the most complaints, according to the Legal Ombudsman – it accounted for a third of all issues reported in 2023/2024. This highlights how important it is to choose the right conveyancing solicitor. See our guide on important questions to ask your conveyancing solicitor before instructing.

And don’t just accept your estate agent’s recommendation for a conveyancing solicitor, they may be earning commission on this introduction and their suggestion may not be the best fit. You may prefer to avoid your estate agent’s in-house services for this reason. So always shop around. For local conveyancing fees and advice on Finding the best conveyancing solicitors in London, Birmingham or Manchester, see our local conveyancing pages. For costs and quotes for all areas, see our free tool and compare conveyancing quotes.

Here are the key qualities to look for in a conveyancing solicitor:

• Experience: Make sure the conveyancer you instruct is experienced in your type of property transaction, especially if it’s more complex like a leasehold property or shared ownership. Before instructing the conveyancer, have a chat to make sure you’re confident in their abilities.
• Responsiveness: Knowing you’ll be able to get any queries responded to promptly is key when you’re choosing a conveyancer.
• Reputation: You’ll want to ensure your conveyancer is highly rated by people who’ve used their services. Use our tool to compare conveyancing quotes make it easy for you to find conveyancers that our users have had the best experience with, by showing you a rating next to some of the quotes. This is based on feedback from people who have used that particular company, and is designed to help you make an informed decision. It’s always advisable to choose a conveyancing solicitor who is registered to a professional body and is able to support you throughout the process.

Compare conveyancing quotes from regulated and reviewed conveyancing solicitors that cover your area.

Types of conveyancers

There are different types of conveyancers. Each has different levels of experience and will likely charge different fees.

• Licensed conveyancers: These are specialist property lawyers, focusing largely on residential property, progressing transactions like yours everyday.
• Solicitors: A solicitor is a qualified lawyer, with extensive training in many aspects of law, and can offer full legal services such as divorce proceedings or taking someone to court. Therefore a solicitor is likely to cost more.

You can find out more with our guide to the difference between a solicitor and conveyancer.

What is fixed fee conveyancing?

Fixed fee conveyancing means you agree a price at the outset that you will pay your conveyancer for their services. However, the ‘fixed’ fee relates to the conveyancer’s work. And while the cost of disbursements you’ll need to pay should be in your quote, this cost could increase if, for example, you need more searches.

What is no sale no fee conveyancing

Some conveyancing solicitors may offer a ‘no sale, no fee guarantee’. This means that if your sale falls through, you won’t have to pay the full conveyancing bill. Some may waive the legal fees, but it’s wise to get a clear explanation of what the guarantee covers before you hire their services. You can find out more with our guide to no sale no fee conveyancing.

Online vs traditional conveyancing

Online conveyancing is when the legal process of buying or selling a property takes place solely online or over the phone. You won’t meet your conveyancer face to face. However, some High Street conveyancers offer online aspects to the conveyancing process which can speed things up.

Here are some of the ways online and traditional conveyancing compare:

Local knowledge: A traditional estate agent may have good relationships with local estate agents. Although a good conveyancer should offer an excellent service whether or not they have local connections.

Cost: Online conveyancing quotes may be cheaper but don’t fall into the trap of seeing a cheap headline quote, then discover later on that you need to pay for lots of add-ons that push up the cost of conveyancing. Read more in our guide on What to expect from online conveyancing.

Speed: Online conveyancing can be faster due to the efficiency of online document management.

Service: Traditional conveyancing typically offers a more personal service and you’ll usually have one point of contact. With online conveyancing, you may speak to a different person each time.

Find the right conveyancing solicitor for you – compare quotes & ratings instantly

How can I save on conveyancing fees?

You can save on conveyancing fees by:

• Comparing quotes from multiple solicitors: One of the best ways to save on conveyancing fees is to shop around and compare conveyancing quotes. Users of our service save on average £490 on their conveyancing fees.
• Consider using an online conveyancer: These may offer lower rates.
• Ask if all disbursements are included in the quote: If not, you could end up spending more than you’d anticipated.
• Negotiate with your solicitor to see if you can get a better rate: This may be more likely to be successful if your property transaction is straightforward.

Remortgage conveyancing fees: Do I need to pay?

Whether or not you have to pay remortgaging conveyancing fees depends on:

• Are you switching lender? If you’re taking out a new deal with your existing lender, this is known as a product transfer and doesn’t require any additional legal work. So you will not need to pay conveyancing fees. But if you’re remortgaging with a new lender, you will need a solicitor or conveyancer, to carry out checks on behalf of your new lender and ensure the new mortgage is registered against your property at the Land Registry. If you do need to pay, the average remortgage conveyancing cost is £300.
• Does the lender offer a free legal package? If you take out a certain remortgage deal with certain lenders you won’t need to pay remortgage conveyancing fee because they’ll throw in a free legal package. But don’t let this alone sway you, make sure you get the best mortgage deal overall by speaking to a fee-free mortgage broker.

Find out more in our guide: Remortgaging: Do I need a conveyancing solicitor?

When do you pay conveyancing fees?

When you instruct a conveyancer or solicitor, you’ll usually need to send them an upfront payment on account. This is typically £250-£500 but may be more depending on the conveyancer and if you’re buying a leasehold property.

This payment on account covers costs such as anti-money laundering checks, getting a copy of the title deeds from the Land Registry and applying for local authority searches. You’ll usually then pay the rest of your conveyancing fee on completion.

Worried about your conveyancing fees bill?

Remember: if you are not satisfied with the service from your conveyancing solicitor, it is usually possible to change solicitors.  If you are unhappy with your final bill and think you have been overcharged, you have a right to complain.

Are conveyancing fees getting more expensive?

The average conveyancing fee when buying and selling a house is £2,380, according to Reallymoving’s Conveyancing Costs Index Q2 2024. This is an increase of 10.2% compared to Q1. Reasons for the rise of conveyancing fees include inflation and rising house prices.

The best way to save on conveyancing fees is to shop around and compare quotes. Users of our panel save on average £490 on their conveyancing fees.

Buy to Let solicitors’ fees

When you purchase an investment property, you’ll have to pay Buy to Let solicitors fees to cover the costs of the conveyancer handling the legal site of your purchase. Buy to Let conveyancing costs depend on a number of factors such as the property value, the location and whether additional work is required, such as searches due to a nearby river or coal mine. Average solicitor fees for a Buy to Let are around £850-£1,500 but they can be higher for leasehold properties.

On top of this you will need to pay additional fees such as for local authority searches. Read more in our guide on Buy to Let conveyancing.

Buy to Let conveyancing quotes

Make sure you get a number of Buy to Let conveyancing quotes. Use our handy tool to get instant quotes from regulated and reviewed conveyancing solicitors that cover your area.

New build solicitor fees

New build conveyancing can be more complex as you’ll be buying a property that hasn’t been completed yet. There’s a reservation fee to deal with, usually a short deadline to get to exchange of contracts, then there will be more work to be done to get you to completion once your home is ready.

New build solicitor fees will vary depending on for example the value of the property, whether it’s leasehold and whether you use a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer.

Developers will sometimes offer to cover your new build solicitor fees. But before agreeing to have the house builder contribute to or pay your legal fees, make sure this doesn’t come with strings attached. Often the house builder will have an arrangement with a legal firm. But you should not feel obliged to use them. Shop around for the best legal firm.  A good place to start is our guide to new build conveyancing.

And as the process of buying a new build is different to buying an older property, it’s advisable to use a conveyancer who is experienced in this type of property.

If you’re buying a new build leasehold flat, you’ll find useful information in our guide Leasehold conveyancing: Fees, process and how long it takes.

Video: Conveyancing process explained

Frequently Asked Questions