How much do conveyancing fees cost?

We take a look at conveyancing fees and what you can expect to pay in 2024.

Angela Kerr Director, Editor

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 conveyancing fees on average?

Average conveyancing fees when buying a house range from around £500-£1150 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 according to Reallymoving.

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

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

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.

How much are the legal fees?

The legal fee portion of the conveyancing fees bill covers the work done by the conveyancing solicitor themselves. The amount varies due to various factors including:

• Whether the property is leasehold or freehold;
• Where the conveyancing solicitor is based;
• If you’re using a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer;
• The price of the property;
• If you’re using an online conveyancer;
• If you’re buying a Shared Ownership, Help to Buy or Right to Buy property;
• Whether you need to pay for additional searches if the property is near a river or coal mine, for example.

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 £6.
• 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.
• Help to Buy supplement: If you’re buying with a Help to Buy scheme, you’re likely to be charged extra because of the additional legal work that this entails. Help to Buy supplement costs are typically £200-£300.
• 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.

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.

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.

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 quarter of all issues reported in 2020. 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 while it may seem simple and easy to 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. Always shop around and compare quotes for the best deal.

Online companies may come up cheaper when you compare conveyancing quotes but you need to make sure you fully understand online conveyancing because their services will differ to local firms on your high street.

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.

But one of most important things when it comes to finding a conveyancing solicitor is to compare quotes.

Here at the HomeOwners Alliance we 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.

And before you instruct your conveyancer, have a chat with them first to make sure you have confidence in their ability. It’s also a good opportunity to raise any immediate concerns.

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

How can I save on conveyancing fees?

One of the best ways to save on fees is to shop around and compare conveyancing quotes.

Top tip: when comparing conveyancing quotes, ask if all these disbursements are included and if not, whether they are likely to be required.

What is fixed fee conveyancing?

So what is fixed fee conveyancing? With fixed fee conveyancing you’ll pay a fixed price you are quoted at the outset. However bear in mind ‘fixed’ usually relates to the legal services provided not disbursements. Disbursements should be included in the quote but for example if more searches are required this cost will increase.

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.

Remortgage conveyancing fees: Do I need to pay?

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

• Whether or not your remortgage requires legal work: If you’re staying with the same lender and switching to a new rate or borrowing more, no legal work will be required. But otherwise, you will need a solicitor or conveyancer, to help with the legal side of things. If you do need to pay, the average remortgage conveyancing cost is £300.
• Does your lender offer free legal package: It’s fairly common for a lender to offer a free legal package in their remortgage deals? Although, don’t let this sway you. Make sure you get the best mortgage deal overall by speaking to a fee-free mortgage broker.

But when you’re remortgaging, if you’re adding or removing someone from the mortgage this won’t usually be included in any free legal package so make sure to get a quote from the solicitor for this.

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

Do I have to hire a conveyancer?

While it’s not a legal requirement that you hire a conveyancing solicitor, it’s a very specialised skill and your mortgage lender may insist that you use a professional. However, it is possible to do conveyancing yourself if you don’t have a mortgage.

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.

Do I need a conveyancing solicitor to transfer equity?

It’s highly likely that you’ll need to hire a conveyancing solicitor if you’re transferring equity on a property. For example if a relationship ends and the property is transferred to one of the couple. The typical activities that you could be charged for include a bankruptcy search, Land Registry search, identification search and transfer fees as well as the legal costs. And if you’re planning to remortgage you’ll face other conveyancing costs associated with this.

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?

If you haven’t moved in a few years it can certainly feel that way. According to recent research by Reallymoving, the average cost of moving home in England has jumped by £2,430 since 2021 to reach a record high of £14,207 – with conveyancing fees one of the key expenses on the up.

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 solicitor fees will vary depending on factors such as location and if you’re buying a flat that’s leasehold. To find out instantly how much new build solicitors fees will cost you, use our handy tool that lets you compare conveyancing quotes.

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.

Bear in mind the process of buying a new build is different to buying an older property so 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