Solicitors’ fees for selling a house

One of the most important costs to consider when selling your house is solicitors' fees. These can vary widely depending on your property’s value, location and whether it’s freehold or leasehold. This guide explains how solicitors' fees for selling a house are calculated and how to cut the cost when selling.

How much are solicitors’ fees for selling a house?

• Average solicitors fees when selling a house range from £610-£950 for freehold properties, plus disbursements. However, costs vary.
• The main factors affecting solicitor fees are property value, tenure (whether it’s leasehold or freehold), complexity of the sale, the solicitor’s location and whether you choose a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
• VAT Solicitors’ fees are subject to VAT at 20%.

Average solicitors’ fees by house price

This table shows you the average solicitor fees for selling a house at different property prices:

Sale Price (£)	Average solicitor fees (inc disbursements)
£100,000	£525
£200,000	£580
£300,000	£620
£400,000	£715
£500,000	£770
£750,000	£830
£1,000,000	£910

What are solicitors’ fees for selling a house?

When you’re selling a house, a solicitor or licensed conveyancer’s role is to handle the legal side of the sale. Solicitors’ fees can be split into two parts:

• The legal fees: This is what the solicitor charges for doing the work, such as drawing up the draft contract and responding to the buyer’s solicitor’s enquiries, and exchanging contracts.
• The disbursements: This is what third parties charge for certain services like the transfer of ownership at the Land Registry.

Typical disbursements when selling a house

Fee	What it’s for	Amount
Anti-money laundering checks	Legal checks to verify your identity	£6 – £20
Title deeds copy	Proves the seller owns the property and has the right to sell it	£10
Transferring of ownership	You have to pay the Land Registry a fee for transferring your name to your buyer’s on completion	£200 – £300
Managing Agent packs	If you’re selling a leasehold property, this summarises the lease.	£300 – £800

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How are solicitors’ fees calculated?

When you’re selling a house, solicitors’ fees depend on factors including:

• Property value: The more expensive the property, the higher the solicitors fees will usually be.
• Freehold vs leasehold: Selling a leasehold property requires more legal work and you’ll need to pay for a Managing Agent Pack so expect to pay higher solicitors’ fees.
• Complexity of transaction: If the transaction is more complex, such as it involves a boundary dispute, shared ownership or restrictive covenant, you may have to pay higher solicitors fees.
• Location: Solicitors based in more expensive parts of the country may charge more.

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Solicitors fees’ for selling a leasehold property

Solicitors fees are usually higher if you’re selling a leasehold property compared to if you’re selling a freehold property because there is more legal work to do.

If you’re selling a leasehold property, you’ll also need to supply a leasehold management pack or TA7 Form, which summarises the lease including any leasehold charges such as ground rent and service charges, and any plans your freeholder has for major work. The seller pays for the leasehold information pack; they typically cost around £500, although it could range from £300-£800. Find more information in our guide to Selling a leasehold property.

Solicitors’ fees calculator

To get an accurate idea of solicitors’ fees for selling a house, use our conveyancing fees calculator to instantly compare conveyancing quotes.

Should I use a conveyancer or solicitor?

Many people instinctively go with a solicitor because it is a familiar term and may sound more official and trustworthy. But licensed conveyancers are equally qualified for property transactions and arguably more experienced as it’s what they do, day in, day out. 

Using a solicitor is usually more expensive. In some cases, such as if your sale is part of a divorce or there are other complications like a boundary issue you may prefer to use a solicitor. But if your sale is straightforward, choosing a licensed conveyancer can be an easy way to keep your legal fees down. Read more in our guide on the Difference between a solicitor and a conveyancer.

What do solicitors do when you sell a house

The main tasks your solicitor will do when you’re selling a house are:

• Complete ID checks to ensure you are who you say you are.
• Obtain the property title deeds
• Send you detailed property questionnaires you’ll need to complete such as The Property Information form (the TA6), the TA10 Fittings & Contents form and the leasehold information pack, also known as the TA7, if the property is leasehold.

• Draft the initial contract to be sent to the buyer’s solicitor and respond to enquiries the buyer’s solicitor may have.

• Organise the exchange of contracts. At this point, you’re legally bound to sell the property and your buyer is legally bound to buy it.
• Complete the transaction and settle any outstanding mortgage or estate agent fees.
• Transfer the balance of funds to you.

When do you pay solicitors’ fees when selling a house?

You’ll typically pay an up front deposit when you instruct a solicitor to handle the legal side of selling your house. You’ll usually pay the balance once your sale goes through.

Do I pay VAT on solicitors’ fee?

Yes, you’ll be charged VAT on solicitors’ fees at 20%.

Solicitors’ fees for selling a house vs buying a house

Solicitors’ fees when buying a house are usually more expensive because a purchase involves more paperwork and you’ll also need to carry out additional checks like Local Authority Searches which will increase your bill.

If you’re buying and selling a house at the same time, it’s recommended that you use the same solicitor for both transactions.

Solicitors fees for selling and buying a house

Average solicitors fees for selling and buying a house are £2,380 including disbursements. But this varies by region.

Regional comparison of solicitors’ fees in the UK

Will I be charged legal fees if my sale doesn’t go through?

This depends on what you’ve agreed: if you have a no sale, no fee agreement, you won’t need to pay legal fees if the sale falls through. Although you may still need for pay for any disbursements.

However, if you’ve agreed to pay an hourly rate, you’ll need to pay your solicitors’ fees for the work they’ve done even if the sale falls down.

How to find the right solicitor or conveyancer to sell your house

Choosing the right conveyancer or solicitor is key to getting the best service at the best price.

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

• Experience: Make sure the conveyancer is experienced in your type of property transaction, especially if it’s more complex like a leasehold property.
• Responsiveness: It’s key to know you’ll be able to get any queries responded to promptly.
• Reputation: You’ll want to ensure your conveyancer is highly rated. An easy way to do this is by using our online tool to compare conveyancing quotes which shows you a rating next to some of the quotes based on opinions of previous customers.

Also, see our guide on important questions to ask your conveyancing solicitor before instructing.

Frequently Asked Questions