Conveyancing Solicitors Fees

Involving a conveyancer in your transaction is crucial for ensuring the smooth and correct transfer of legal ownership and to identify relevant legal issues to avoid any nasty surprises later.

A conveyancer will review the relevant title deeds, land registry records, and any other legal documents/public records to ensure your sale or purchase proceeds without issue.

Aside from the review and checking of legal documentation, the legal fees will also include matters such as dealing with the formal exchange of contracts (which makes the contract legally binding), the payment of stamp duty (where relevant), including the submission of documentation to the Inland Revenue, liaising with all relevant parties, the application to the Land Registry to formally change the ownership of the property.

The legal fees will also include obtaining and reviewing the necessary searches, dealing with enquiries, compliance with AML requirements, dealing with any relevant mortgage offer, and so on.

Conveyancing fees are relevant whether you are selling or buying a property, however, purchase fees will generally be higher given the additional payments required such as stamp duty and Land Registry fees.

In most cases, solicitors will charge a fixed fee for conveyancing rather than charging an hourly rate, although some may still charge this way. Costs can vary depending upon the nature of the transaction.

For example, higher costs are applicable for dealing with leasehold and shared ownership property as additional work is required. Equally a complex or defective title will likely impact the costs payable.

For a more accurate idea of how much solicitors are currently charging for conveyancing services in the UK, we take a closer look at the average conveyancing solicitors fees below.

Based on information published by the UK’s leading home buyer, Quick Move Now, the cost of a conveyancing solicitor, including searches, is typically between £800 and £2,000.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that this price will naturally vary depending on the specific solicitor as well as the price and nature of the property.

The average conveyancing fees are also dependent on whether you’re solely selling the property, solely buying the property, or both selling and buying a property. Quick Move Now adds that the average conveyancing solicitors fees for purely selling a house are between £600-£900.

While the average solicitor conveyancing fees for buying a property are £500-£1,100, and the fees for both buying and selling are between £1,100-£2,000.

There are many factors that can affect conveyancing solicitors costs. From the complexity of the transaction to whether the property is freehold or leasehold, we explore these in more detail below.

Is the property freehold or leasehold?

Leasehold properties are more complex and as such often take more time and effort to sell. The need to obtain additional information from landlords and/or management companies can delay matters and increase costs.

Leasehold property is a hot topic currently and the requirements are forever changing, again increasing the complication of dealing with these matters. Freehold transactions, on the other hand, are typically more straightforward and less complex, making conveyancing fees more affordable.

How complex is the property sale or purchase?

As mentioned above, the complexity of the sale or purchase or a property can influence the price paid. You may pay less for conveyancing fees if you are proceeding without a mortgage but a defect in title can increase fees.

You should always be aware of when additional fees may arise by reviewing the initial paperwork sent to you by your conveyancing solicitor. They will also keep you updated as to any relevant additional costs.

Are you buying, selling, or buying and selling?

If you’re solely buying or selling a property, just one transaction will be involved. However, if you’re buying and selling a property at the same time, the conveyancing solicitor will be required to complete two separate transactions simultaneously.

As such, the solicitors conveyancing fees will be higher where you are both selling and buying a property at the same time.

What is the location and price of the property?

The location of a property should not generally affect the fees, although in some areas of the UK conveyancing fees may be higher.

Depending upon the location of the property additional searches may be required, for example if the property is located within a mining area.

The price of the property is likely to influence conveyancing solicitor fees as many solicitors operate on a scaled basis.

Are any additional services required?

For straightforward, property transactions, additional services aren’t typically required. However, if you do require extra services like dealing with a mortgage lender or navigating a Help to Buy scheme, a gifted deposit etc there may be additional costs added onto your final bill.

It is always important to budget for unexpected costs, for example a defect in the title may increase both the time and cost of dealing with a transaction, even if it looks to be straight forward at the outset.

Should you opt for a fixed fee or hourly rate?

Solicitors will either charge a fixed fee or an hourly rate for their services. As the name suggests, a fixed fee is a set amount that should cover the entirety of the solicitor’s services (so long as the circumstances of the sale or purchase don’t change), while an hourly rate is charged according to the amount of time the solicitor spends dealing with the transaction.

The best option will depend upon your specific property sale or purchase. For example, it could be more cost-effective and flexible to opt for an hourly rate if you require a straightforward transaction that doesn’t take much time to complete.

On the other hand, it can also be harder to predict your overall bill and budget for these fees. If you’d prefer to have a set conveyancing solicitors cost that won’t change for budgeting reasons, a fixed fee may be preferable.

While a fixed conveyancing fee may seem more attractive, you need to bear in mind that if the transaction becomes more complex or you need additional services, you may be required to pay additional fees.

By comparison an online conveyancer may seem to be a more affordable option.

However, if your transaction becomes complex or issues arise, you are likely to appreciate the one-one service of a more traditional conveyancing solicitor. It’s imperative to do your homework and read any appropriate reviews to avoid issues later.

Furthermore, if you value in-person meetings with your solicitor, then an online conveyancer may be lacking the human touch you’re looking for.

Once you’ve taken the solicitor conveyancing fees out of the equation, it’s important to ensure you have enough room in your budget to cover any other additional conveyancing costs.

For example, if a seller is lacking the appropriate certification for a building improvement, it may be necessary to take out an insurance policy known as indemnity insurance. Unexpected costs do frequently arise so do budget for this.

Similar to no win, no fee, solicitors that only ask for payment following success with your legal case, no sale, no fee conveyancing refers to a type of financial guarantee where a legal firm only provides you with a full conveyancing bill if the transaction completes.

As a result, if you’re concerned that the property sale may not be successful, it could make more financial sense to opt for a no sale, no fee conveyancer.

However, before you do, it’s crucial that you understand which fees are included in this guarantee and whether there are any hidden add-on charges.
In most cases, a no sale, no fee conveyancer will waive their own legal fees, but still ask you to cover the cost of any relevant third-party charges like searches.

Keen to keep costs down when buying or selling property? Saving on solicitors conveyancing fees is just one way you can help yourself to stay on budget.

By following our expert advice below, we can support you with finding more affordable conveyancing quotes without compromising on service quality.

Request quotes from a range of conveyancers and solicitors

The best way to save on solicitors conveyancing fees is to do your research by shopping around. Whether you visit local solicitors or go online, it’s always wise to ask for quotes from as many legal firms as possible (at least three) to ensure you’re not overspending.

However, while it’s natural to want to opt for the cheapest quote, you should always compare cost against value. It may be worth spending a little more by opting for a reliable conveyancer or solicitor that will be transparent with their costs from the start.

Many cheaper quotes are not cheaper overall by the time you read the small print. Take extra care here as the most expensive quote may be the cheapest!

Weigh up the benefits of fixed fee and hourly rate arrangements

You should also think carefully about whether you opt for a fixed fee or hourly rate arrangement. If your initially straightforward transaction paid at an hourly rate unexpectedly becomes more complex, you could end up paying much higher legal fees than if you’d opted for a fixed fee arrangement.

Be cautious of referral fees

If your estate agent has referred you to your conveyancer just be cautious about the amount of the referral fee payable. Some conveyancing solicitors will not pass on the cost of the referral fee back to you, but some will so just be aware of this and ask the question.

Many agents will refer you to a local recommended conveyancer they trust and this can be of value if you are unsure which conveyancer to choose.