How much do conveyancing fees cost?

Conveyancing fees cover the amount you’ll pay to make sure the legal side of a house sale or purchase is handled correctly. Conveyancing fees can be split into two parts: the legal fees (what the conveyancer or solicitor charges for doing the work), and the disbursements (what third parties charge for certain services like searches). Some conveyancing fees apply to sellers only, and some only need to be paid by buyers.

How much are disbursement fees?

The price of these fees will vary depending on a number of factors. The size of the bill can fluctuate depending on location because you may need to pay for additional searches if the property is near a river or coal mine, for example.

How much are the legal fees?

The legal portion of the conveyancing fees bill covers the work done by the conveyancing solicitor themselves. Conveyancing fees do vary but typically the cost of a good conveyancing solicitor will be between £1,000 and £3,000 plus VAT, plus the disbursements.

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 a foreign national.
• Title deeds. If you’re selling a property, you’ll need to get a copy of the Title of Deeds, which are most likely held by the Land Registry. Be warned that the cost for leasehold properties is higher than freehold.
• 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.
• Property fraud. You will want to check that the lawyer you’re sending money to is a real company.
• Transferring ownership. You have to pay the Land Registry a fee for transferring your name with your buyer’s name on completion.
• Telegraphic transfer or bank transfer fee. You’ll need to use a telegraphic transfer to guaranteed funds reach an account on a certain day, as requested by your mortgage provider.
• Stamp Duty Land Tax. If you’re buying a property worth more than £125,000 or if you’re a first time buyer with a purchase price of £500,000 and under, you’ll need to pay stamp duty. Stamp duty costs vary because it is charged on a sliding scale. See our Stamp Duty Calculator for a guide on what you could expect to pay.

Typical conveyancing costs: disbursements and legal fees

What are the charges for leasehold properties?

The conveyancing fees for leasehold properties will be higher, as there are likely to be additional costs and more complexity in the legal work. You may 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, or getting further information about the service charge or management details, for example.