Buying and selling a home
How much does a conveyancing solicitor cost?
A conveyancing quote has three layers, and only the first is the firm's fee. The rest is money the firm collects and passes on, meaning searches, Land Registry fees and stamp duty. Quotes are compared on the wrong layer all the time. Here is what each part costs and which parts a firm can influence.
The three parts of a conveyancing quote
The legal fee. What the firm charges for doing the work. This is the only figure that varies between firms, and it is usually the smallest part of the total on any purchase above the stamp duty threshold.
Disbursements. Money the firm pays out on your behalf. Searches to the local authority and other bodies, the Land Registry fee, bank transfer fees, identification checks. The firm does not set these, though it can choose which optional searches to order.
Tax. Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland, Land Transaction Tax in Wales, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland. Your solicitor calculates it, files the return and pays it out of the completion money.
Legal fees, Land Registry fees and searches
Legal fees, for a straightforward freehold purchase with a mortgage, generally run £800 to £1,800 plus VAT. Leasehold adds £200 to £400 plus VAT. A sale is typically a little cheaper than a purchase.
Land Registry fees are set by price band. These are the Scale 1 fees for registering a transfer of a whole registered title, which is what a standard purchase is, comparing the reduced fee for an application lodged through the portal or Business Gateway with the full fee.
| Property price | Portal fee, whole title | Full fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £80,000 | £20 | £45 |
| £80,001 to £100,000 | £40 | £95 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £100 | £230 |
| £200,001 to £500,000 | £150 | £330 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | Reduced scale applies | £655 |
Your conveyancer lodges through the portal, so the reduced figure is the one that reaches your bill. Transfers of part, and registrations of new leases, do not get the reduction even when lodged electronically.
Searches typically total £250 to £450, made up of the local authority search, drainage and water, environmental, and a chancel check. Coal mining or other mining searches are added in areas that need them, which is why a Sheffield or Nottingham purchase can cost more in searches than a London one.
Other disbursements are small but add up: a bank transfer fee of £20 to £40, identification and anti-money-laundering checks of £10 to £30 per person, and on leasehold, notice of transfer and notice of charge fees payable to the freeholder, often £50 to £150 each.
Stamp duty rates by price band
Stamp duty is charged on portions of the price rather than on the whole at one rate.
| Portion of the price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 to £1.5 million | 10% |
| Above £1.5 million | 12% |
On a £295,000 purchase that produces nothing on the first £125,000, £2,500 on the second £125,000 and £2,250 on the final £45,000, giving £4,750.
First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5 percent on the portion above it, so a first-time buyer purchase at £500,000 attracts £10,000. Higher rates apply to additional properties.
Wales and Scotland charge their own taxes with their own bands, so the table above does not apply there.
Worked example: the total on a £295,000 purchase
A £295,000 freehold purchase with a mortgage, buyer is a mover rather than a first-time buyer.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Legal fee | £1,100 |
| VAT on the legal fee | £220 |
| Searches | £350 |
| Land Registry fee, portal, whole title | £150 |
| Bank transfer and identification checks | £60 |
| Stamp duty | £4,750 |
| Total on completion | £6,630 |
The firm’s fee is £1,320 of a £6,630 bill. Choosing the cheapest quote saves a couple of hundred pounds; choosing a slow firm costs weeks.
How to compare conveyancing quotes
Firms regulated by the SRA have to publish conveyancing prices on their website, and the published price must show the total or a realistic range, the basis of the charges, the experience of whoever does the work, the likely disbursements and their cost, whether VAT applies, and the key stages with timescales. Use the published version rather than a phone quote, because it is the one the firm is held to.
Then check three things in any quote:
- Is VAT included in the headline number? Twenty percent on the fee.
- What supplements apply? Leasehold, new build, help to buy, gifted deposit, unregistered title and shared ownership are all common extras.
- What happens if it falls through? Abortive fees and non-refundable disbursements.
The city lists on this site flag firms that publish real prices rather than a starting figure, which is one of the checks behind the conveyancing pick in each city, including Bartletts in Liverpool and Askews Legal in Coventry, both of which itemise their fees.
Conveyancing costs in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland charges Land and Buildings Transaction Tax rather than stamp duty, registers title with Registers of Scotland rather than HM Land Registry, and rolls estate agency and legal work together at many firms, so a quote may cover both. Ask which parts of the quote are the legal work.
Northern Ireland uses Stamp Duty Land Tax on the same bands as England, but registration is with Land and Property Services rather than HM Land Registry, and searches come from different bodies. The Home Charter Scheme sets what your solicitor must tell you about costs at the outset.
Common questions
How much are conveyancing fees for a £250,000 house?
Expect roughly £900 to £1,500 plus VAT in legal fees, plus disbursements. On that price band the Land Registry fee for a transfer of a whole registered title lodged through the portal is £150, searches typically run £250 to £450, and stamp duty on a £250,000 purchase is £2,500 for a mover and nothing for a first-time buyer.
What is the difference between fees and disbursements?
The fee is what the firm charges for its work and is the only part it controls. Disbursements are payments it makes on your behalf to other organisations, such as the local authority for searches, HM Land Registry for registration, and HMRC for stamp duty. Two quotes only compare if both layers are listed.
Do I pay conveyancing fees if the sale falls through?
Usually yes, in part. Most firms charge an abortive fee for the work already done, and any disbursements already paid, such as searches, are gone. Some offer a no completion no fee promise, which typically still leaves you paying the disbursements. Ask which you are getting before you instruct.
Why is leasehold conveyancing more expensive?
Because there is more work. The lease has to be read and reported on, the management pack ordered from the freeholder or managing agent, service charge and ground rent apportioned, and notice of the transfer served after completion. Expect £200 to £400 plus VAT on top, and separate management pack and notice fees.
Are cheap online conveyancers a false economy?
Not necessarily, but compare the whole quote. A low headline fee with high supplement charges, a per-item charge for identification checks, and a case handler carrying a large caseload can cost more in money and weeks than a local firm quoting a single figure.
When do I pay?
Searches are usually paid up front, sometimes with a small deposit on account at the start. Everything else is settled on completion, when the firm draws its fee, the disbursements and the stamp duty from the completion funds.
Does the seller pay conveyancing fees too?
Yes. A sale has its own legal fee, usually a little lower than a purchase because there are no searches and no stamp duty. Selling a leasehold flat adds the management pack fee, which the seller pays.
Where the figures come from
- HM Land Registry registration services fees read 2026-09-04
- gov.uk, Stamp Duty Land Tax residential rates read 2026-09-04
- SRA Transparency Rules read 2026-09-04
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