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Conveyancing fees—what they are, what they include and how much you pay

Last updated on March 20th, 2023 at 04:27 pm

Latest posts by Caroline Murray (see all)

    When buying or selling a property, you’ll need a conveyancer or lawyer to handle all the legal paperwork and make sure everything goes smoothly. But what does this service cost?

    In this guide, we explain:

    • what conveyancing fees are, and what they include
    • how much you can expect to pay, on average
    • what you pay in certain situations—e.g. first-time buyer, remortgaging, Help to Buy

    Click on a link below to jump to the relevant section:

    What are conveyancing fees?

    A conveyancer does the important legal work needed while you go through the process of buying or selling a house. (Read more about what conveyancers do here.)

    For this, they charge you a fee, which they split into two parts:

    • legal fees—the basic charge for their services
    • disbursements—the costs of paying third parties for searches and other work

    Read more about these below.

    How much are conveyancing fees?

    Fees vary between conveyancers, but are usually based on:

    • the value of the house(s) involved
    • whether you’re:
      • buying
      • selling
      • buying one house and selling another at the same time
      • remortgaging
      • transferring property

    Graysons charges a fixed fee for its conveyancing work, but others may charge by the hour.

    When a conveyancer quotes you a price, the quote should clearly set out both their own legal fees and the disbursements that apply to the transaction.

    Average conveyancing fees when buying or selling a house

    The following tables show what a conveyancer will charge, on average, when you:

    • buy a house
    • sell a house
    • buy one house and sell another at the same time

    We’ve calculated the figures using quotes from nine equivalent property lawyers across Yorkshire. They are only estimates, so in some cases you may pay more or less.

    Buying a house

    Price of property

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    Disbursements

    TOTAL

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £150,000

    £685

    £330

    £1,015

    £500

    £250,000

    £785

    £370

    £1,155

    £2,500

    £500,000

    £920

    £370

    £1,290

    £15,000

    Price of property

    £150,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £685

    Disbursements

    £330

    TOTAL

    £1,015

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £500

    Price of property

    £250,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £785

    Disbursements

    £370

    TOTAL

    £1,155

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £2,500

    Price of property

    £500,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £920

    Disbursements

    £370

    TOTAL

    £1,290

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £15,000


    Selling a house

    Price of property

    Legal fee (including 20% VAT)

    Disbursements

    TOTAL

    £150,000

    £640

    £10

    £650

    £250,000

    £725

    £10

    £735

    £500,000

    £830

    £10

    £840

    Price of property

    £150,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £640

    Disbursements

    £10

    TOTAL

    £650

    Price of property

    £250,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £725

    Disbursements

    £10

    TOTAL

    £735

    Price of property

    £500,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £830

    Disbursements

    £10

    TOTAL

    £840


    Buying one house and selling another

    Price of property

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    Disbursements

    TOTAL

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £150,000

    £1,325

    £340

    £1,665

    £500

    £250,000

    £1,510

    £380

    £1,890

    £2,500

    £500,000

    £1,750

    £380

    £2,130

    £15,000

    Price of property

    £150,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £1,325

    Disbursements

    £340

    TOTAL

    1,665

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £500

    Price of property

    £250,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £1,510

    Disbursements

    £380

    TOTAL

    £1,890

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £2,500

    Price of property

    £500,000

    Legal fees(including 20% VAT)

    £1,750

    Disbursements

    £380

    TOTAL

    £2,130

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    £15,000


    Conveyancing fees calculator

    For an instant estimate of what conveyancing fees Graysons Solicitors charges, use our online conveyancing quote calculator.

    We provide transparent and honest quotes that set out all the standard charges and disbursements that will apply to your property transaction. Other firms may quote very low fees online that don’t include every charge, so be aware of this when comparing prices.

    Graysons doesn’t charge extra for:

    • leasehold houses
    • filling in stamp duty land tax forms
    • dealing with high-street mortgage lenders
    • registering property following completion

    What do conveyancing fees include?

    A conveyancer will divide their fee into legal fees and disbursements. They will then typically break down both into separate itemised charges.

    If you’re quoted a fee and it isn’t broken down in this way, ask that it is, so you know exactly what you’ll be paying.

    The charges will differ depending on:

    • the value of the property
    • whether you’re buying, selling or doing both at the same time

    Below, we set out what you should expect to see on any quote a conveyancer provides.

    Buying a house

    FEE

    AMOUNT

    Legal fees

    Basic conveyancing fee

    £400–£2,000 (plus VAT)

    Bank transfer fee

    £10–£50 (plus VAT)

    Online ID check

    (free of charge if check conducted in person)

    £6–£25 (plus VAT)

    Disbursements

    Search fees

    £200–£500 (depends on location)

    Land Registry fees

    Fixed scale

    Final searches

    £5 based on one homebuyer plus £2 for each additional buyer

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    Fixed scale

    Selling a house

    FEE

    AMOUNT

    Legal fees

    Basic conveyancing fee

    £300–£2,000 (plus VAT)

    Bank transfer fee

    £10–£50 (plus VAT)

    Online ID check

    (free of charge if check conducted in person)

    £6–£25 (plus VAT)

    Disbursements

    Office copies

    £6 per title

    The fees explained

    Legal fees

    Basic conveyancing fee

    Conveyancing is transferring ownership of property, and this must be done according to the law.

    A conveyancer charges a basic fee for:

    • checking that all the relevant paperwork is present and correct
    • making sure nothing is overlooked that might legally obstruct the sale or purchase of the house

    How much? £400–£2,000 for a single sale or purchase. If you’re buying and selling at the same time, you’ll pay a fee for each, as both are separate matters that require their own work.

    What does Graysons charge? £457.50–£1,832.50 (plus VAT) (purchase), £374.17–£1,832.50 (plus VAT) (sale).

    Who will carry out your Conveyancing?
    Conveyancing work is undertaken by Solicitors, Licensed Conveyancers, Legal Executives and Conveyancers of appropriate and equivalent experience.Our conveyancers are supported by assistants who are graduates, trainee solicitors or legal executives subject to appropriate supervision.For more information please refer to our Meet the team

    Bank transfer fee (or telegraphic transfer fee)

    Banks charge for every electronic money transfer they carry out over £60,000.

    Whenever your conveyancer needs to transfer fees on your behalf (to the seller’s solicitor, for example), they will do so electronically and so will ask you for money to cover this.

    How much? £10–£50 (plus VAT), but depends on your circumstances.

    What does Graysons charge? £12 (plus VAT).

    Online ID check

    By law, your conveyancer must get proof of your identity before working on your behalf. If they do this in person when you visit their office, there shouldn’t be a fee. If they have to use an online service to verify your identity, there’s a cost.

    How much? £6–£25 (plus VAT), depending on which method they use.

    What does Graysons charge? Free if carried out in person, £6 (plus VAT) for online check.

    Disbursements

    Searches

    The conveyancer checks your local authority’s records for important information relating to the house (and the land it’s built on).

    At the very least, the search pack should contain:

    • a local authority search—issues such as:
      • planning permission or building regulations
      • debts registered against the property
      • whether the house is affected by any plans for new roads or railways
    • an environmental search—how the land was used in the past, risks of flooding and so on
    • a water and drainage search—whether the house is near sewers or water mains, and any related risks

    If the house is in an area that was once mined or quarried, the conveyancer will carry out a coal mining search as standard.

    Depending on where the house is, your conveyancer may recommend carrying out other optional searches. Our guide to conveyancing searches tells you what these cover.

    How much? This fee depends on location, but is typically £200–£500.

    What does Graysons charge? The fee for Sheffield is set at £241.00 (including VAT).

    Final searches

    The conveyancer will do further checks just before the purchase completes. This is to make sure that no additional costs or restrictions have been added since the initial title search. It will ‘freeze’ the title to ensure that your ownership of the property takes priority in respect of any changes to the title.

    How much? Usually between £2 and £5, depending on whether the property has been registered previously.

    What does Graysons charge? £5 for one homebuyer plus £2 for each additional buyer.

    Land Registry fee

    HM Land Registry is the government department entrusted with maintaining the register of who owns what property throughout England and Wales. (Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own departments.)

    When you buy a house, the Land Registry charges a fee to register you as the new owner. There is a fixed scale of fees, and how much you pay depends on the property’s value and whether it’s a first registration (i.e. for a new-build) or a transfer of ownership.

    How much? The government’s website sets out the Land Registry’s fees for registration. But for example:

    • an already-registered house sold for between £100,001 and £200,000 will incur a fee of £95
    • a new-build costing between £200,001 and £500,000 will incur a fee of £270

    What does Graysons charge? As set out on the Land Registry’s site.

    Stamp duty land tax (SDLT)

    This is a tax you must pay whenever you buy a property. Providing the home you’re buying is within the threshold, you’ll pay the tax to HMRC, via your conveyancer, when the purchase completes.

    How much? You won’t pay any tax if the property is worth £125,000 or less. Anything above that, you’ll be charged—exactly how much depends on certain conditions, such as the value of the property, whether you own a share in other property and whether you’re a first-time buyer.

    To find out what rates you’ll pay, visit the relevant website for your location.

    • England and Northern Ireland—The government’s website sets out stamp duty land tax rates for properties in England and Northern Ireland.
    • Wales—Properties in Wales are now governed by the Welsh Revenue Authority and have different rates of land transaction tax (LTT), which replaced stamp duty. The website also has a stamp duty land tax calculator you can use to work out how much you’ll pay.
    • Scotland—Land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT) has replaced stamp duty in Scotland. This calculator tells you how much LBTT you would need to pay on your new home.

    What does Graysons charge? As set out at the links listed above.

    Office copies (selling only)

    Transferring ownership of a house involves passing title deeds to the new owner. Title deeds are legal documents that demonstrate who owns, and who previously owned, the property. Most of them are now stored electronically at the Land Registry.

    When you sell your house, you must give copies of the title deeds to the buyer’s solicitor. Your conveyancer will get these records—known as office copies—from the Land Registry on your behalf.

    How much? The current fee for this service is £6 per title.

    What does Graysons charge? £6 per title.

    Extra charges you may encounter

    In some circumstances, you might be asked to pay the following fees. They are reasonable costs—they aren’t among the hidden charges some conveyancers might add to your quote without being upfront about it.

    Mortgaged property supplement fee

    If you have a mortgage, your conveyancer will have to work with your lender in redeeming it. They might charge you an extra fee for this.

    How much? Typically £100–£300 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons doesn’t charge for this service.

    Leasehold fees

    Our guide to buying leasehold property provides more information on the following.

    Leasehold property supplement fee

    Buying or selling a leasehold property can be more complicated and present more work for your solicitor than if you were buying or selling a freehold property. Your conveyancer might charge for this additional work.

    How much? £100–£200 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons charges no extra fees for the work it does on leasehold houses. We’ll only make a charge if you’re buying or selling a leasehold flat—this is £150 (purchase) or £125 (sale), plus VAT.

    Leasehold management information pack

    Buying

    With a leasehold property, you need to know details of the lease, such as what ground rent and service charges you must pay, whether there are major works you need to contribute to, and so on. Your seller will provide the information pack and your conveyancer will check this.

    How much? £150–£500 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons makes no charge for this service.

    Selling

    This information comes in a pack which your conveyancer will get from the freeholder or managing agent. They will make a charge for compiling this information.

    How much? £150–£500 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons buys this information from the freeholder and only passes on the cost of doing so. We don’t make any further charges.

    Landlord/managing agent’s fee (buying)

    If you’re buying a leasehold property, your conveyancing solicitor will need to deal with your landlord and/or managing agent to process the change of ownership. Landlords/managing agents usually charge for this admin work.

    How much? Depends on what the landlord or managing agent asks.

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons only passes on the fee charged by the landlord or managing agent.

    Managing agent’s pack (selling)

    If you’re selling a leasehold property, the buyer will expect you to provide a pack containing information on service charges, ground rent, major works and so on.

    How much? £150–£300 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons only passes on the fee charged by the managing agent.

    Lawyer checker (buying)

    If your conveyancer has doubts about the credentials of the seller’s conveyancer, they will carry out a search to confirm information and prevent the risk of fraud.

    How much? £10–£15 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? Graysons doesn’t charge for this service.

    Help to Buy ISA fee (buying)

    If you’re buying the house using funds from a Help to Buy ISA, your conveyancing solicitor will need to obtain the bonus from the scheme. There is a compulsory admin fee for this.

    How much? £12–£50 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? £50 (plus VAT).

    Help to Buy shared equity fee

    If you’re using a shared equity loan, there will be more work for your conveyancer, hence the extra charge.

    How much? £100–£350 (plus VAT).

    What does Graysons charge? £150 plus VAT (purchase), £125 plus VAT (sale).

    Indemnity insurance (selling)

    Depending on what the searches find, the buyer may ask that you, as the seller, buy indemnity insurance to protect them from any liability that might arise in the future.

    Your conveyancer should discuss this with you before arranging any policy.

    How much? Varies. Standard policies (not bespoke) will cost in the region of £20–£300 (no VAT), based on the purchase or sale price and the type of risk.

    Hidden costs to look out for

    Any reputable conveyancer will be open and transparent about their costs. But in any case, you should always read the terms and conditions to make sure you’re not being charged any hidden extras.

    These can take the form of:

    • admin fees involving things like photocopying, printing and filling in forms
    • professional indemnity insurance

    If you do find these kinds of charges in your quote, question them, as they should always be part of the conveyancing solicitor’s overall fee.

    At Graysons, we don’t charge any hidden fees. We’re always transparent and honest about our quotes and we’ll tell you upfront exactly what you’ll pay.

    Do I pay conveyancing fees upfront?

    Typically, your conveyancer will ask for an upfront payment of anywhere between £100 and £500. This is to cover some of the disbursements, such as searches, ID checks, getting office copies from the Land Registry and so on.

    You shouldn’t then have to pay anything else until:

    • you exchange contracts (buying)
    • the sale completes (selling)

    What fees do first-time buyers pay?

    Conveyancing fees are the same whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’ve bought a house in the past. You won’t receive any concessions, or be penalised, if this is your first step on the property ladder.

    However, if you’re buying the house using funds from a Help to Buy ISA, or through a shared ownership scheme, for example, there will likely be additional fees due to the extra work involved.

    Read more about the process for first-time buyers

    I’m buying a house with a Help to Buy ISA. Does this matter?

    Using funds from a Help to Buy ISA to buy your house means you may be charged additional costs for the extra conveyancing work this needs. These are explained above.

    Are there fees for remortgaging?

    Only if the remortgage needs the work of a conveyancer.

    When remortgaging, you pay legal fees if there’s a lawyer involved. You’ll usually only need a lawyer if you’re moving to a mortgage deal with a different lender.

    Read more about remortgaging

    What fees do I pay if I buy a house at auction?

    Graysons charges the same amount to carry out the conveyancing on an auction property as it does on any other property, based on the purchase price but excluding search fees. These search fees are usually included in the seller’s auction pack and you’ll be expected to reimburse them.

    If we’re asked to check the auction pack, there is a fee of £250 plus VAT, which we will deduct from the final fees if we’re asked to act on behalf of the buyer.

    Related content

    Guide to buying a house

    Guide to selling a house

    Conveyancing terms explained

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