Conveyancing fees when buying a house

As a buyer you carry the larger share of the legal cost in a move, because almost all the investigative work happens on your side.

What buying costs

A buyer’s bill is roughly twice a seller’s. Almost all of the difference is third-party cost rather than the legal fee: searches, registration and the lender’s requirements. Budget for the legal fee plus several hundred pounds of disbursements. The cost guide has the current ranges, the full list of disbursements and the Land Registry fee scale, so they aren’t repeated here.

Stamp Duty comes on top and is often the largest single cost in the transaction, though first-time buyers below the relevant threshold pay none. It is set in law, not by your conveyancer. Your conveyancer calculates and submits it, and no firm competes on it.

This guide covers what a price list doesn’t: why the buyer’s side costs more, and what makes a quote change after you accept it.

Why the buyer pays more

The seller hands over information. You, as the buyer, have to verify it, and that costs money.

• Searches tell you what the seller’s forms don’t, such as planning history, flood and contamination risk, whether the road is adopted, and what the water company has under the garden.
• Title investigation checks that the seller owns what they’re selling, on the terms they claim, with no covenants or rights that would stop you using the property as you intend.
• Registration puts the title into your name at HM Land Registry. The fee is set on a statutory scale.
• Your lender’s requirements add a second client. Your conveyancer usually acts for your mortgage lender too, and the lender’s conditions have to be met before completion.

Supplements that turn up later

This is where quotes differ most, and where cheap headline fees get their bad reputation. The cost guide prices each supplement. Some of them cause buyers problems that go beyond the line item.

• Leasehold costs you twice. You pay a supplement on the legal fee for reading the lease. Then there are notice fees after completion, set by the lease and payable to the freeholder or managing agent. They arrive weeks later, when you have stopped budgeting.
• A new build comes with a deadline as well as a fee. Developers commonly require exchange within 28 days of contracts being issued, so your searches and mortgage offer have to fit into a window with no slack.
• A gifted deposit is the most common cause of a stalled file. The money has to be evidenced back to its source, and the person giving it has to be advised separately. Start on this the day you know about the gift, not the week you exchange.

Before you compare quotes, ask which supplements apply to your purchase. A quote that doesn’t ask about tenure, new-build status or your deposit has priced an average transaction, not yours.

How to read a buyer’s quote

Compare the total, and check four things.

1. Is VAT included in the figure shown? A fee quoted excluding VAT is 20% larger than it looks.
2. Are searches itemised, and which ones? A “search pack” at £250–£450 should name the local authority, drainage and environmental searches. Some areas need a mining or chancel search on top.
3. Is the Land Registry fee on the statutory scale? It runs £20–£500 by price band. It is not negotiable and should not be marked up.
4. Is anything waived if the purchase falls through? Some firms waive the legal fee if it does. The money already spent on searches is rarely covered.

Our quote form asks about tenure, new-build status and your deposit before pricing, so the supplements that apply to you are already in the figure. Get my free tailored quotes.

What your conveyancer will need from you

A transaction moves only as fast as its slowest document, and several of the slow ones come from you.

• Proof of identity and address, early. Anti-money-laundering rules are strict, and firms cannot start substantive work without them.
• Proof of the source of your deposit. Savings need a paper trail. A gift needs a letter from the giver and their own ID. This is the most common cause of a stalled file.
• Your mortgage offer, as soon as the lender issues it.
• Prompt replies to enquiries. Your conveyancer can’t chase anything you haven’t answered.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the legal work take?

Commonly eight to twelve weeks from instruction to completion on a straightforward freehold purchase, and longer for leasehold or a chain. Search turnaround varies by local authority, from days to several weeks. That is the biggest variable outside anyone’s control.

Can I use my own conveyancer if my lender has an approved list?

Usually, but the lender must approve them. If the firm isn’t on the lender’s approved list, the lender may instruct its own solicitor at your cost. Check whether the firm is on it before you instruct it, not after.

Do I need a survey as well?

A survey and conveyancing are different things. The survey tells you about the building’s condition. The conveyancing tells you about the legal title. A mortgage valuation is neither. It is for the lender’s benefit, not yours.

Is a fixed-fee quote really fixed?

A properly itemised fixed fee should only change if the transaction changes. Examples are a leasehold that turns out to be a share of freehold, or a gifted deposit that appears late. Ask what would make it change, and get the answer in writing.