What Is Conveyancing and How Much Does It Cost?
Conveyancing is the legal process that transfers a property from the seller to you. A conveyancer (a solicitor or licensed conveyancer specialising in property law) handles the paperwork, searches, and money flows.
For most UK buyers in 2024, conveyancing costs £800 to £1,800 in fees plus £300 to £500 in disbursements — the third-party costs the conveyancer pays on your behalf. It's one slice of the total upfront bill — see what fees do you pay when buying a house in the UK for the full list, and what happens at mortgage completion day for what your conveyancer is doing on the day itself.
What your conveyancer does
The work splits into two streams running in parallel.
Pre-exchange (4–8 weeks)
- Receives the draft contract from the seller's solicitor
- Reviews the property's title deeds at the Land Registry
- Orders searches: local authority, water/drainage, environmental, sometimes mining
- Raises enquiries with the seller's solicitor about the property (gas certificates, planning issues, boundaries)
- Reviews the lease (if leasehold)
- Coordinates with the mortgage lender on the mortgage offer
- Confirms your deposit funds and runs anti-money-laundering (AML) checks
- Reviews the survey results
- Prepares the legal report for you
Pre-completion (1–4 weeks after exchange)
- Drafts and signs the transfer deed (TR1 form)
- Requests mortgage funds from the lender
- Calculates apportionments (council tax, ground rent, service charge)
- Prepares the completion statement
- Sends purchase funds to the seller's conveyancer on completion day
- Pays stamp duty
- Registers your ownership at the Land Registry
Typical fee breakdown
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Conveyancer's legal fee | £600–£1,500 |
| VAT on legal fee | 20% |
| Bank transfer fee (CHAPS) | £20–£40 |
| ID checks | £10–£30 |
| Disbursements (paid to third parties) | |
| Local authority search | £150–£400 |
| Water and drainage search | £40–£80 |
| Environmental search | £40–£60 |
| Land Registry official search | £3–£7 |
| Bankruptcy search | £2 |
| Land Registration fee | £20–£910 (sliding scale by price) |
| Stamp duty (paid to HMRC) | £0+ depending on price |
| Total typical for a £250k FTB purchase | £1,300–£1,900 |
The Land Registration fee is a stepped scale:
| Property price | Land Registry fee |
|---|---|
| £0–£80,000 | £20 (£40 paper) |
| £80,001–£100,000 | £40 (£80 paper) |
| £100,001–£200,000 | £100 (£200 paper) |
| £200,001–£500,000 | £150 (£330 paper) |
| £500,001–£1m | £295 (£655 paper) |
| £1m–£2m | £500 (£1,105 paper) |
| Above £2m | £910 (£1,895 paper) |
What affects the total cost
- Leasehold properties add £100–£400 to fees (more legal work)
- New builds add £100–£300 (developer-specific paperwork)
- Help to Buy / shared ownership adds £200–£400
- Cash purchases are slightly cheaper (no mortgage work)
- High-value transactions (£1m+) add 20–40% to fees
- Chain transactions don't typically increase fees but do increase admin time
Solicitor vs licensed conveyancer
Both are regulated and qualified for residential conveyancing. The differences:
| Solicitor | Licensed conveyancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) | CLC (Council for Licensed Conveyancers) |
| Scope | Full legal practice | Property only |
| Cost | Often slightly higher | Often slightly lower |
| Who they're better for | Complex transactions, leasehold issues, family law overlap | Standard purchases |
For a straightforward residential purchase, a licensed conveyancer is usually fine. For complex situations (probate, dispute, leasehold extension), choose a solicitor. Read Solicitor vs licensed conveyancer.
How to choose a good conveyancer
The cheapest is rarely the best. Online conveyancers (My Home Move, Convey Law, etc.) are cheap but often outsource heavily and have slow response times. Local high-street firms are more responsive but more expensive.
What to check:
- Lender panel approval. Your conveyancer must be on your mortgage lender's panel. If they're not, the lender appoints their own (at your cost) and the case slows down.
- CQS accreditation (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) — Law Society quality mark
- Response times. Test by emailing them a question — do you hear back the same day?
- Reviews. Check Trustpilot and Google.
- Fixed-fee quotes. Avoid hourly rates.
- Indemnity insurance. All firms must have it; ask the level.
"Free legals" with remortgages
Most remortgage products bundle free legal work via a panel solicitor. This sounds great but means:
- You don't choose the conveyancer
- The panel solicitor handles many cases at once → slower
- Limited service (often no phone calls, all email)
You can usually opt out and use a private conveyancer for ~£300, which often shaves 2–3 weeks off the remortgage timeline.
Common conveyancing pitfalls
- Slow response from the seller's solicitor. Your conveyancer can't move faster than the other side. Push your estate agent to chase.
- Leasehold complications. Ground rent escalations, missing freeholder, short lease — all add weeks
- Searches expiring. Local authority searches are valid 3 months. If completion drags, they need refreshing (extra cost)
- Stamp duty paid late. Conveyancer must pay within 14 days of completion — late payment incurs penalties
- Forgetting to register. Failing to register at the Land Registry within 2 months can void the transfer
Tips to make conveyancing faster
- Choose a private conveyancer, not the lender's free panel
- Use someone CQS-accredited and on your lender's panel
- Get your ID and proof of funds to them on day 1
- Respond to enquiries within 24 hours
- Push the chain — the slowest party sets the pace
- Ask for "no move, no fee" guarantees if budget allows (covers your fees if the deal collapses)
Get a free mortgage quote — most brokers will introduce you to vetted conveyancers in their network.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use a conveyancer? For a property purchase with a mortgage, yes — the lender requires one. For a cash purchase you can theoretically DIY but it's a terrible idea.
Can I use the same conveyancer as the seller? Generally no — conflict of interest. They must represent only one side.
When do I pay the conveyancer? Most firms ask for an upfront payment of £200–£500 at instruction. The full balance comes from your purchase funds at completion.
What if the deal falls through? Without "no move, no fee" insurance, you'll usually pay for work done up to the point of collapse — typically £300–£700 if it's pre-exchange.
Are conveyancing fees negotiable? Slightly. Online firms have fixed pricing. Local firms may move 5–10% if you ask. The bigger lever is comparing 3–4 quotes.
How long does conveyancing take? 6–12 weeks is typical, longer in chains. Faster only if everything is straightforward and all parties respond instantly.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Always consult a qualified mortgage adviser and conveyancer.