How much are conveyancing fees in the UK in 2026?

Typical solicitor fees are £900–£1,500 for a sale and £1,000–£1,800 for a purchase, plus disbursements such as searches (£250–£400), Land Registry fees and bank transfer fees. Buyers also pay stamp duty where applicable.

Do I pay conveyancing fees if the sale falls through?

Usually you still pay for work already done and disbursements already ordered, unless your solicitor offers a no-completion-no-fee guarantee.

Is leasehold conveyancing more expensive?

Yes. Leasehold adds roughly £250–£400 in extra legal work plus a freeholder/management pack that commonly costs £200–£400.

Free tool

Conveyancing fees calculator

Estimate what the legal side of your move will cost in 2026 — solicitor fees, searches, Land Registry and stamp duty, broken down line by line.

What are you doing?

Sale price (£280,000)

Purchase price (£340,000)

Tenure

Buyer type

Mortgage involved

Estimated total

£10,779

Legal fees and disbursements £3,779 · stamp duty £7,000

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Full breakdown

Sale — solicitor legal feeIncl. VAT estimate£1,236
Title documents (Land Registry)£12
Bank transfer fee£40
Mortgage redemption admin£60
Purchase — solicitor legal feeIncl. VAT estimate£1,476
Local authority & water searches£320
Environmental & drainage search£95
Land Registry registration fee£270
Bankruptcy & priority searches£25
Bank transfer fee£40
Anti-money-laundering ID checks£25
Mortgage lender work (CML)£180
Stamp duty (SDLT)England & N. Ireland rates£7,000

What conveyancing fees actually cover

Conveyancing costs split into two parts. The legal fee is your solicitor or licensed conveyancer's own charge for the work — drafting contracts, raising enquiries, exchanging and completing. Disbursements are the third-party costs they pay on your behalf: local authority searches, water and drainage, environmental reports, Land Registry fees, bankruptcy searches, and bank transfer charges. Buyers also pay stamp duty land tax where the purchase price passes the threshold.

Typical UK conveyancing costs in 2026

Selling a freehold house: around £900–£1,500 including VAT.
Buying a freehold house: around £1,000–£1,800 plus £400–£500 in searches.
Leasehold adds roughly £250–£400 in legal work plus a £200–£400 management pack.
Land Registry registration ranges from £45 to £1,105 depending on price.
Selling and buying together typically lands between £2,000 and £3,200 before stamp duty.

How to keep the cost down

Get three written quotes and compare the disbursement list, not just the headline fee.
Ask for a no-completion-no-fee guarantee in case the chain collapses.
Instruct your conveyancer as soon as your property is listed to avoid rushed search fees.
For leasehold, request the management pack early — it is the most common cause of delay.

Estimates use 2026 England & Northern Ireland averages and SDLT bands. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) use different rates. This tool is a guide, not legal or tax advice.