The cheapest conveyancing solicitor we found during our research into 146 firms across the UK charged just £535 including VAT.
The most expensive? £5,000.
That is a 9.3x difference for what is, on paper, the same job. And it is exactly why “cheapest” is the wrong question to ask. The right question is: who gives you the best value without putting your sale at risk?
I’m Danny, owner of Property Rescue. We have been buying and selling properties for over 20 years, and we deal with conveyancing solicitors every single day. We see which firms move quickly, which ones drag their feet, and which ones lose deals because they cannot pick up the phone.
This guide breaks down what conveyancing actually costs in 2026, where the hidden charges are, and how to find a solicitor who is genuinely good value rather than just cheap on paper.
Key Takeaways
- The median cost to sell a freehold property is £1,155 including VAT, based on our survey of 146 firms across 9 UK regions. Buying costs are higher, typically £1,300 to £1,700 including disbursements.
- The cheapest quote is rarely the best value. Budget firms handle huge volumes, which often means slow service, poor communication, and deals that collapse.
- Disbursements (searches, Land Registry fees, ID checks) add £200 to £700 on top of the solicitor’s fee. Always ask for a fully itemised quote.
- “No sale, no fee” sounds appealing but typically costs 10% to 25% more upfront, and you still pay disbursements if the sale falls through.
- A good local solicitor almost always beats a cheap nationwide factory. Use recommendations from your agent or friends who have sold recently.
How Much Does Conveyancing Actually Cost in 2026?
Let’s start with the numbers. Because there is a massive gap between what people expect to pay and what they actually end up paying.
We surveyed 146 conveyancing firms across 9 UK regions in April 2026. Here is what we found.
Source: Property Rescue Solicitor Fee Research, April 2026 (146 firms, 9 regions, benchmark property value £250,000)
For buying, the picture is different. Industry data puts the average conveyancing fee for purchasing a property at around £1,624 including VAT, with disbursements adding another £500 to £700 on top.
Source: Compare My Move, 2026
If you are selling a leasehold property, expect to pay more. Our research found the median leasehold selling fee is £1,470 including VAT, around £315 more than freehold. That supplement covers additional work: reviewing the lease, checking service charges, and dealing with the freeholder’s management company.
Why Is There Such a Huge Range?
Three things drive the price variation.
Location. London solicitors are the most expensive. Our research found a median of £2,250 (ex-VAT) in London, compared with just £825 in the North West. Same job, vastly different price.
Pricing model. Over half (55.6%) of the firms we surveyed use tiered pricing that scales with property value. Around 41% offer fixed fees. And a small minority (2.1%) charge a percentage of the sale price. Fixed fee firms tend to be cheaper for higher-value properties, while tiered pricing benefits lower-value sales.
Firm type. Large online conveyancing factories operate at volume with low overheads, so they quote lower fees. Smaller local practices charge more but typically offer a more personal, hands-on service.
Conveyancing Costs by Region
Where you are in the country has a bigger impact on price than most people realise. Here is the regional breakdown from our research.
| Region | Median Fee (ex-VAT) | Median Fee (inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| London | £2,250 | £2,700 |
| South East | £1,600 | £1,920 |
| South West | £1,400 | £1,680 |
| West Midlands | £972 | £1,166 |
| Wales | £950 | £1,140 |
| North East | £935 | £1,122 |
| Yorkshire | £860 | £1,032 |
| North West | £825 | £990 |
Source: Property Rescue Solicitor Fee Research, April 2026
The pattern is clear. The further you are from London, the cheaper conveyancing gets. But even within regions, individual firms vary wildly. In the North West, we found quotes ranging from under £600 to well over £1,500 for identical work.
What Is Actually Included in a Conveyancing Quote?
This is where cheap quotes catch people out. A headline fee of £399 looks brilliant. Until you realise it does not include half the things you need.
A conveyancing quote has two parts: the solicitor’s legal fee and the disbursements.
The Solicitor’s Legal Fee
This is the fee the solicitor charges for their time and expertise. It covers:
- Reviewing or preparing the contract of sale
- Raising and responding to legal enquiries
- Carrying out property searches (if buying)
- Handling the exchange of contracts
- Transferring funds on completion day
- Registering the property with the Land Registry (if buying)
- Dealing with your mortgage lender (if applicable)
- Anti-money laundering checks
This is the bit that varies most between firms. And it is the bit most people focus on when comparing quotes.
Disbursements (Third-Party Costs)
Disbursements are costs your solicitor pays to third parties on your behalf. These are roughly the same regardless of which solicitor you use.
If you are buying:
| Disbursement | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Local authority search | £100 to £250 |
| Environmental search | £30 to £50 |
| Water and drainage search | £30 to £60 |
| Land Registry fee | £20 to £540 |
| Bank transfer fee | £20 to £45 |
| ID verification (AML check) | £10 to £50 |
| Chancel repair liability search | £20 to £30 |
Total buyer disbursements: typically £250 to £700, depending on property value and location.
If you are selling:
Seller disbursements are much lower, usually £50 to £200. They cover Land Registry title copies (about £7 each), bank transfer fees (£35 to £45), and anti-money laundering ID checks (£10 to £30 per person).
Watch Out for Hidden Extras
Some firms advertise a low headline fee but then add charges for things most solicitors include as standard. Common add-ons include: acting for your mortgage lender (£100 to £300), dealing with leasehold enquiries (£200 to £400), handling a gifted deposit (£50 to £150), and “file storage” or “archive” fees.
Always ask for a fully itemised quote that includes everything. If a firm will not give you one, that is a red flag.
Cheapest vs Best Value: Why the Lowest Quote Can Cost You More
Here is the uncomfortable truth about cheap conveyancing.
The firms offering the lowest fees are almost always handling the highest volume of cases. That is how they make the business model work. Low margin, high volume.
The problem? Volume means you are a number, not a name.
Your case gets allocated to whoever is available. You might speak to a different person every time you call. If you can get through at all. Emails go unanswered for days. Enquiries sit in a queue. And when something goes wrong, there is nobody who actually knows your file well enough to fix it quickly.
We see this constantly. A deal stalls because the buyer’s solicitor has not responded to enquiries. The seller’s agent chases, gets nowhere. Weeks pass. The buyer gets nervous and walks away. The sale falls through.
All because the cheapest solicitor was too busy to pick up the phone.
From Our Experience
Use a good local solicitor. Avoid the large nationwide firms. They are often incredibly slow, and it is luck of the draw who handles your case. A slow, unresponsive solicitor can kill a deal entirely.
If you do not know a solicitor, ask your estate agent for a local recommendation, or ask friends who have sold recently. Were they impressed? How proactive was the solicitor? That tells you everything you need to know.
What Does a Collapsed Sale Actually Cost?
When a property sale falls through, the costs are not just emotional. They are financial.
- Abortive solicitor fees. Only 4.2% of conveyancing firms we surveyed offer “no completion, no fee.” The rest will charge you for work done, even if the sale collapses. Typical abortive fees range from £200 to £800.
- Wasted search fees. If you are the buyer, you have already paid for searches (£200 to £400). That money is gone.
- Survey costs. If you commissioned a homebuyer’s report or full building survey (£400 to £1,500), you cannot use it on a different property.
- Time. The average property transaction takes 12 to 16 weeks. If it collapses, you are back to square one.
A slightly more expensive solicitor who is proactive, responsive, and keeps your deal on track is almost always cheaper in the long run than a budget firm that lets things drift until the deal dies.
Online Conveyancing vs Local Solicitor
This is the big debate. And it is worth understanding the trade-offs properly before you decide.
| Factor | Online Conveyancer | Local Solicitor |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost (selling, freehold) | £600 to £1,000 + VAT | £800 to £1,500 + VAT |
| Communication | Portal, email, call centre | Named contact, phone, face-to-face |
| Case handler | Often a team; may change | Usually one dedicated person |
| Local knowledge | Limited | Strong (knows local issues, search authorities) |
| Speed | Variable; depends on caseload | Variable; but easier to chase |
| Complex transactions | May struggle with unusual titles or issues | Better equipped to handle complications |
| Availability | Some offer evening/weekend portal access | Typically office hours only |
When Online Conveyancing Works
If your transaction is straightforward, a freehold purchase or sale with no chain, no lease complications, and no unusual title issues, then a reputable online conveyancer can work well. The lower overhead keeps costs down, and many now offer real-time tracking portals so you can see where things stand.
The key word is reputable. Not just cheap.
When a Local Solicitor Is Worth the Extra
If your sale involves anything out of the ordinary (leasehold, shared ownership, a property in a conservation area, boundary disputes, restrictive covenants, probate, or any kind of chain), a good local solicitor is worth every extra penny.
They know the local authority search turnaround times. They know which management companies are difficult. They have relationships with other local firms, which can speed things up when both sides’ solicitors are in the same area.
And crucially, when something goes wrong, you can walk into their office and speak to the person handling your case. Try doing that with a call centre in Birmingham when your sale is about to fall apart.
What to Look for When Choosing a Conveyancing Solicitor
Price matters. But it should not be the only thing you look at. Here is what to check before you instruct anyone.
1. Check They Are Properly Regulated
Every conveyancing solicitor must be regulated by either the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
You can search both registers online in about 30 seconds. If a firm does not appear on either register, do not instruct them. It is as simple as that.
2. Look for CQS Accreditation
The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is an accreditation from the Law Society that sets standards for competence, risk management, and client service. It is not mandatory, but many mortgage lenders require it for firms on their approved panels.
If you or your buyer have a mortgage, using a CQS-accredited firm avoids the risk of your lender refusing to work with your solicitor, which can cause serious delays.
3. Get a Fully Itemised Quote
Do not accept a headline figure. Ask for a quote that breaks down:
- The solicitor’s legal fee (ex-VAT and including VAT)
- Every disbursement with estimated costs
- Any additional charges for leasehold, mortgage work, or gifted deposits
- What happens to fees if the sale falls through (abortive fees)
Get quotes from at least three firms. Compare the total cost, not just the legal fee.
4. Ask About Caseload
This is the question most people forget to ask. And it is arguably the most important one.
“How many cases is my case handler currently managing?”
If the answer is 80+, your case is going to sit in a queue. A good residential conveyancer typically handles 40 to 60 files at a time. Much beyond that and service starts to suffer.
5. Check Reviews (But Read Them Properly)
A 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot means nothing if all the recent reviews say “impossible to get hold of” and “took 6 months to complete.”
Look at the most recent reviews (last 6 months). Look for patterns. Consistent praise for communication and speed? Good sign. Consistent complaints about being passed between team members? Walk away.
6. Confirm Mortgage Lender Panel Membership
If there is a mortgage involved in the transaction (yours or the buyer’s), your solicitor needs to be on the lender’s approved panel. If they are not, you will need to instruct a separate solicitor to act for the lender, which means paying two sets of fees.
Check this before you instruct. Most high street lenders publish their panel lists, and your solicitor should be able to confirm it within minutes.
Did You Know?
Our research found that 43.8% of conveyancing firms charge under £1,000 (ex-VAT) for a standard freehold sale. Another 27.1% charge between £1,000 and £1,500. So the majority of firms are in the £800 to £1,500 range. Anything significantly below that should prompt the question: how are they doing it so cheaply?
Is “No Sale, No Fee” Conveyancing Worth It?
“No sale, no fee” is one of the most popular search terms for conveyancing. It sounds like a safety net. And in some cases, it is.
But it is not quite as simple as the name suggests.
What It Actually Means
If your sale falls through before completion, the solicitor waives their legal fee. You do not pay for their time.
But here is what most people miss: you still pay the disbursements. Searches, ID checks, Land Registry copies. Those are third-party costs, and the solicitor has already paid them on your behalf. They want that money back regardless of whether the sale completes.
Some firms also charge an “abortive transaction fee” of £100 to £300 on top of the disbursements. Read the terms carefully.
The Premium
Firms offering no-sale-no-fee typically charge 10% to 25% more than firms that do not. They are building the risk of non-completion into the price. So if your sale completes successfully (which most do), you have paid extra for insurance you did not need.
When It Makes Sense
No-sale-no-fee can be genuinely valuable if:
- You are in a long chain with several links that could break
- Your buyer has not yet sold their own property
- The property has complications (subsidence, short lease, planning issues) that could cause the buyer to withdraw
- You have already had one or more sales fall through and want protection
If your sale is straightforward, a chain-free buyer with a mortgage in principle, you are probably better off with a standard fixed-fee solicitor and saving the premium.
How to Save Money on Conveyancing Without Sacrificing Quality
You do not have to choose between cheap and good. Here are practical ways to reduce costs without ending up with a solicitor who treats your sale as an afterthought.
- Get at least three quotes and compare total costs. Not just the legal fee. Total costs including all disbursements and VAT. Use comparison sites as a starting point, but also call local firms directly. Many do not list on comparison sites but offer competitive rates.
- Ask if there is a discount for sale and purchase together. If you are selling and buying simultaneously, most firms offer a combined rate that is cheaper than instructing separately. Savings of £200 to £500 are common.
- Use the same solicitor as the other party’s recommendation. This is not about choosing someone else’s solicitor. But if the estate agent handling your sale recommends a local firm they work well with, it is worth getting a quote from them. The working relationship can speed things up, which saves everyone time and stress.
- Negotiate. Solicitor fees are not set in stone. If you have a competitive quote from another firm, say so. Many solicitors will match or come close, especially for straightforward transactions.
- Be an organised client. Respond to requests quickly. Provide documents promptly. Answer enquiries the same day. A client who drags their feet adds hours of chasing time to the solicitor’s workload, and that is time they may charge for if the matter runs over.
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Should You Use the Solicitor Your Estate Agent Recommends?
This is one of the most common questions sellers ask. And the answer is: maybe, but do your own homework first.
Estate agents often recommend a conveyancing firm they have a referral arrangement with. In many cases, the agent receives a referral fee (typically £100 to £300) every time a client instructs that solicitor. This is legal, but the agent is required by law to disclose the referral fee to you.
That does not automatically make the recommendation bad. Some agents genuinely recommend solicitors they have worked well with. They want the sale to complete (that is how they get paid), so it is in their interest to recommend someone competent.
But it does mean the recommended solicitor might not be the cheapest option. And the quality can vary.
What to do:
- Get the agent’s recommendation, but also get two independent quotes
- Ask the agent: “Do you receive a referral fee from this firm?” They must tell you
- Compare the total cost and reviews, not just the headline fee
- If the recommended firm is competitive and well-reviewed, there is no reason not to use them
Conveyancing for Sellers: What Should You Expect to Pay?
If you are selling only (not buying at the same time), your conveyancing costs will be lower than a buyer’s. The solicitor has less work to do because there are no searches to order and no mortgage deed to review.
Here is a realistic breakdown for a standard freehold sale in 2026.
| Cost Element | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Solicitor’s legal fee | £600 to £1,500 + VAT |
| Land Registry title copies | £7 per document |
| Bank transfer fee | £35 to £45 |
| ID verification (AML check) | £10 to £30 per person |
| Total (typical freehold sale) | £800 to £1,700 including VAT |
Leasehold sales add the leasehold supplement (£200 to £400) plus potential freeholder charges for management packs and notices. Our research found freeholder third-party charges can range from £680 to £2,200, and sellers have historically had no control over these costs. However, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 is changing this. The Act includes provisions to regulate and cap the fees that freeholders and management companies can charge for leasehold packs and related documentation, as well as setting time limits for providing them.
What About “Free” Conveyancing?
Some cash house-buying companies, including Property Rescue, cover the seller’s conveyancing costs as part of their service. This means you pay zero solicitor fees and zero disbursements.
How does it work? The company instructs a solicitor on your behalf (an independent, regulated firm, not an in-house team) and pays their fees directly. You do not see a bill.
The trade-off is the sale price. Cash buyers typically offer below market value (usually 75% to 85%) in exchange for speed, certainty, and no fees. Whether that trade-off makes sense depends entirely on your situation.
If you have time and are happy to wait, the open market will usually get you a higher price. If you need to sell quickly, the cost savings on legal fees, agent fees, and the certainty of completion can make a cash sale the better financial outcome overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I expect to pay for conveyancing in 2026?
For a standard freehold sale, the median solicitor fee is £1,155 including VAT, based on our survey of 146 firms. Buying is more expensive, typically £1,300 to £1,700 including disbursements. Leasehold transactions cost £200 to £400 more in both cases. Always compare total costs (legal fees plus disbursements plus VAT), not just the headline figure.
Can I do my own conveyancing to save money?
Technically, yes. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor for property transactions in England and Wales. In practice, it is extremely risky. Conveyancing involves complex legal checks, contract negotiations, and strict deadlines. One mistake can cost thousands. And most mortgage lenders will not release funds unless a qualified solicitor or licensed conveyancer is acting. For the vast majority of transactions, professional conveyancing is essential.
What is the difference between a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?
A solicitor is a fully qualified lawyer who can practise across many areas of law. They are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). A licensed conveyancer specialises exclusively in property law and is regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Both are qualified to handle your property transaction. Licensed conveyancers are often slightly cheaper because they specialise, but solicitors may be better equipped for complex transactions involving wider legal issues.
How long does conveyancing take?
The average conveyancing timeline in the UK is 12 to 16 weeks from instruction to completion. However, this varies significantly depending on chain length, search turnaround times in your local authority, mortgage approval speed, and how quickly both sides respond to enquiries. Cash purchases with no chain can complete in as little as 2 to 4 weeks.
Do I need a local solicitor, or can I use anyone in the country?
You can use any SRA or CLC-regulated solicitor or conveyancer anywhere in England and Wales. There is no requirement to use someone local. However, local solicitors bring advantages: knowledge of local search authority timescales, familiarity with common issues in your area, and the ability to meet face-to-face when needed. For complex or high-value transactions, local expertise can make a real difference.
What happens if my solicitor is slow and my sale falls through?
Unfortunately, you have limited recourse. If the delay is genuinely caused by your solicitor’s negligence, you can complain to the firm first, then escalate to the Legal Ombudsman or the SRA. But proving that the solicitor caused the collapse (rather than market conditions, buyer cold feet, or other factors) is difficult. Prevention is better than cure. Choose a solicitor with a strong track record for communication and speed, and chase proactively if things go quiet.
Should I choose the cheapest conveyancing solicitor?
Not necessarily. The cheapest firms handle the highest volumes, which typically means less personal attention, slower response times, and a higher risk of your sale stalling. Look for the best value: a competitive price combined with good reviews, manageable caseloads, and clear communication. The median fee of £1,155 (including VAT) for a freehold sale is a reasonable benchmark. Anything significantly below that should prompt further questions about service quality.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Conveyancing fees and processes can vary depending on your individual circumstances, property type, and location. Always obtain a personalised quote from a regulated solicitor or licensed conveyancer before making any decisions.
Property Rescue is a cash house-buying company, not a law firm. We work with independent, SRA-regulated solicitors but do not provide legal services ourselves. For specific legal advice about your property transaction, please consult a qualified conveyancing solicitor.
The solicitor fee data referenced in this article is based on Property Rescue’s research conducted in April 2026, surveying 146 conveyancing firms across 9 UK regions. Fees may have changed since publication. All fees are indicative and should be confirmed with individual firms.
