Solicitors Fees for Buying a House UK
The average solicitor fees for buying a house in the UK are £2,339. This includes the solicitor’s legal fee, conveyancing disbursements and potential extra costs.
This article features a breakdown of the house buying solicitor fees. We’ll also look at when to pay the fees and what can affect costs.
- What are Solicitor Fees Made up of when Buying a House?
- How Much are Solicitor Fees when Buying a House?
- Disbursement Fees for Buying a House
- Land Registry Charges
- Stamp Duty
- Extra Fees to Expect when Buying your House
- Solicitor Fees for Buying Leasehold
- Do you Need a Solicitor to Buy a House?
- When do you Pay Solicitor Fees when Buying a House?
- Who Pays Solicitor Fees when a Sale Falls Through?
- Next Steps of Buying a House
Compare My Move has researched the average solicitor's fees for buying a house by taking an average from 46 UK conveyancers. The table includes the solicitor's legal fees, disbursements and then potential other costs. Compare My Move’s unique data shows that the average conveyancing fees in 2023 are as follows:
| Solicitor Fees | Cost |
|---|---|
| Solicitor's Legal Fee | £1,320 |
| Conveyancing Disbursements | £619 |
| Potential Other Costs | £400 |
Total | £2,339 |
What are Solicitor Fees Made up of when Buying a House?
Conveyancing fees will be made up of two parts:
- Conveyancer's legal fees - Will cover the conveyancer's time and legal work.
- Disbursements - So your conveyancer can pay for third-party services like searches.
How Much are Solicitor Fees when Buying a House?
The cost of your solicitor fees will vary depending on whether you’re buying a freehold or leasehold property. It’s also worth finding out if you’d be better off using a solicitor that offers a fixed fee conveyancing service.
The table below shows a breakdown of solicitor’s fees for both freehold and leasehold properties for a range of property values.
| Property Value | Freehold Solicitor Fees | Leasehold Solicitor Fees |
|---|---|---|
Up to £100,000 | £1,090 | £1,270 |
£100,001 to £200,000 | £1,190 | £1,370 |
£200,001 to £300,000 | £1,320 | £1,490 |
£300,001 to £400,000 | £1,390 | £1,560 |
£400,001 to £500,000 | £1,490 | £1,650 |
£500,001 to £600,000 | £1,750 | £1,860 |
£600,001 to £700,000 | £1,800 | £1,960 |
£700,001 to £800,000 | £2,000 | £2,150 |
£800,001 to £900,000 | £2,120 | £2,290 |
£900,001 to £1000,000 | £2,160 | £2,340 |
£1000,001+ | £2,550 | £2,710 |
Average taken from the fees page of 46 Conveyancers from across the UK. 20% VAT is included.
Our Conveyancing Fees Calculator offers an estimated cost, allowing you to budget accordingly.
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Disbursement Fees for Buying a House
You’ll have to pay conveyancing disbursements on top of the legal fees. These are services your conveyancer will order and pay on your behalf.
Property searches - £290
Your conveyancer will need to order property searches. They’ll include Local Authority Search, Environmental Search and Water and Drainage Search. They’re usually offered as part of a search pack costing between £250-£450.
Anti-money laundering checks - £5
Anti-money laundering checks are required so the solicitor knows where your money is coming from. This is a common disbursement and will be carried out at the beginning of the process.
Bank transfer fee - £40
The bank will charge you a bank transfer fee to send sums of money over £60,000. Our research shows this can cost between £25-£45 but averages at £40.
Mortgage property supplement fee - £220
If you’re buying with a mortgage, you’ll need to pay a mortgage property supplement fee as it requires more work for your solicitor.
SDLT Return - Varies
You’ll need to let HMRC know about your property purchase within 14 days of completion. You’ll have to do this even if you fall below the Stamp Duty threshold.
Land Registry Charges
Your solicitor will have to register the property in your name to transfer ownership. This is relative to the house price and whether or not the property has already been registered. It will cost between £20 to £500 online, and between £45 and £1,105 by post.
Property Value | Paying Online | Paying by Post |
|---|---|---|
Below £80,000 | £20 | £45 |
£80,001-£100,000 | £40 | £95 |
£100,001-£200,000 | £100 | £230 |
£200,001-£500,000 | £150 | £330 |
£500,001-£1,000,000 | £296 | £655 |
£1,000,001 and over | £500 | £1105 |
Costs taken from Gov.UK.
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Stamp Duty
Stamp Duty must be paid when you buy a house worth over £250,000 in England and Northern Ireland, over £140,000 in Scotland and over £225,000 in Wales. Below are the updated Stamp Duty rates. (England and Northern Ireland)
| Portion of House Price | Stamp Duty Rate |
|---|---|
Up to £250,000 | 0% |
£250,001 to £925,000 | 5% |
£925,001 to £1.5 million | 10% |
£1.5 million+ | 12% |
Use our Stamp Duty Calculator to calculate the amount of Stamp Duty you will need to pay.
Extra Fees to Expect when Buying your House
There are extra solicitor fees you may face, depending on the services you require. Below are the most common extra conveyancing fees.
Service | Cost |
|---|---|
Remortgage | £500 |
Gifted Deposit | Varies |
Help to Buy ISA Fee | £120 |
Help to Buy Equity Loan Supplement Fee | £340 |
Shared Ownership | £330 |
New Build | £360 |
Delayed Completion | £100 - £200 |
Indemnity Insurance | Varies |
Lease Extension | £1,280 |
Share of Freehold | £120 |
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Solicitor Fees for Buying Leasehold
Buying a leasehold property comes with extra work for your solicitor. These are the most common solicitor fees for buying a leasehold home.
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
Landlord Sales Pack | £280 |
Notice of Transfer fee | £190 |
Notice of Charge fee | £140 |
Deed of Covenant | £280 |
Certificate of Compliance | £250 |
Engrossment Fee (typically when purchasing flats or new-builds) | £120-£180 but will vary depending on the developer or leaseholder |
Leasehold Property Supplement Fee | £150 |
Leasehold Management Information Pack | £150-£500 |
Do you Need a Solicitor to Buy a House?
By law, you don’t need to hire a solicitor to buy a house. It’s a difficult task to take on the conveyancing yourself as it involves lots of legal work and documents. If you’re not familiar with the conveyancing process, you could make a costly and timely mistake. A solicitor or conveyancer will take care of the legal side of your purchase.
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When do you Pay Solicitor Fees when Buying a House?
Your solicitor will ask for a deposit or a ‘payment on account’ at the start of the process. This is usually to pay for the conveyancing searches so your solicitor can order these right away. The rest of the solicitor fees will be paid at the end of the process. Stamp Duty needs to be paid within 14 days of completion, but your solicitor will add this to your bill as they do this on your behalf.
Who Pays Solicitor Fees when a Sale Falls Through?
Most solicitors will offer a no sale no fee conveyancing guarantee for their service. This means that if the sale falls through, you won’t have to pay their legal fee. You’ll still have to pay for the searches and other third-party services they’ve ordered.
Next Steps of Buying a House
This article is part of our home buying guide. In the next article, we look at choosing where to live. To find out more see: How to Choose a New Area to Live In
