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Solicitors Fees for Buying a House Explained

Martha Lott

Written by Reviewed by Tetyana Rehman

3rd Jan 2023 (Last updated on 23rd Feb 2024) 8 minute read

The average solicitor fee for buying a house in the UK is £2,339, based on the average UK house price of £277,000. This includes the solicitor’s legal fee, conveyancing disbursements and potential extra costs.

To provide the most accurate results, Compare My Move has taken averages from 46 UK conveyancers. This ensures that you have an idea of what to expect when it comes to purchasing your property.

In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about solicitor fees when buying a house. This includes a thorough and detailed breakdown of individual costs.

  1. How Much are Solicitor Fees when Buying a House?
  2. Disbursement Fees for Buying a House
  3. Land Registry Charges
  4. Stamp Duty
  5. How Can You Keep Your Solicitor Conveyancing Fees Down?
  6. Extra Fees to Expect when Buying your House
  7. Solicitor Fees for Buying Leasehold
  8. Do You Need a Solicitor to Buy a House?
  9. When Do You Pay Solicitor Fees When Buying a House?
  10. Who Pays Solicitor Fees when a Sale Falls Through?
  11. How Do You Find the Right Conveyancer or Solicitor?
Solicitor Costs

Here are the average conveyancing fees in 2024:

Solicitor FeesCost
Solicitor's Legal Fee£1,320
Conveyancing Disbursements£619
Potential Other Costs£400

Total

£2,339


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 who offers a fixed fee conveyancing service. This ensures that you will be charged a fixed rate.

On average, solicitor fees amount to around 14% of the overall moving costs. For more information, use our Cost of Moving House Calculator for an accurate estimate.

The table below shows a breakdown of solicitor’s fees for both freehold and leasehold properties for a range of property values.

Property ValueFreehold Solicitor FeesLeasehold 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. These disbursements include thorough checks to ensure that you are a suitable buyer for the property.

These service charges can vary due to the purchase price and whether the property is a second home among other factors. Here are some conveyancing fees to keep in mind:

Property searches - £290

Your conveyancer will need to order property searches. This includes 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. This is done by submitting the relevant Stamp Duty Land Tax forms to HMRC. 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 property price and whether or not the property has already been registered. The average cost is 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 Land Tax (SDLT) must be paid when buying a property worth over £250,000 in England and Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, SDLT was replaced by Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and applied to properties worth over £175,000.

In Wales, SDLT was renamed Land Transaction Tax and applied to properties worth over £225,000.

For first-time buyers, this threshold increases to £425,000 in England and Northern Ireland. In Scotland and Wales, the threshold remains unchanged.

The total Stamp Duty you will pay depends on the property price and location. Use our Stamp Duty Calculator to receive an accurate estimate of how much you'll need to pay.

How Can You Keep Your Solicitor Conveyancing Fees Down?

The best way to keep your conveyancing fees down is by carrying out research before making your final decision. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Fixed Fee Conveyancing

Fixed fee conveyancing means that your conveyancer will charge you a fixed rate for their services. It is also known as flat fee conveyancing. These will help to minimise your fees, especially if your case is complex such as leasehold properties.

Choosing an hourly rate conveyancer can seem appealing as the upfront costs may seem lower. However, if your case is complicated, you may find your overall costs add up and you could be paying well above the fixed fee average.

No Sale No Fee Guarantee

No sale no fee means you won't have to pay legal fees if the transaction falls through before the exchange of contracts. Keep in mind that any money spent on disbursements and other third-party charges is not likely to be refunded.

Extra Fees to Expect when Buying your House

There may be extra solicitor fees or hidden costs to face, depending on the services you require. Below are the most common extra conveyancing fees:

Service

Cost

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 paperwork for your solicitor so you will face more legal fees. It's important to note that management companies will charge Notice fees, Deed Of Covenant and Certificate of compliance and not your solicitor. Some solicitors will add a fee for drafting a Deed of Covenant, but not all, so it's important to check once you have a quote through.

These are the most common fees for buying a leasehold home:

ServiceCost

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?

If you do use a mortgage or loan to purchase the property, then you would need to hire a solicitor. This is because the lender would need a solicitor who is on their panel to act for them. They will also not release any funds to an unregulated or even a regulated party that's not on their panel.

There are very few exceptions such as in the case of a gifted transfer, but even then verification of identity has to be done by a regulated professional.

When Do You Pay Solicitor Fees When Buying a House?

Your solicitor will ask for a deposit as an upfront payment 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. This means you can expect to pay between £250 and £450 at the beginning of the process.

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.

Read more on When Do I Pay Solicitor’s Fees When Buying a House?

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Who Pays Solicitor Fees when a Sale Falls Through?

Some solicitors offer a no sale no fee guarantee. This means that if the sale falls through before the exchange of contracts, you will not be liable to pay the solicitor’s legal fees.

However, keep in mind that you will have to pay for third-party disbursements once they are ordered. Any money spent on disbursements, such as searches, up until this point cannot be recouped.

How Do You Find the Right Conveyancer or Solicitor?

There are steps you can take to find the best conveyancer that fits your criteria. Not every conveyancer or solicitor has experience with certain cases such as Help to Buy schemes or leasehold properties. Therefore, it’s best to carry out thorough research before making your final decision.

Here are the best ways to find the right conveyancer or solicitor for your needs:

Comparison Sites

Using comparison sites is a great way to find a conveyancer that suits your needs. Compare My Move connects customers with up to 6 conveyancers that operate in the local area. Simply fill in our comparison form to compare conveyancing quotes and save up to 70% on your conveyancing fees.

Our conveyancing partners have passed our strict verification process. Part of this process requires firms to be regulated by a respected regulatory body to ensure high-quality service. They can be members of one of the following:

  • Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
  • Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC)
  • Law Society of Scotland (LSS)
  • Law Society of Northern Ireland (LSNI)
  • Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX)

Recommendations

You can ask friends and family for recommendations if they have recently hired a conveyancer. Always check that the conveyancer has plenty of experience.

You can also ask your estate agent for recommendations. However, bear in mind that they may receive a commission or referral fee. Therefore, they may not have your best interest in mind.

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.

Martha Lott

Written by Martha Lott

Having guest authored for many property websites, Martha now researches and writes articles for everything moving house related, from remortgages to conveyancing costs.

Tetyana Rehman

Reviewed by Tetyana Rehman

Senior Solicitor, JBGass

With over 15 years of experience in property law, Tetyana is a senior solicitor at JBGass.