Conveyancing is the legal work of buying or selling a property. Enter the price and your situation to estimate the solicitor's fee plus the usual disbursements — searches, Land Registry, bank transfer and ID checks — so you can budget for completion day.
Legal fee + disbursements · 2026
A conveyancing bill has two parts: the solicitor's or licensed conveyancer's legal fee for doing the work, and the disbursements — third-party costs they pay on your behalf. The price of the property affects both, because the Land Registry fee and the legal fee usually rise with value and complexity.
| Item | Typical cost (buying) |
|---|---|
| Legal fee | £600 – £1,200 |
| Searches (local, water, environment) | £250 – £450 |
| Land Registry fee | £20 – £455 (by price) |
| Telegraphic / bank transfer fee | £25 – £40 |
| ID & bankruptcy checks | £10 – £40 |
Conveyancing is just one moving cost. You will usually also pay Stamp Duty (a separate tax — use the stamp duty calculator for England & NI, or the LBTT calculator for Scotland), a mortgage valuation or survey, removals, and any mortgage arrangement fee. Work out your borrowing with the mortgage calculator.
For a typical home purchase, conveyancing costs roughly £1,000 to £1,800 including the solicitor's legal fee and disbursements like searches, Land Registry and bank transfer fees. Selling is usually a little cheaper as there are fewer searches. Leasehold, new-build and Help to Buy add to the cost.
Disbursements are third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf and adds to the bill. For a purchase these typically include local authority and other searches (around £250–£450), the Land Registry registration fee (based on price), a telegraphic/bank transfer fee (£25–£40) and identity and bankruptcy checks. Stamp Duty is paid separately.
Usually, yes. Selling involves less work and fewer disbursements — there are no searches to buy and no Land Registry purchase fee — so the legal fee is often a few hundred pounds lower. If you are buying and selling at the same time, your solicitor may offer a combined rate.
No. Stamp Duty (SDLT in England and Northern Ireland, LBTT in Scotland, LTT in Wales) is a tax paid to the government, separate from the conveyancing fee — although your solicitor usually collects it and submits the return on your behalf. Use the relevant stamp duty calculator to estimate that tax.
