How much are solicitors’ fees for selling a house?

So, you’re thinking of packing up and moving home?

Whether the house you live in now is too small, outdated, not in a great location, or you fancy something different – selling a house can be an exciting time. However, if you haven’t got everything in order, it can be a tad stressful, especially when waiting on other people to complete certain milestones of the selling process, such as signing documents and making payments.

There’s also the small aspect of solicitor fees for a property transaction that many people may not consider in their budgeting. 

When purchasing a property, conveyancing fees must be worked into your thinking, and the same applies when you’re selling a house. Legal fees still must be paid as you’ll need a solicitor to conduct the conveyancing process.

So, what are the average solicitor fees for selling a house? How much will you be expected to pay for a conveyancing solicitor, and can you agree to fixed-fee conveyancing?

Continue reading to find out everything.

What is included in solicitor fees when selling a house?

A solicitor is involved in a huge range of different factors during a property transaction. They’re not simply there to arrange contracts and signatures; there’s much more to their job than that.

Your solicitor acts as a middleman to arrange everything behind the scenes for your house sale. They handle all legal aspects (of which there are a lot) that are required when transferring a property from one party to another.

Here is a list of things your conveyancing fees cover as your solicitor does everything in their power to ensure no sale falls through:

• Draft and exchange contracts
• Respond to enquiries and investigate issues
• Handle the transfer of funds
• Communicate with the buyer’s solicitor
• Approve the deed of transfer
• Obtain title deeds
• Act as the recipient of the deposit
• Register the new owner on the Land Registry

What are the average legal fees a solicitor would charge for a house sale?

Studies suggest that average solicitor fees when selling a house is less than £2,000.

The standard solicitor’s fee costs around £1270 and, with conveyancing disbursement fees (£88) – such as a bank transfer fee – and other costs (£322), it can cost around £1,690 on average.

Average conveyancing fees for different property value and type

Conveyancing costs can vary between solicitors and firms, and there are no set fees for selling a house.

However, there shouldn’t be too much difference in legal fees, especially when it comes to disbursement fees.

Legal fees can also vary depending on the property type and property value.

Freehold property solicitor fees

If you’re selling a freehold property, the solicitor’s fees are likely to vary from £820 up to £1600. 

Here’s the full breakdown of legal fees for selling a house depending on the property value of a freehold property:

• Up to £100,000 – £820
• £100,001 – £200,000 – £880
• £200,001 – £300,000 – £1000
• £300,001 – £400,000 – £1090
• £400,001 – £500,000 – £1160
• £500,001 – £600,000 – £1390
• £600,001 – £700,000 – £1600

Of course, these figures are just average estimates and do not include any additional costs or disbursement fees. Each solicitor firm you speak to will likely give varying quotes, although many will offer fixed-fee conveyancing.

Leasehold property solicitor fees

Because leasehold properties can be trickier to manage as a conveyancing solicitor, they tend to incur slightly higher solicitor fees.

Below, you can see the difference in legal costs between a freehold and a leasehold property.

• Up to £100,000 – £990
• £100,001 – £200,000 – £1050
• £200,001 – £300,000 – £1170
• £300,001 – £400,000 – £1260
• £400,001 – £500,000 – £1340
• £500,001 – £600,000 – £1550
• £600,001 – £700,000 – £1770

Are there any additional costs when selling a house?

Yes, there are several extra fees you’ll have to cover when selling your home. As well as standard solicitors’ fees, you must pay for some additional steps that your solicitor will be responsible for.

These include:

• Title deeds – Documents which prove the ownership of a property, and cost around £25.
• Property fraud fee – To protect your title and to stop the Land Registry from registering any sale or mortgage, this costs £40.
• Transfer of ownership – The transfer of ownership fee can cost up to £500 depending on the purchase price.
• Money laundering checks – A vital check to ensure everything is as it should be and no illegal activity is behind a house purchase or sale. These checks cost around £60.
• Bank transfer fees – Your solicitors will ensure all bank transfers are completed between parties, and these can cost up to £30.

When do you pay solicitors’ fees?

So, you’ve agreed to sell your home and your chosen solicitor has given you a quote on how much their services will cost. When do you pay conveyancing fees, then?

When you buy a house, you pay your solicitor’s fees once everything has been completed, and it’s no different when selling a house too.

Depending on the agreement with your solicitor, you will likely pay a basic fee at the start of the process and then cover the remainder of your solicitor’s services after completion. They will send you an invoice with a full breakdown of costs.

Many solicitors and conveyancers will actually offer a ‘no completion, no fee’ guarantee – like us at GD Property Solicitors. This means that, if your property sale falls through, you won’t be expected to pay any additional fees, ensuring you’re not left out of pocket.

Choose reliable conveyancing solicitors to conduct your house sale

Are you thinking about selling your home and requiring the services of a professional conveyancing solicitor? Well, you’re just in luck!

At GD Property Solicitors, we’ve helped hundreds of people all around the UK purchase and sell property – both residential and commercial – and we can help you too.

If you’re interested in acquiring our expert services, simply request a FREE quote to discover our conveyancing fees.

Also, if you’re also buying, read our blog on the average solicitors’ costs when buying a house.

If you’re happy with the price, get in touch with us and we can get the ball rolling on your house sale. You can either call 0161 710 1786 or send an email to info@gdlegal.co.uk.