Residential Conveyancing Pricing and Fees
When you are buying, selling or remortgaging a property, you want to know exactly what you are paying for. At GD Property Solicitors, we keep conveyancing pricing clear from the outset, with fixed-fee quotes, straightforward explanations and no hidden extras. You will know what your legal fee covers, what disbursements apply, and what could affect the overall cost before your matter gets underway.
We act for clients across Manchester, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, the West Midlands and throughout England and Wales. Our conveyancing service is fully remote, so you can instruct us wherever you are, while still having real people on hand when you need advice and updates.
How our conveyancing pricing works
Your conveyancing quote is usually made up of three parts: our legal fee, disbursements and VAT.
Our legal fee is the price for the legal work involved in your purchase, sale or remortgage. Disbursements are third-party costs payable during the transaction, such as search fees, HM Land Registry fees or official copies. VAT is charged where applicable. For most clients, the key question is simple: what is included, and will the price change later? The answer is that a good conveyancing quote should be clear from the start. It should show the legal fee, identify the likely disbursements, explain any assumptions behind the price, and make clear what type of work would lead to an additional charge.
Use our Conveyancing Fees Calculator
Use our online conveyancing quote calculator to receive a clear, instant estimate for your sale, purchase or remortgage. Our quotes are designed to be straightforward and transparent, so you can understand your likely costs from the outset and move forward with confidence.
Conveyancing Fees and Disbursements
The figures below are an illustrative guide for a straightforward freehold residential transaction up to £450,000. They are not a substitute for a bespoke quotation, because every matter depends on the property, the title, the lender’s requirements and whether any non-standard issues arise.
Purchase of a freehold residential property
- Legal fees typically range from £450 to £1,000 plus VAT.
- Search fees are typically £300 to £400 depending on the property location and the searches required.
- HM Land Registry fees vary according to the property value and registration requirements, but are commonly in the region of £95 to £540.
- Bank transfer administration is typically £30 plus VAT.
- If tax is payable on the purchase, this will be separate from the legal fee.
Sale of a freehold residential property
- Legal fees typically range from £450 to £1,000 plus VAT.
- Official copy entries and title documents are usually a modest additional disbursement, often around £20.
Remortgage of a freehold residential property
- Legal fees typically range from £600 to £950 plus VAT.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Stamp Duty Land Tax. This depends on the purchase price of your property. You can calculate the amount you will need to pay by using HMRC’s Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator, or if the property is located in Wales, by using the Welsh Revenue Authority’s website.
Other common disbursements are:
- Land registry – copies and official copies
- Local authority searches
- Environmental searches
- Drainage search
- Land registration fees
- Stamp duty
We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Fixed-fee conveyancing explained
Fixed-fee conveyancing means you are given a clear price for the legal work at the outset, rather than being billed by the hour for routine progress on the matter. It gives you certainty and makes budgeting easier. That does not mean every transaction costs exactly the same. If your matter turns out to involve additional legal work that falls outside the original assumptions, that should be explained to you clearly before any revised fee is applied. Good conveyancing pricing is about clarity, not surprises.
Conveyancing Fees & Costs FAQ
For a purchase, your conveyancing fee usually covers the legal work needed to take the matter from instruction through to completion and registration. This includes reviewing the contract pack, carrying out or reviewing searches, raising enquiries, checking mortgage conditions, reporting to you on the property, exchanging contracts, completing the purchase and dealing with post-completion registration.
For a sale, it usually includes preparing the contract documentation, answering the buyer’s solicitor’s enquiries, dealing with mortgage redemption where needed, agreeing the completion date and completing the transaction. For a remortgage, it usually includes checking the title, satisfying the new lender’s requirements, arranging redemption of the old mortgage and completing registration of the new charge.
Disbursements are costs paid to third parties as part of the conveyancing process. They are not part of your solicitor’s fee, but they should still be shown clearly in your quote.
Typical disbursements can include local authority searches, environmental searches, drainage searches, HM Land Registry fees, official copies of title documents, bank transfer fees and any tax payable on completion. This is one of the main reasons why two conveyancing quotes that look similar at first glance can be very different in practice. One may include a realistic allowance for disbursements and the other may not.
Some matters are naturally more straightforward than others. A standard freehold purchase with a clear title is often the simplest type of transaction to price. Costs can increase where extra legal work is needed.
Examples include leasehold properties, shared ownership transactions, new-build purchases, short leases, lease extensions, gifted deposits or third-party funding, title defects, indemnity policies, missing documents, non-standard lender requirements and delays caused by a long chain or slow third-party responses. This is why the most useful conveyancing quote is not always the lowest figure on the page. A realistic quote should reflect the legal work your transaction is likely to involve.
A conveyancing quote should include everything you need to understand the likely total cost of the transaction. That means the legal fee, the expected disbursements, VAT where applicable, and a clear note of any assumptions or exclusions. It should also avoid vague add-ons for ordinary administration. Routine updates, standard postage, straightforward telephone calls and standard form completion should not be dressed up as unexpected extras. A quote that looks very cheap at first glance can end up costing more if important items have been left out.
In many transactions, legal fees are settled on completion. That is usually the point at which the matter has concluded and the final account can be produced. Disbursements may be requested as they arise, depending on the stage of the matter and the type of transaction, but your quote should make this clear from the outset. If your transaction does not complete, our No Sale, No Fee approach means you do not pay our legal fee on the first unsuccessful transaction, although disbursements already incurred remain payable.
Timescales vary depending on the property, the chain and whether any legal issues need extra work. As a broad guide, a straightforward purchase may take around 6 to 8 weeks from offer acceptance to completion. Sales and remortgages often fall within the 8 to 12 week range, although remortgages can be quicker in some cases. Complex matters can take longer. Leasehold issues, lease extensions, title defects, long chains and delays in receiving documents from third parties can extend the process significantly. The benefit of instructing an experienced conveyancer early is that potential issues can be identified and dealt with as soon as possible. Find out more about how long conveyancing takes.
Things you shouldn’t have to pay for
Watch out for sneaky extras. Things that should be part and parcel of the service offered by your conveyancer that are being added to your bill. Typical culprits include, charging for photocopies and postage (unless this is particularly excessive), billing for time spent on telephone calls and the completion of Stamp Duty forms.
How to make sure you don’t pay too much
Let’s face it, if getting a quote proves tricky or the conveyancer is keen to tie you in from the get-go, alarm bells should start ringing. Search instead for conveyancing solicitors offering a free quote – with no strings attached.
Make sure the quote is clear, transparent and lists everything you’re expected to pay for.
If you think something isn’t quite right, question it. Any conveyancer worth their salt should be happy to explain.
If a price seems too good to be true, it usually is. Cheap conveyancing quotes usually mean you need to be wary of additional fees hiding in the small print. And don’t forget the price also reflects the calibre of the advice and service that you receive.
Be sure the conveyancing firm you’re considering is everything they claim to be. Read reviews to see if previous clients have been happy with the service they received.
There’s nothing more upsetting than the sale of a property falling through – the last thing you want is to have to pay for that disappointment. It is important then to look for a service that promises no sale, no fee.
Clear pricing, real support, faster progress
A good conveyancing service should give you more than a figure on a page. It should give you confidence that the legal work is being handled properly, that your costs have been explained clearly and that you will receive updates throughout the transaction.
At GD Property Solicitors, we combine straightforward pricing with a modern, efficient service. You will have a dedicated conveyancer, digital tools that make the process easier, and a team focused on keeping your move progressing smoothly.
Why choose GD Property Solicitors?
Choosing a conveyancer is not only about finding a competitive quote. It is about choosing a team that keeps your transaction moving, explains costs clearly and gives you confidence from start to finish.
With GD Property Solicitors, you benefit from fixed-fee conveyancing, a dedicated conveyancer handling your matter from instruction to completion, and online case tracking so you can follow progress at any time. We also offer No Sale, No Fee conveyancing on the first unsuccessful transaction, so if your move does not complete, you do not pay our legal fee for that matter, apart from any disbursements already incurred.
We believe pricing should be transparent. That means setting out legal fees, likely disbursements and VAT clearly, rather than relying on vague estimates or last-minute extras. It also means giving you practical advice where a transaction is likely to need additional work, such as leasehold properties, title issues, gifted deposits, new-build purchases or long chains.
Contact us for a conveyancing quote
If you would like a clear quote for your purchase, sale or remortgage, get in touch with GD Property Solicitors today. We help clients across Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Trafford, Cheshire, Lancashire, Birmingham, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and throughout England and Wales.Our conveyancing fees cover the entire property purchase process, and our qualified team of solicitors will provide you with the very best service.
At GD Property Solicitors, we understand how stressful a house purchase can be, so we aim to make the entire process as simple and smooth as possible. We can provide our services across the UK having worked in several major cities for years.
One way we ensure our service is efficient for everybody is by offering a 24/7 online portal that allows you to check the progress of your account, sign documents and make payments – thus reducing the risk of losing important documents in the post.
So, how much are conveyancing fees at GD Property Solicitors? Find out by requesting a free quote to discover how much we expect you to pay for our service.
If you’re interested in our conveyancing services for freehold and leasehold properties, don’t hesitate to contact us today. You can give us a call at 0161 524 4140 or send an email to info@gdlegal.co.uk.