Solicitor Fees for Buying a House: What You Pay, Line by Line

Our legal fee for buying a freehold home with one mortgage is £1,010 to £1,910 + VAT (£1,212 to £2,292 including VAT) for a standard purchase under £2 million, depending on the price. Disbursements, the third-party costs such as searches, are typically £319 to £341 on top. Stamp Duty and the Land Registry fee are separate.

Here is how that figure is made up, from our own fee scale. Figures checked 19 October 2026.

Our fee at each price band

For a standard purchase of a freehold home with one mortgage, our legal fee is:

• Under £500,000: £1,010 + VAT (£1,212 including VAT)
• Over £500,000 and under £750,000: £1,210 + VAT (£1,452 including VAT)
• Over £750,000 and under £1 million: £1,310 + VAT (£1,572 including VAT)
• £1 million to under £2 million: £1,910 + VAT (£2,292 including VAT)

These figures do not include disbursements, Stamp Duty or the HM Land Registry fee. At exactly £500,000 or £750,000, your written quote confirms which band applies. For a purchase of £2 million or more, we confirm the fee in your written quote. Every client receives a written, itemised quotation with an exact figure before instructing us.

What the fee covers, line by line

On a £300,000 freehold home bought with a mortgage, our quote shows these lines:

• Legal Fees: £495 + VAT
• Preparation of SDLT forms: £100 + VAT
• Application for Registration: £100 + VAT
• File Opening Fee (Non-refundable): £100 + VAT
• Telegraphic Transfer Fee (Per Transfer): £40 + VAT
• Mortgage Handling/Admin Fee: £150 + VAT
• Lender Portal Management Fee: £25 + VAT

That is £1,010 + VAT of £202, so £1,212 including VAT.

The Legal Fees line is the core legal work: checking the title, the searches and the contract, then exchange and completion. The other lines are part of the same fee, and your quote lists them under these names.

Not included: a survey, indemnity premiums, freeholder or managing-agent charges, or lender charges.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs we pay to other people on your behalf. They are shown apart from our fee. On a typical purchase they are:

• Search Pack (estimated)
• Bankruptcy Check
• Land Registry Priority Search (OS1)
• Verification of Identity and AML Checks
• Verification of Source of Funds
• Portal Conversion Fee
• Submission of SDLT (portal cost)
• Submission of AP1 (portal cost)

Together they are typically £319 for one buyer and £341 for two, including VAT where it applies. Most of that is the search pack. Search fees are set by the local authority the property sits in, so they vary from council to council, and we confirm the exact figure once we know the property.

Stamp Duty and the Land Registry fee

These are set by government, not by us, and are paid on top of our fees and disbursements.

Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to purchases in England and Northern Ireland. Wales has Land Transaction Tax instead. If this will be your only home, the standard rates are:

• Up to £125,000: nothing
• £125,001 to £250,000: 2%
• £250,001 to £925,000: 5%
• £925,001 to £1.5 million: 10%
• Above £1.5 million: 12%

You pay each rate only on the part of the price inside its band. First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 and 5% on the part from £300,001 to £500,000. Above £500,000 the relief is lost in full. Buying a second home or a buy-to-let usually adds 5% to every band. Buyers who are not UK resident usually pay a further 2% surcharge.

The HM Land Registry fee registers you as the owner. For an existing home registered online it is £150 for a price from £200,001 to £500,000, and £295 from £500,001 to £1 million.

A worked example: a £300,000 home

A freehold home in England for £300,000, bought by one person with a mortgage, as their own home.

Paid to us:

• Our fee: £1,010 + VAT, so £1,212 including VAT
• Typical disbursements: £319
• Total paid to us: about £1,531

Paid to government, separately:

• Stamp Duty Land Tax: £5,000 at standard rates, or £0 for a first-time buyer
• HM Land Registry fee: £150
• Total paid to government: £5,150, or £150 for a first-time buyer

Our conveyancing cost calculator works this out for your own price, with the government charges shown apart from our fees.

What changes the fee

• Buying without a mortgage. The Mortgage Handling/Admin Fee and the Lender Portal Management Fee drop off. A freehold home under £500,000 bought with cash is £835 + VAT.
• Buying a leasehold flat. The Legal Fees line is higher at most prices, and Dealing with Leasehold (£150 + VAT) is added. A leasehold home under £500,000 bought with a mortgage is £1,260 + VAT. Freeholder or managing-agent charges are not included.
• Extra work. Where a matter needs extra work, such as shared ownership, new build, defective title, or bridging, buy-to-let or Sharia-compliant finance, that work is charged as an additional fixed fee, typically £50 to £750 + VAT per item. It is added to the transaction fee, never charged instead of it, and is agreed in writing before the work is carried out.

Do first-time buyers pay less?

Our fee scale is the same for a first-time buyer. A Gifted Deposit Check, or using a Lifetime ISA or Help to Buy (ISA), is extra work, charged as an additional fixed fee. What usually changes is the Stamp Duty: first-time buyer relief means nothing to pay on the first £300,000, as long as the price is £500,000 or less, every buyer is a first-time buyer, and you will live in the home as your main home. Our first-time buyer conveyancing page explains what we do on a first purchase.

Questions people ask

Do solicitor fees include Stamp Duty?

No. Stamp Duty is a tax, paid to HMRC, and it is not part of our fee. In Wales, Land Transaction Tax is paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority. Our fee does include the Preparation of SDLT forms line, which covers preparing the Stamp Duty return for your purchase. The tax itself is shown separately in your quote.

Who pays solicitor fees, the buyer or the seller?

Each side pays its own solicitor. As the buyer, you pay your solicitor's fee and the disbursements on your purchase. The seller pays their own solicitor for the sale.

What fees do you have to pay when buying a house?

Your solicitor's fee and disbursements, Stamp Duty if the price is over the threshold, the Land Registry fee, a survey, any mortgage fees, buildings insurance and removals. Our guide to the hidden costs of buying a house goes through each one and when it is paid.

How do I compare conveyancing quotes?

Check that each quote shows the legal fee, the VAT and the disbursements separately, and says what extra work costs. Stamp Duty and the Land Registry fee are set by government, so the fees and disbursements are the part to compare. Our guide to what a fixed fee covers lists what to look for.

How much is Stamp Duty on my purchase?

It depends on the price and whether you are a first-time buyer or will own another home. Our guide to Stamp Duty rates and reliefs has worked examples, and the cost calculator works it out for your price.

Get your figure

Our conveyancing cost calculator shows our fees, the disbursements and the government charges for your price. For an exact, itemised figure, get a quote for your purchase. Our published fee ranges are on our fees page, and our buying a house page explains how we handle a purchase.

Sources

Our fees: our fee scale, checked 19 October 2026. Published ranges: our fees page.

Stamp Duty rates and first-time buyer relief: gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates

Land Transaction Tax in Wales: gov.wales/land-transaction-tax-guide

Land Registry fees: gov.uk/guidance/hm-land-registry-registration-services-fees

This is general information about the cost of buying a home, not advice on your purchase. Our fees are for a standard transaction, and your written quote confirms the exact figure. Tax rates and government fees change; check the figures that apply on the day you complete.