What are the conveyancing costs in Atherton?
The conveyancing costs are broken into two sections: the fixed fee you pay your solicitor, and the conveyancing disbursements (known as third-party costs). Here is a transparent breakdown of both costs for property transactions in your area.
1. Solicitor Legal Fees
At SAM Conveyancing, our fixed legal fees remain consistent nationwide, regardless of your property's location. We provide a guaranteed fixed fee for standard residential conveyancing based on your property's purchase price, its tenure (freehold or leasehold), and whether your transaction involves a mortgage or utilises affordable housing schemes such as shared ownership. Below are the current fixed conveyancing fees for a standard freehold valued at £250,000.
- Sale or Purchase: £748 INC VAT INC VAT (plus an additional £60 INC VAT if purchasing with a mortgage).
- Transfer of Equity: £399 INC VAT INC VAT
- Help to Buy Loan Repayment: £333 INC VAT INC VAT
- Shared Ownership Staircasing: £748 INC VAT INC VAT
- Remortgage: £399 INC VAT INC VAT
- Lease Extension: £720 INC VAT INC VAT
2. Conveyancing Disbursements (Third-Party Costs)
Disbursements are fixed third-party fees paid to external bodies (like local councils and HM Land Registry) to complete your legal paperwork. These costs shouldn't vary too much from solicitor to solicitor.
- Property Purchase Tax (SDLT / LTT): Calculated dynamically based on your purchase price, your buyer status (such as a first-time buyer), and whether the property is located in England or Wales.
- HM Land Registry Fee: Ranges from £20.00 to £1,105.00, scale-calculated dynamically based on your property’s purchase price and whether it is an existing registered property or a new build.
- Conveyancing Search Bundle: £325 INC VAT (Includes Local Authority, Water & Drainage & Environmental)
- Online ID Fee: Ranges from £15 to £48 and avoids having to send personal documents in the post or visit our office in order to prove your ID.
- Mortgage Portal Fee: The cost to download your mortgage offer and communicate with your lender. It is £12 if your mortgage lender uses the Lender Exchange portal, or £45 INC VAT if they use the LMS Portal.
Conveyancing search costs and turnaround for Atherton
Search Provider | Cost | Turnaround Time |
|---|---|---|
Search Provider Wigan Council This is the local authority search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost £206.21 INC any VAT | Turnaround Time 10 Working Days |
Search Provider United Utilities This is the Water & Drainage Search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost £56.80 INC VAT | Turnaround Time 1 to 3 working days |
Atherton Specific Searches |
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Why choose SAM Conveyancing Solicitors in Atherton?
We are a hand-selected panel of SRA-regulated solicitors who deliver to you the high standards we expect, and you'll have a member of the SAM team to guide you through the process from start to finish. Just 1 person you know by name can email or call directly and get your question answered on the same day (normally instantly).
Doing it our way, we've helped over 56,000 clients and gained all the experience from the different transactions. From pressurising agents to complex legal enquiries, and even overcoming issues with your mortgage lender. Our strap line is Property Challenges Solved because that is simply what we do, day in, day out.
Get in contact today and see from the very first call why we are the best conveyancing solicitors for a property transaction in Atherton.
Expert Tip: Check your local authority search
Due to the industrial heritage of the Wigan Council area, Atherton properties often sit above historic coal seams. An official Coal Authority Search is critical here to ensure there are no mine entries within 20 metres of the boundary, which could severely impact your mortgage lending.
You can find this information in your local authority search purchased during the conveyancing process.
Partner & Conveyancing Solicitor
We're first-time-buyer friendly
86% of our purchase clients are First-Time Buyers, so we are hyper-attuned to what you need when buying your first home.
- We take the time to explain the process
- We offer tips on timescales
- We keep it real, never overpromising
Islamic finance solicitors
Specialists in Sharia-compliant conveyancing for Islamic mortgages.
- Can review, advise and negotiate with all Sharia Mortgage Lenders.
- Terms of the contract fully explained with confirmation of Sharia compliance and UK legal compliance.
- We can help with Ijara (Lease), Diminishing Musharaka (Reducing Partnership), and Murabaha (Cost-Plus Financing).
New build solicitors
Our conveyancing solicitors are skilled with new-build purchases to help you navigate the transaction.
- Fixed Fees
- Your conveyancing deposit will be protected by our no sale, no fee policy.
- Independent advice, not developer-led.
Our Conveyancing Services
We can help with all of your conveyancing needs; simple to complex, and always affordable.
- Purchase
- Sale
- Transfer
- Remortgage
- Help to Buy Repayment
- Help to Buy Sale or Transfer
- Auction Sale or Purchase
- Shared Ownership Sale & Purchase
- Shared Ownership Staircasing
- Lease Extension
- Purchase of Freehold
- New Builds & Off-plan Purchases
- First Time Buyers
- Second Homes
- Buy to Let landlords
Fixed quote for our legal costs plus a budget-friendly breakdown of third-party disbursements.
Your sale or purchase is protected by our no sale, no fee guarantee.
Our panel solicitors are pre-approved to work with 99% of mortgage lenders in England & Wales.
Panel solicitors accredited by the Conveyancing Quality Scheme; regulated by the SRA.
Residential Conveyancing Solicitors in and around Atherton
Our Atherton conveyancing solicitors can help you with your conveyance locally or in any of the surrounding areas, including Bolton, Wigan, Salford, Manchester, Rochdale, Stockport and Oldham.
We have many offices throughout England and Wales, so you can find a solicitor near you.
- Honeybourne Close, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M29 8XB
- Moorgate Drive, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M29 7UA
- Worsley Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M30 8JN
- Monton Green, Eccles, Manchester, M30 9LE
- Roberts Street, Eccles, Manchester, M30 0FX
- The Pilkington – Bee Fold Lane, Atherton.
Developed by Bellway.
Atherton Property Prices
Average property price in Atherton Source: UK House Price Index lasted updated on 26/06/2026 | £174,666 |
What is the population of Atherton: Source: Office for National Statistics lasted updated in the 2021 Cencus | 72,176 |
Thinking of moving to Atherton?
Atherton is a town in Greater Manchester, England. For around 3 centuries, since the 17th century, Atherton was referred to as Chowbent, often shortened to just Bent. The town is the third biggest retail centre in Wigan Borough, and many of its shopping centre stores are Victorian in style. Historical buildings in Atherton include St John the Baptist Church, built in 1879 and the Alder House, which was founded in the 17th century.
Leigh Infirmary, The Avenue, Leigh WN7 1HS
Royal Bolton Hospital, Minerva Rd, Farnworth, Bolton BL4 0JR
Trafford General Hospital, Moorside Road, Davyhulme, Manchester M41 5SL
Atherton Railway Station is the primary station on the line between Manchester and Wigan. It is also the busiest station on the Manchester to Southport line, if Wigan and Manchester are excluded. Bus transport is readily available to Leigh Wigan, Bolton, and Manchester.
Distance to Airports from Atherton
| Airport | miles by car |
| Manchester | 17.8 miles |
| Liverpool | 25.2 miles |
| Leeds Bradford | 51.9 miles |
Chowbent Primary School, Laburnum St, Atherton, Manchester M46 9FP
Parklee Community Primary School, Wardour St, Atherton, Manchester M46 0AR
Atherton High School, Hamilton St, Atherton, Manchester M46 0AY
Local conveyancing solicitor
Are local, licensed conveyancing solicitors near me more expensive?
Local or high street property lawyers' costs can often be more than those of online conveyancing solicitors. They may handle less cases or be working on a referral arrangement with a local estate agent.
We provide local services, nationally, online, so you get the best of both.
Affordable Housing Schemes
Several affordable housing schemes in Atherton help make buying a property more achievable. The work is more complex, and we have specialist conveyancing solicitors to handle the following:
- Shared Ownership Solicitors
- Right to Buy Solicitors - speak to Wigan Council to find out if you are eligible
- Discount Market Sale - check with Wigan Council if they are running a DMS scheme
Atherton conveyancing solicitors
You can rest assured that you're in good hands with us. We hand select our panel for skill and experience, from a simple purchase to complex transactions with specialist ownership structures and deeds of trust.
Are you buying or selling a short lease in Atherton?
We have specialist leasehold conveyancing solicitors in to handle your sale & purchase of a leasehold property, as well as lease extensions and creation, sale, or purchase of a share-of-freehold property.
Due to the additional legal work surrounding the lease and terms, your quote will be calculated based on the tenure, so as long as you give us the correct details using the simple form above, this will be included in your fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing quote, not a surprise addition later on.
Look no further for your residential conveyancing solicitor in Atherton
Whatever your property challenge, we can solve it.
Selling a property
Your expert conveyancing solicitor's role when selling a property will include:
- Draft contracts – Your conveyancing solicitor drafts the initial legal contract to be sent to the buyer's solicitor.
- Responding to enquiries – your solicitor responds to any questions the buyer's solicitor may have (this is where you'll find out if you are missing documents, which can cause delays to your sale).
- Investigating issues – your solicitor may need to complete further investigation to try and satisfy them.
- Exchange contracts – once the buyer's solicitor has satisfied their enquiries, contracts are finalised and exchanged.
- On the day of completion – your solicitor receives the money for the sale, discharges the mortgage (if required), pays the estate agent, deducts their fee and then sends the net sale proceeds to you.
- Post completion – your solicitor receives the DS1 discharge documents and, when leasehold, settles your liabilities for ground rent and service charges.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for selling a property starts from £748 INC VAT.
Buying a home
- Draft contracts – Your solicitor reviews the draft contract sent by the seller's solicitor.
- Raising enquiries – your solicitor will ask the seller's solicitor questions based on the contract, title, and property documents to protect you from any nasty surprises.
- Exchange contracts – once your solicitor is satisfied with their enquiries, they agree with the seller to finalise and exchange contracts
- Day of completion – on the day of completion, your solicitor transfers the money for the sale.
- Post completion – following completion, your solicitor makes an application to HM Land Registry to register you as the new owner.
Our Atherton conveyancing solicitors' cost for buying a property starts from £748 INC VAT.
Add or remove someone from a property title
With a Transfer of Equity, you can buy someone out of a shared property and remove them from the title, or add someone to the title to transfer ownership of a share of the property, making them a joint owner. This service includes:
- Property solicitors' fees, including ID checks, office copies
- HM Land Registration fees
- (if party being removed) ID1 Form verification fee
- (if mortgage) Change of mortgage fee
- (if leasehold) Notice fee to freeholder
Our Atherton conveyancing solicitors' cost for a Transfer of Equity starts at £399 INC VAT.
If someone is giving up their share of the property for less than market value, they may be required to get independent legal advice, which will be an additional expense.
Switch your mortgage deal in Atherton
Your remortgage solicitor will perform all the necessary checks, review your new mortgage offer, and update HM Land Registry post-completion. The process is similar to when you purchase but should take less time, as the solicitor doesn't need to raise any legal enquiries.
If you own a leasehold property, your solicitor must carry out extra work to investigate the lease terms. Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for a remortgage in Atherton starts at £399 INC VAT.
Purchase the next chunk of your equity
When you're ready to buy the next chunk of the equity in your shared ownership property, a conveyancer will be required to handle:
- The bank transfer;
- obtaining a mortgage redemption statement from your existing lender;
- receiving your new mortgage offer and confirming the lender terms;
- receiving the memorandum of staircasing;
- handling completion;
- filing SDLT form (if required); and
- registration at the Land Registry.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for shared ownership staircasing in Atherton starts at £823 INC VAT.
If you need to add someone to the legal title, you will need to pay an additional fee for a transfer of equity.
Paying off your Help to Buy equity loan
You'll need a solicitor to:
- Receive redemption letter;
- review title for ownership and restrictions;
- obtain Authority to Complete;
- draft a deed of postponement for your current lender;
- handling completion;
- bank transfer; and
- if repaid in full, removal of the loan restriction at the Land Registry.
Our conveyancing solicitors' cost for Help to Buy loan redemption in Atherton starts at £333 INC VAT.
Price based on a freehold with the loan being repaid in full using savings.
Conveyancing FAQs
What are the conveyancing costs?
Fees vary between online conveyancing solicitors, high street conveyancers or housing solicitors introduced by your estate agent.
The actual conveyancing costs, outside of the legal work, should be fixed, including:
For buyers: stamp duty, land registration, property searches, ID searches and leasehold charges (if buying a leasehold property).
For sellers: office copies, title plan and management information (if selling a leasehold property).
Make sure to budget for all of the above conveyancing costs and to get a fixed fee conveyancing quote from several firms, to compare value.
Making the right choice of solicitor is key to the whole process:
- Cheap Conveyancing
- Fast Conveyancing
- Best Conveyancing Service
Will you be able to develop your property?
Most commonly this question is relevant if you're buying a freehold: the nature of leaseholds – think of a flat in a tower block – means that there might be little if any opportunity for development.
Sometimes there are restrictions on whether you can develop a freehold or not. You would be unwise not to expect these if you've set your heart on buying a listed building for example. These restrictions, if they are present, will appear within your title deeds.
Your solicitor can work to remove various restrictions for you and, if relevant, will do so at the enquiries stage of the conveyancing process.
