What are the conveyancing costs in Cambridgeshire?
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 Cambridgeshire
Search Provider | Cost | Turnaround Time |
|---|---|---|
Search Provider Cambridgeshire Local Authority Councils This is the local authority search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost Price Dependent on Council | Turnaround Time Turnaround Dependent on Council |
Search Provider Anglian Water This is the Water & Drainage Search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost £83.40 INC VAT | Turnaround Time 1 to 2 working days |
Cambridgeshire Specific Searches |
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Why choose SAM Conveyancing Solicitors in Cambridgeshire?
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 Cambridgeshire.
Expert Tip: Check your local authority search
Because Cambridgeshire contains highly protected heritage areas, your solicitor must strictly verify that any past alterations to the property have formal Listed Building or Conservation Area consent from Cambridgeshire Local Authority Councils. Buying a property with unauthorised historic alterations means you inherit the liability to restore it at your own cost.
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 Cambridgeshire
Our Cambridgeshire conveyancing solicitors can help you with your conveyance locally or in any of the surrounding areas, including Cambridge, Peterborough, Newmarket, Huntingdon, Bedford, Letchworth and Stevenage.
We have many offices throughout England and Wales, so you can find a solicitor near you.
- Sutton Road, Witchford, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2HX
- 29 Wheat Croft, Cambridge, CB21 4YR
- 3 Cockburn Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 3NB
- Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 1NW
- 6 Sydenham Terrace, Halifax Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 3PZ
- Stowe House v1 (apartments) – Station Road, Longstanton.
Developed by Bovis Homes.
Cambridgeshire Property Prices
Average property price in Cambridgeshire Source: UK House Price Index lasted updated on 26/06/2026 | £374,588 |
What is the population of Cambridgeshire: Source: Office for National Statistics lasted updated in the 2021 Cencus | 806,700 (2014) |
Thinking of moving to Cambridgeshire?
Cambridgeshire is a county in the East Anglian area of England. Counties bordering it are Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Bedfordshire. Cambridge City is the county town. The county has existed since 1974 from the then counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and Peterborough. Silicon Fen, the name given to an area containing many high-tech businesses focused on electronics, software and biotechnology, is mainly located in the county, particularly around Cambridge. Among many attractions in the county are Ely Cathedral, Nene Valley Railway and Hamerton Zoo Park.
Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
Princess Of Wales Hospital, Lynn Rd, Littleport, Ely, CB6 1DN
Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Hinchingbrooke Park, Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon, PE29 6NT
Cambridgeshire has two motorways, the M11 and the A1(M). Cambridge, the county town, is the main transport hub. The A10 runs through the county, linking King's Lynn with Central London.
Distance to Airports from Cambridgeshire (Cambridge)
| Airport | miles by car |
| Stansted | 31.1 miles |
| Luton | 41.3 miles |
| Heathrow | 71.5 miles |
Swavesey Village College, Gibraltar Lane, Swavesey, Cambridge, CB24 4RS
The Perse School, Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 8QF
Wisbech Grammar School, 47 North Brink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 1JX
Local conveyancing solicitor
Should I use a Licensed Conveyancer or Conveyancing Solicitor near me?
Solicitors are usually more expensive than a conveyancer, which is fine as long as they specialise in property transactions. It can be beneficial to choose a property lawyer in case of any specialist legal complications with your property transaction.
The best-of-both approach is to instruct a licensed conveyancing solicitor who employs some other conveyancing professionals to complete the simpler parts of the work under their supervision, at a lower rate.
This is how your work will be allocated at SAM, and part of how we keep your fee low.
Affordable Housing Schemes
Several affordable housing schemes in Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire Local Authority Councils to find out if you are eligible
- Discount Market Sale - check with Cambridgeshire Local Authority Councils if they are running a DMS scheme
Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire?
If there are 80 years or less on the leasehold, it will be harder to mortgage. Whether you're buying or selling, consider extending the lease, which may be done before, during, or in some cases after the transaction.
Our specialist leasehold conveyancing solicitors have vast experience handling the extension of a short lease for buyers and sellers. Speak to a SAM advisor for inclusive, fixed-fee, conveyancing quotes for leasehold conveyancing or share of freehold conveyancing today. Property Challenges Solved.
Look no further for your residential conveyancing solicitor in Cambridgeshire
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 Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire
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 Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire 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
First time buyer renting? When should you hand in your notice?
Knowing exactly when to hand in your notice as a first-time buyer renting is a challenge, given that conveyancing processes are very difficult to pin down to an exact timeframe. This is made more complicated by some landlords demanding a 2-month notice period.
The draw, naturally, is to avoid the double payment of both rent and mortgage. Your solicitor will invariably recommend that you wait until after exchange to give your notice as timeframes are then normally more predictable; unfortunately, you might end up completing before your rental period has expired.
Above all, you need to think about the worst-case scenario, i.e. that you end up homeless while waiting to complete. You'll then have to find alternative temporary accommodation, such as staying at a family member's home or even renting a hotel or a bed & breakfast place while keeping your belongings in storage.
You serve your interests best by getting your solicitor to confirm a realistic date when exchange can take place and then looking to hand in your notice as close to this date as possible.
Click to find out about when a first time buyer should hand in their notice
