What are the conveyancing costs in Manchester?
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 Manchester
Search Provider | Cost | Turnaround Time |
|---|---|---|
Search Provider Manchester City Council This is the local authority search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost See your specific local authority. | Turnaround Time 2 to 3 Working Days |
Search Provider United Utilities This is the Water & Drainage Search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost £83.40 INC VAT | Turnaround Time 1 to 3 working days |
Manchester Specific Searches |
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Why choose SAM Conveyancing Solicitors in Manchester?
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 Manchester.
Expert Tip: Check your local authority search
Because Manchester 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 Manchester City Council. 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
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 Manchester
Our Manchester conveyancing solicitors can help you with your conveyance locally or in any of the surrounding areas, including Oldham, Middleton, Prestwich, Stretford, Stockport, Snaresbrook and Wythenshawe.
We have many offices throughout England and Wales, so you can find a solicitor near you.
- The Cube, 2 Advent Way, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 7LH
- 106 Icon 25, 101 High Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 1HG
- A28 The Ropeworks, Little Peter Street, Southern Gateway, Manchester, M15 4QH
- 211 Smallshaw Lane, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, OL6 8RJ
- 63 Waddicor Avenue, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 9HF
- Base (apartments) – Arundel Street, Castlefield, Manchester.
Marketed by Dandara from our property solicitors Manchester.
Manchester Property Prices
Average property price in Manchester Source: lasted updated on | £290,224 |
What is the population of Manchester: Source: Office for National Statistics lasted updated in the 2021 Cencus | 514,417 (2013) |
Thinking of moving to Manchester?
Manchester is a large city in North West England. It has numerous attractions, cultural diversions, shopping options and choices of housing stock. It's the place where the atom was first split and the home of Manchester United Football Club, the Hacienda Club (as was) and hosts Manchester Grammar School, UMIST, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford.
Manchester also comprises well-known urban areas such as Oldham and Salford. Many students live in Manchester, particularly in areas like Didsbury, where a number of them attempt to complete an infamous pub crawl known as the Didsbury Dozen! Among the many attractions you can visit in the city are the Museum of Science and Industry and the People's History Museum, which focuses on UK democracy and its development.
Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9WL
North Manchester General Hospital, Delaunays Rd, Manchester, M8 5RB
Spire Manchester Hospital, Russell Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8AJ
The M62 links Manchester to Liverpool going west and West Yorkshire going east. The M6 links it to Preston and London via Birmingham. The Metrolink connects it to Bury, Altrincham and Eccles. Manchester Piccadilly Station offers connections to many destinations and direct services to large urban areas such as London. Manchester also has its own international airport.
Distance to Airports from Manchester
| Airport | miles by car |
| Manchester | 9.1 miles |
| Liverpool | 32.8 miles |
| Leeds Bradford | 46.8 miles |
Saint Peter's RC High School, Kirkmanshulme Ln, Manchester, M12 4WB
The Manchester Grammar School, Old Hall Ln, Manchester, M13 0XT
Trinity C of E High School, Higher Cambridge St, Manchester, M15 6HP
Local conveyancing solicitor
Are online licensed conveyancing solicitors better than property lawyers near me?
Before the internet, finding local licensed conveyancing solicitors would have meant consulting your local phone book or taking a walk down your high street.
Before modern ID checking processes, your local conveyancing solicitors would need to meet with you to confirm who you were as part of their money laundering and 'Know Your Client' checks. Solicitors previously used to use this time to talk through the transaction with you in person - a part of the service that was reflected in their fees. Nowadays, the legal process can be completed without face to face meetings, using online ID checks.
Although local knowledge becomes critical when choosing your RICS surveyor for a home buyers survey, your solicitor will carry out their work by processing documents and forms, virtually all of which can be obtained and/or transmitted electronically, from down the road or a hundred miles away.
You'll usually find that a high-street conveyancer will charge extra for business conducted 'in person', such as ID checking, and that their time is better spent focusing on progressing your case. We welcome queries from our clients and act as the vital link between you and your solicitor, which means you're kept in the loop and your solicitor is fully engaged in getting your move completed, as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Affordable Housing Schemes
Several affordable housing schemes in Manchester 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 Manchester City Council to find out if you are eligible
- Discount Market Sale - check with Manchester City Council if they are running a DMS scheme
Manchester 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 Manchester?
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 Manchester
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 Manchester 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 Manchester 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 Manchester
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 Manchester 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 Manchester 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 Manchester starts at £333 INC VAT.
Price based on a freehold with the loan being repaid in full using savings.
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).
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
How much stamp duty must you pay on a shared ownership property?
When you buy a shared ownership property, initially, you only have to pay stamp duty based on the percentage of the property you're buying, not the full selling price.
You can, however, choose to pay stamp duty based on the whole selling price: this is known as a market value election. However, people mostly just pay any stamp duty due on their first premium (the first percentage share that they buy) and an additional payment based on ground rent if a new lease has been created.
After that, there is no legal requirement to pay stamp duty until you have staircased up to ownership of more than 80% of the property, at which point you have to pay for the stamp duty on the whole percentage you've bought minus what you paid for the first premium/percentage.
