What are the conveyancing costs in Rochester?
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 Rochester
Search Provider | Cost | Turnaround Time |
|---|---|---|
Search Provider Medway Council This is the local authority search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost £75.00 INC any VAT | Turnaround Time 12 Working Days |
Search Provider Southern Water This is the Water & Drainage Search, which is mandatory if you are obtaining a mortgage. | Cost £69.78 INC VAT | Turnaround Time 1 to 3 working days |
Rochester Specific Searches |
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Why choose SAM Conveyancing Solicitors in Rochester?
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 Rochester.
Expert Tip: Check your local authority search
Because Rochester 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 Medway 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
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 Rochester
Our Rochester conveyancing solicitors can help you with your conveyance locally or in any of the surrounding areas, including London, Gillingham, Gravesend, Maidstone, Bearsted, Sittingbourne and Dartford.
We have many offices throughout England and Wales, so you can find a solicitor near you.
- Exeter Walk, Rochester, Medway, ME1 2XF
- 120 High St, Rochester ME1 1JT
- 7 Beatty Road, Town Centre, Rochester ME1 2TG
- 60 The Fairway, Rochester ME1 2LU
- 31 North St, Rochester ME2 4SL
- Kensington Mid (terraced house) – Temple Wharf, Roman Way, Strood, Rochester, ME2.
Marketed by Redrow Homes.
Rochester Property Prices
Average property price in Rochester Source: UK House Price Index lasted updated on 26/06/2026 | £325,264 |
What is the population of Rochester: Source: Office for National Statistics lasted updated in the 2021 Cencus | ?27,000 (2001) |
Thinking of moving to Rochester?
Rochester is a historic city - it has a beautiful cathedral - and town in the Medway unitary authority in Kent, in South East England and is around 29 miles south-east of Central London. It is the location of the King's School, the second oldest continuously running school in the world. In addition to the cathedral, other landmarks include Rochester Castle and Gashouse Point.
St. Bartholomews Hospital, New Rd, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1DS
Spire Alexandra Hospital, Impton Lane, Chatham, Kent, ME5 9PG
Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ
Rochester is on the A2/M2, which links London and Dover, and Rochester Station has trains going to London Victoria, London St Pancras International, London Charing Cross, Ramsgate, Faversham and Dover Priory.
Distance to Airports from Rochester
| Airport | miles by car |
| Gatwick | 43.7 miles |
| Heathrow | 47.5 miles |
| Stansted | 50.8 miles |
Rochester Grammar School, Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3BY
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3EL
The Thomas Aveling School, Arethusa Road, Rochester, ME1 2UW
Local conveyancing solicitor
What are the Pros and Cons of using a licensed conveyancing solicitor in Rochester?
The Pros of using property lawyers nearby
- You may have an existing relationship with your local conveyancing solicitors already
- You can drop your documents and ID off in person (although with scanned ID and online ID checks, there's no need to post your passport either way).
The Cons of using property solicitors nearby
- Not on your mortgage lender's panel - local law firms are often smaller, with fewer principals, which may exclude them from working with certain major high street solicitors.
- Taking time off from work - it isn't always easy to visit your solicitor, and having to see them in person 2 or 3 times during the conveyancing process may add a strain onto your work life, or be unachievable if you live abroad.
- Locally inexperienced - your local solicitor may not specialise in conveyancing and may have more experience in other areas of law.
- Less competition, higher prices - with less competition, your local solicitor's legal fees are most likely to cost more, especially if they have to keep premises in premium high-street real estate.
Affordable Housing Schemes
Several affordable housing schemes in Rochester 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 Medway Council to find out if you are eligible
- Discount Market Sale - check with Medway Council if they are running a DMS scheme
Rochester 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.
Is the property over 5 storeys (11m)?
Many leasehold properties in Rochester are in large buildings which now require an EWS1 certificate to confirm if the cladding is fire safe. Thankfully 2022's leaseholder protections mean that most leaseholders are not burdened with the cost of remediation of any defective cladding, but you will need to see the seller's Deed of Certificate to prove that the lease doesn't come with a nasty (and expensive) surprise.
Be particularly wary of purchasing a share of freehold as the freeholders may become liable for the cost of remedying defective cladding. Our specialist leasehold solicitors Rochester are well experienced with handling all of these added complications, so you will be in safe hands with SAM. Property Challenges Solved.
Look no further for your residential conveyancing solicitor in Rochester
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 Rochester 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 Rochester 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 Rochester
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 Rochester 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 Rochester 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 Rochester 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
Which Property Searches Do You Need?
If you're buying a property in Rochester using a mortgage, when your four main searches are returned, they may recommend that you additionally buy a Planning Report (Plansearch Plus).
A planning report goes beyond the scope of a Local Authority Search by providing information about:
- planning applications in the local area
- housing and neighbourhood demographics
- amenities and education (local education performance)
- radio and telephone masts
- rights of way
