Solicitors Fees For Selling a House
12/07/2022
(Last Updated: 20/12/2023)
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5 min read
Selling your house is an exciting time, whether you're freeing up funds for a new adventure, or moving along the property ladder. It can also come with stress, especially if you're under financial or time pressure.
In our years of conveyancing experience we know that often, the cure to that stress is knowledge and preparation. So, here we break down the solicitors fees for selling a house, including legal fees and disbursements. Plus, the other costs you'll need to be ready for.
How much do solicitors charge to sell a house UK?
Solicitors' fees for selling a house are much lower than if you are buying. If you're doing both, it's generally best to use the same solicitor on both transactions as you'll only pay for certain things once, instead of twice.
Solicitors charge slightly more to sell a house than a conveyancer as they are qualified in all aspects of law. This is usually worth it (as long as they're well experienced with property law) as they'll be prepared to handle any complications that fall outside the remit of standard conveyancing.
Solicitors will charge more for selling a house when the transaction involves more work, such as leasehold properties and when you have a mortgage to discharge with the sale. It's also quite common for more expensive properties to cost more to transact.
You'll need to get a personalised quote from several different conveyancing solicitors. Read our guide on comparing quotes to make sure that you get quality and value.
Quotes for solicitors fees when buying a house can vary wildly
We've seen conveyancing quotes range from £99 to £1000s . As you can imagine, you get what you pay for. Be especially cautious of estimates below £500-£800, depending on your property.
The main red flags to watch out for are:
- Conveyancing 'warehouses' - Large scale companies trying to keep their costs down by turning over too high a volume of transactions. You can expect poorer service, poorer communication and greater risks of delays or mistakes due to overburdened staff.
- Low quotes with hidden extras - Some fees aren't included in the basic quote - like a Deed of Covenant, which is specific to certain leasehold transactions. But, keep an eye out for standard work which is tacked on later (such as ID checks or file set up fees) to make your initial quote seem better.
Calculate how much it costs to sell a house with our instant, free, quote form.
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What is the average cost of conveyancing fees UK?
Typically, once you've factored everything in, average UK conveyancing fees range from £850 -£1,500 for the legal fees, plus disbursements (fees that your solicitor passes on to third parties such as the Land Registry). However, it's lower if you're just selling, rather than buying or both.
What is included in solicitors fees for selling a house?
Our sale quote includes:
Main solicitor fee
Mortgage Fee
Leasehold Fee
eLodgement Fee
Archive Fee
Indemnity Policy Fee
File set up Fee
Bank Transfer Fee (TT/Telegraphic Transfer/CHAPS)
Online portal Fee
And we include your disbursements
Land Registry Fee
No Sale No Fee Cover
Lawyer Checker Fee
ID Verification Fee (per name)
Land Registry Search (Priority Search)
Land Registry Search (Bankruptcy Search)
Some sellers will need specific additional services which are not standard to a typical sale. Our additional fees are fixed too and and we'll discuss any that apply based on the information you've provided us.
We'll add the ones you choose to your total quote, so you get a totally transparent breakdown of costs before we begin.
Non-conveyancing costs when selling your house
EPC - Your energy performance certificate. Must order before you market your property. | £35-£150 EXC VAT |
Estate Agent Fees - Usually charged as a percentage of final sale price. A lower fee might not be directly correlated with a quality service, so it is important you make an informed decision when choosing an estate agent. | 0.5-3% EXC VAT |
Removals - Varies depending on amount, transportability & value of your belongings. | £100's - £1000's EXC VAT |
Maintenance - Basic repairs, decorating and cleaning will help the sale and price. | Dependent on maintenance required |
Mortgage exit fee - if the property is mortgaged your lender may charge an exit fee | £50-£300 EXC VAT |
Early Repayment Charge - If you are exiting the mortgage before the end of the early repayment period. | 1-5% EXC VAT |
Capital Gains Tax - If you are not exempt (see FAQs below) | Based on increase in value, less costs of improvements and selling costs |
Frequently Asked Questions
When selling your main residence you will probably benefit from 'private residence relief' which will save you from paying Capital Gains Tax (CGT).
You may still have to pay some CGT if:
- You have not always lived in the property
- You, your spouse, or your civil partner own another property
- You have had a tenant in a separate part of the house (not including a lodger who shares their living space with you)
- You have used a separate part of the house exclusively for business (not including a temporary or occasional office)
- The total grounds, including buildings, are 5,000 square metres or more
- You bought the property purely for profit
No, you don't pay Stamp Duty when selling a house. The buyer pays the SDLT.
Solicitors fees for selling a house in Ireland range from €1000 to €2500 EXC VAT.
SAM Conveyancing currently operates in England & Wales only.
You do not need a solicitor to sell your house. You could opt to use a conveyancer instead. Conveyancers are fully qualified to handle the property transaction but cannot undertake certain additional legal work which may involved in the sale.
Written by:
Caragh Bailey
Caragh is an excellent writer in her own right as well as an accomplished copy editor for both fiction and non-fiction books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey and mortgage related articles.
Reviewed by:
Andrew Boast
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
