Fixed Fee Conveyancing: What It Is and What to Check

Buying or selling a property is one of the biggest financial transactions most people will ever make. Alongside the property price itself, there are a number of costs to consider — including your conveyancing fees.

One of the simplest ways to make your legal costs easier to understand is fixed fee conveyancing.

But what does “fixed fee” actually mean? What should be included in a fixed fee conveyancing quote? Are there still additional costs to pay? And how can you tell whether a quote is genuinely competitive?

In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about fixed fee conveyancing and what to look for before choosing a conveyancer.

What is fixed fee conveyancing?

Fixed fee conveyancing means your conveyancer charges an agreed legal fee for carrying out the specified conveyancing work on your property transaction.

Instead of being charged according to the amount of time a solicitor or conveyancer spends working on your matter, the professional fee is agreed in advance.

This can make budgeting considerably easier because you have a clearer idea of what your legal work is going to cost before you instruct your conveyancer.

However, it is important to understand exactly what the fixed fee covers.

A “fixed fee” does not necessarily mean that every cost associated with buying or selling a property is included in one single figure. Some costs, such as property searches, Land Registry fees and certain taxes, are third-party charges rather than your conveyancer’s professional fee.

The important question is therefore not simply:

“Is this a fixed fee?”

It is:

“Exactly what is included in this fixed fee, and what will I have to pay in addition?”

How does fixed fee conveyancing work?

The process is relatively straightforward.

First, you provide information about your property transaction, such as whether you are buying or selling, the property value and whether the property is freehold or leasehold.

Your conveyancer can then provide a quote based on the information you have supplied.

Once you have reviewed the quote and instructed the conveyancer, they carry out the legal work required for your transaction.

For a purchase, this can include reviewing the contract and title, dealing with enquiries, arranging searches, liaising with your mortgage lender where applicable, exchanging contracts and completing the purchase.

For a sale, the conveyancer generally prepares the legal documentation, deals with enquiries from the buyer’s conveyancer and progresses the transaction through to exchange and completion.

The UK Government explains that conveyancing involves the legal transfer of property ownership, with the process continuing through contract, exchange and completion. (GOV.UK)

What is normally included in fixed fee conveyancing?

The exact inclusions depend on the conveyancer and the type of transaction.

However, a fixed fee conveyancing quote may cover the standard legal work involved in your purchase or sale.

This can include:

• Reviewing the contract and property title

• Preparing or reviewing legal documentation

• Raising and responding to standard enquiries

• Liaising with the other side’s conveyancer

• Dealing with your mortgage lender where applicable

• Preparing for exchange of contracts

• Exchanging contracts

• Completing the transaction

• Dealing with the transfer of ownership

• Registering the property with HM Land Registry after completion where applicable

You should always check the individual quote and terms provided by your conveyancer rather than assuming every service is included.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority also requires relevant regulated firms to provide price information for residential conveyancing and encourages clear information about additional costs and taxes. (Solicitors Regulation Authority)

Does fixed fee mean there are no additional costs?

Not necessarily.

This is one of the most important things to understand when comparing conveyancing quotes.

There are costs associated with a property transaction that are not the conveyancer’s professional fee. These are commonly referred to as disbursements.

Depending on the transaction, these may include things such as:

• Property searches

• HM Land Registry fees

• Land or property-related taxes

• Bank transfer fees

• Certain third-party charges

• Additional certificates or documents

For example, HM Land Registry charges fees for registering certain applications. (GOV.UK)

Some additional legal work may also fall outside the standard fixed fee if your transaction turns out to be more complicated than originally anticipated.

This is why comparing the headline legal fee alone can be misleading.

How to compare fixed fee conveyancing quotes

When you receive several conveyancing quotes, don’t automatically choose the one with the lowest advertised price.

Instead, compare the total expected cost and what you receive for it.

Here are some important questions to ask:

1. Is the legal fee genuinely fixed?

Check whether the quote is a fixed professional fee or simply an initial estimate.

The wording of the quote and engagement terms should make this clear.

2. Is VAT included?

Make sure you know whether VAT is included in the advertised price or added separately.

3. What disbursements are included?

Check whether searches and other third-party costs are included in the quoted total or listed separately.

4. Are there additional fees for a mortgage?

If you’re buying with a mortgage, check whether acting for your lender is included.

5. Is the property leasehold?

Leasehold transactions can involve additional work and third-party charges.

If you’re buying or selling a leasehold property, make sure your quote specifically covers the relevant leasehold work.

6. What happens if the transaction becomes complicated?

Ask what happens if additional legal work is required.

For example, your conveyancer may discover a title issue, restrictive covenant, missing documentation or another matter requiring additional work.

A good quote should make it clear when additional charges could apply.

Fixed fee conveyancing vs hourly rate conveyancing

One of the biggest advantages of fixed fee conveyancing is predictability.

With an hourly billing arrangement, the final professional fee can depend on how much time is spent dealing with your transaction.

With a fixed fee arrangement, the professional fee for the agreed scope of work is established in advance.

This can make it easier to budget and compare providers.

However, fixed fee doesn’t automatically mean “cheapest”.

A lower headline fee may exclude services that another conveyancer includes.

For that reason, it is better to compare like-for-like quotes rather than simply choosing the lowest number.

The Government’s guidance on buying a home recommends obtaining a number of quotes and considering not only price, but also quality, service, experience and whether the legal professional is approved by your mortgage lender. (GOV.UK)

What can cause a conveyancing fee to increase?

Even where a conveyancer offers fixed fees, it is important to understand the circumstances in which additional charges might apply.

For example, a transaction may involve:

• A particularly complicated title

• Leasehold property

• Shared ownership

• Multiple properties or titles

• Unregistered land

• A gifted deposit

• Transfer of equity

• Additional legal documentation

• Complex ownership arrangements

• Unexpected title issues

• Additional work requested by the client

This doesn’t necessarily mean that fixed fee conveyancing is misleading.

It means you should understand the scope of the fixed fee before instructing your conveyancer.

A transparent quote should make it clear what the standard fee covers and which circumstances could result in additional charges.

Is fixed fee conveyancing cheaper?

It can be, but the biggest advantage is often cost certainty rather than simply paying less.

The cheapest conveyancing quote isn’t necessarily the cheapest overall transaction if significant items are excluded from the initial price.

For example, imagine you receive two quotes:

Conveyancer A: £650 legal fee

Conveyancer B: £850 legal fee

At first glance, Conveyancer A appears to be £200 cheaper.

But if important services are excluded from A’s headline fee and included within B’s price, the final difference could be much smaller — or the supposedly cheaper quote could ultimately cost more.

This is why you should compare the full quote and terms, rather than just the advertised starting price.

Is fixed fee conveyancing suitable for first-time buyers?

Fixed fee conveyancing can be particularly attractive to first-time buyers because purchasing a home involves a large number of costs.

In addition to the deposit and purchase price, buyers may need to budget for costs including:

• Conveyancing

• Searches

• Surveys

• Mortgage-related costs

• Land Registry fees

• Property taxes where applicable

• Moving costs

Having a clearly explained conveyancing fee can make it easier to understand your overall budget.

If you’re a first-time buyer, don’t be afraid to ask your conveyancer to explain every part of the quotation before you instruct them.

What should a good fixed fee conveyancing quote show?

A good quote should be easy to understand.

Ideally, you should be able to see:

• The professional legal fee

• VAT

• Expected disbursements

• Search costs

• Land Registry costs where applicable

• Any transaction-specific charges

• Potential additional fees

• What services are included

• What services are excluded

• Whether the quote applies to a purchase, sale or both

• Whether the property is assumed to be freehold or leasehold

The aim should be to give you a realistic picture of what your transaction is likely to cost.

Don’t choose a conveyancer on price alone

Price is important, but it isn’t the only consideration.

Your conveyancer will be responsible for important legal work during your property transaction, so you should also consider:

Experience: Do they regularly handle transactions like yours?

Communication: Will you be able to contact someone when you need an update?

Reviews: What do previous customers say about their service?

Regulation: Are they appropriately regulated?

Lender panel: If you’re using a mortgage, are they able to act for your lender?

Transparency: Does the quote clearly explain what is included and excluded?

A slightly higher transparent quote may provide better value than a very low quote that leaves you uncertain about the final cost.

Fixed fee conveyancing: the bottom line

Fixed fee conveyancing can provide a clearer and more predictable way to budget for the legal work involved in buying or selling a property.

But the phrase “fixed fee” should never be the only thing you look at.

Before choosing a conveyancer, check:

• What the fixed fee actually covers

• Whether VAT is included

• Which disbursements are additional

• Whether leasehold or mortgage work is included

• When additional fees could apply

• What the likely total cost will be

• What level of service you can expect

A transparent conveyancing quote should leave you knowing what you’re paying for — and why.

Get a fixed fee conveyancing quote

If you’re buying or selling a property and want to know how much your conveyancing is likely to cost, getting a quote is a good place to start.

Get your fixed fee conveyancing quote today and see exactly what your conveyancing could cost.

The information in this article is provided for general information only and should not be treated as legal advice. Your conveyancing costs and requirements will depend on the circumstances of your transaction. Always check the terms of your individual quote before instructing a conveyancer.