Conveyancing Fees 2026

Transcript

Hi, I’m Ruban Selvanayagam from Property Solvers.

In this quick video, I’ll break down the latest conveyancing fee data for 2026, based on our annual research of 100 firms across England and Wales.

Let’s get straight into it…

Here’s where average conveyancing fees now sit:

For a freehold sale, the average conveyancing fee is £1,317 including VAT.
That’s up from £1,191 last year, representing an increase of around 10.6% year-on-year.

For a freehold purchase, average fees now stand at £1,390, compared with £1,256 last year – an increase of approximately 10.7%.

Leasehold transactions continue to command a clear premium.

The average leasehold sale fee in 2026 is £1,629, up from £1,506, an increase of just over 8.2%.

For a leasehold purchase, fees have risen from £1,587 to £1,743, a year-on-year increase of around 9.8%.

And if you’re remortgaging, the average legal cost in 2026 is £783, compared to £742 last year – a more modest increase of around 5.5%.

To see the full dataset, please check out the link in the show notes, where we’ve included a chart showing how conveyancing fees have changed.

Just to give a bit of context on the methodology, our research assumed:

– property values below £300,000 – a mortgage being redeemed or taken out – and no disbursements or supplementary fees included.

Conveyancing searches, HM Land Registry fees, and bank or CHAPS transfer fees all sit on top of these figures.

Taken together, what does this tell us?

Firstly, Conveyancing fees are still rising, but not evenly. The sharpest increases are in standard freehold transactions, while remortgaging has seen more modest growth.  Leasehold transaction fees are also seeing notable increases.

Leasehold sales typically involve a broader legal workload – including managing agent packs, service charge and ground rent reviews, deeds of covenant, and certificates of compliance.

More recently, many solicitors are also charging additional fees for Building Safety Act–related checks, particularly for flats in larger or higher-risk buildings.

As a result, leasehold conveyancing fees remain materially higher than freehold and will continue to do so.

Second – and this is key – these increases aren’t being driven purely by inflation.

Beyond the complexities that conveyancers deal with on a day-to-day basis, there are a few wider pressures pushing fees up.

Conveyancers are dealing with heavier regulatory and AML obligations, stricter lender requirements, rising professional indemnity insurance costs, and – with an estimated 1 in 3 sales falling through – higher levels of effectively unpaid abortive work.

At the same time, the legal press has been reporting on a growing number of conveyancers leaving the profession, with workload intensity often cited as a key reason.

Against that backdrop, it’s going to be interesting to see how AI reshapes the conveyancing industry over time. It’s already embedded in day-to-day workflows, with many firms using platforms like InfoTrack, Thirdfort, and Hoowla for document review, AML and ID checks, form population, and case tracking.

In the longer term, it’s hard to deny that AI will change how conveyancing is delivered, particularly for more standardised, lower-risk transactions.

But today, the impact is more about efficiency than cost reduction.

AI is helping firms manage volume, compliance, and pressure on margins – which is one reason fee increases have remained relatively controlled.

Where transactions move beyond the standard – including title defects, restrictive covenants, negative easements, unregistered land, lender-specific conditions, or complex chains – experienced legal judgement remains essential.

So while AI may well reshape the industry over time, for now it’s acting as a support layer rather than a replacement – improving resilience, not eliminating cost.  But it definitely remains a case of watch this space.

So, to draw this to a close, the key takeaway for 2026 is this.

Don’t choose a conveyancer on price alone. A low headline fee often hides exclusions, delays, or poor communication.

Instead:
– get a full written breakdown
– understand what’s excluded
– and make sure the firm can actually work to your timeline

If you’re after competitive conveyancing quotes, complete the form via the link in the description.  We work with experienced conveyancers across a range of property sale types who would be happy to provide you with no obligation quote.

A big thanks for watching this video – I’d really appreciate a like and subscribe if you can.

Hopefully see you on the next one…