How Much Are Conveyancing Fees for Buyers & Sellers in South London 

If you’re buying, selling or doing both in the south London areas of Bermondsey, Surrey Quays, Deptford, or Canada Water, ‘how much are conveyancing fees’ is possibly one of questions you’ve been asking. First-time buyers may not be familiar with these extra costs. If you’re buying and selling at the same time, you may wonder how these two transactions will affect your residential conveyancing costs. 

To help you set your home mover’s budget, we look at what conveyancing fees are, how much you might pay, and what to look out for as you choose your conveyancing firm.  

Conveyancing fees explained   

Conveyancing is the legal process behind the transfer of property during a sale or purchase. You can use a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer to carry out the legal work for you. Conveyancing and legal costs generally fall into two areas:  

• legal fees – what you pay to the conveyancer for their professional services.  
• disbursements – set fees for the searches, money transfers and other elements of conveyancing that must be paid. 

The difference between conveyancers and conveyancing solicitors is one of specialisation and cost. Conveyancers do a very narrow job of handling the legal side of house sales – a job they are particularly trained for. On the other hand, solicitors are more generally trained across multiple legal areas, and are especially useful if there are legal complexities to do with purchasing the property beyond the usual paperwork demands. Solicitors usually cost £100-300 more for their broader expertise. 

What influences how much I’ll pay?   

Lots of factors will determine how much you pay in conveyancing fees, starting with whether you are buying or selling, or doing both at the same time. If your property is leasehold, you’ll pay higher fees because the legal undertaking is more complex, with extra steps involved. 

The same goes for properties bought as shared ownership or under the right to buy scheme. Help to buy scheme purchases, lifetime ISAs and gifted deposits by family members also bring added fees. The size and value of your home, your location and the conveyancer you choose will all have an impact too. 

There may be extra disbursements and investigations required for your property. For example, long standing ‘rent charges’ on the deed of the house, or area specific considerations, such as the existence of a nearby coalfield. 

On the other hand, cash purchases are often cheaper because there’s no need to liaise with a mortgage lender, cutting out a large amount of paperwork and cost. 

Sellers vs. buyers conveyancing fees 

Buyers and sellers pay for different services when commissioning a conveyancing solicitor, with some crossover. Of course, if you’re buying a property and selling a house at the same time, you will have to account for both sets of costs. 

How much are legal fees on average?   

Based on the cost of a south London property, expect to pay an average of between £1,500 and £2,500 for buying and between £1,600 and £2,400 if you’re selling. If you use the same firm for buying and selling, expect to pay more than the cost of buying but less than the cost of the two added together. Average conveyancing fees change and are just that, an average – check the specifics for your property transaction. 

Why are conveyancing costs higher for leaseholders?   

Because the purchase of a leasehold property involves additional legal work around the management contract, ground rent and length of lease, you’ll probably pay an extra charge. If you’re selling a leasehold property you’ll need to pay for a leasehold seller’s pack costing up to £500.   

How much are the disbursements?   

Some of the main additional costs you’ll be asked to pay (disbursements) are listed below with approximate costs – your conveyancing solicitor can offer insight into your own property transaction. 

• Searches – local authority searches and environmental searches, paid by buyers, £250-£450  
• Anti-money laundering checks – online identity checks which apply to both parties £5-£25  
• Bank transfer fee for telegraphic transfer to guarantee funds are paid at the right time – paid by the buyer – £20-£30  
• Title deeds from the land registry – sellers need to pay the HM Land Registry for a copy – £7-£11  
• Transferring ownership – buyers need to pay Land Registry a fee for transferring their name to the property on completion – £150-£500  
• Property fraud checks to ensure the transaction is not a scam are paid by buyers – £10  
• Stamp duty Land Tax payment transfer – £3 
• HM Land Registry fees – £135 
• Bankruptcy checks – £25 
• Chancel indemnity insurance – £20 
• Help to buy ISA processing – £50-£60 
• Unregistered property supplement – £200 

What should I watch out for in the conveyancing quote?  

Read your quote carefully and make sure you understand what is included and what might be added on at a later stage. Get three quotes to compare but be wary of anything that looks too good to be true. Remember that VAT shouldn’t be added to disbursements.  

What is fixed fee conveyancing (and what does it include)?   

Conveyancing fees are usually charged either as a percentage of the purchase price or a fixed fee which is agreed at the start. A fixed fee means you know in advance how much your conveyancing fees will cost. However, you may need to pay more for disbursements if they end up costing more than you are quoted.  

How does ‘no sale, no fee’ conveyancing work?   

This arrangement means you won’t need to pay legal fees if the sale falls through. However, you will be liable for any searches or other disbursements already commissioned.   

How do online conveyancers work? 

May conveyancers are switching to online only services, making themselves more accessible to a broader client base. They work in the same way as normal conveyancer, except that much or all of the interaction happen over the phone, video call and secure messaging. Likewise, many of the larger firms have state of the art platforms where progress can be tracked, important docs can be signed and uploaded, and a paper trail of communications can be accessed. 

The advantage is that this cuts costs and may well land you with a cheaper price, as well as excluding the issue of printing documents and dealing with post. However, you may only end up speaking with administrative personnel or account managers for much of the service. If your transaction is complex, it may be worth paying a higher price for local, in-person conveyancing services instead. 

Are there any extra costs to watch out for?   

Other possible costs that may be added to your quote, like extra protections against fraud or written declarations for tenants in common. You may consider paying for indemnity insurance if the property being purchased doesn’t have building regulations documentation. While many costs are necessary, be alert to less ‘essential’ extras, and those which are overpriced or hidden within documentation.  

• Opt-out extras – Perhaps more importantly, some of these extras are opt out – rather than opt in – so be very careful to note the services you’re being charged for. Many solicitors use online portals and interfaces for managing the legal side of sale progression, which you also have access to. Make sure to uncheck the boxes on any services you don’t want (or need) to sign up for.   
• New build costs – When buying a new build or off-plan property, hidden or additional conveyancing costs often include higher solicitor fees due to complex contracts. You may face costs for reviewing planning permissions, building regulations approvals, and warranties (e.g. NHBC). Developers may charge for utility connection fees, management company setup fees, and contributions to estate maintenance or communal areas. Additionally, buyers are often required to pay a reservation fee upfront, and leasehold new builds can include hidden charges like ground rent and even service charges, which the solicitor must examine carefully. 
• Leasehold costs – There are also unexpected costs when selling a leasehold property, which are not always apparent at the start. For example, notice of transfer and charge fees (typically £50–£300 each), deed of covenant fees, and contributions to the landlord’s legal or administrative costs. 

When are conveyancing fees due?   

The bulk of the fees are usually paid on completion but your conveyancer may ask for a deposit of around 10% when you instruct them. If you’re buying you will probably be asked for the search fees in advance.  

Conveyancing costs for south east London FAQ  

And Finally 

If you’re thinking of a house move in south London – in areas like Southwark, Lewisham, Canary Wharf, Limehouse, Stepney, London Bridge, Peckham and beyond – we’d love to talk to you about your plans. We’d be delighted to show you our great portfolio of properties and give you a no-obligation appraisal of your own home. We’d be happy to advise too about all the things you need to think about on your mover’s journey too – conveyancing fees included. Contact us today.