How to Compare Conveyancing Quotes

Choosing a conveyancer is one of the most important decisions you will make when selling your property. Get it right and your sale progresses smoothly. Get it wrong and you could face weeks of delays, unexpected charges, or a transaction that falls apart entirely.

The trouble is that conveyancing quotes are not always easy to compare. Firms present their pricing differently, some bury extras in the small print, and the cheapest headline fee rarely tells the full story. This guide explains exactly how to evaluate conveyancing quotes so you can choose a firm with confidence. For a broader look at all the costs involved in selling, see our full conveyancing costs breakdown.

Why comparing conveyancing quotes is harder than it looks

Unlike buying a product with a clear price tag, conveyancing quotes are built from multiple components: a legal fee, VAT, disbursements, potential supplements, and optional extras. Two firms quoting what appears to be the same price can end up costing you hundreds of pounds apart once everything is included.

The SRA Transparency Rules require regulated firms to publish clear pricing for residential conveyancing, but the level of detail varies. Some firms give you a comprehensive line-by-line breakdown. Others quote a low headline fee and list the extras only if you ask. Your job is to make sure you are comparing total costs on a like-for-like basis.

The anatomy of a conveyancing quote

Every conveyancing quote should contain several distinct elements. If any of these are missing, ask the firm to provide them before you commit. For more on what your solicitor actually does for this money, see our guide to solicitor fees for selling a house.

If a quote only shows the legal fee without mentioning VAT or disbursements, treat it as incomplete. You need the total figure to make a fair comparison.

Fixed fee vs variable (hourly) fee

The pricing model a firm uses fundamentally affects how predictable your costs will be. Most residential conveyancers now charge a fixed fee for the entire transaction, which is the model encouraged by the SRA under its Transparency Rules. A smaller number of firms still bill by the hour, typically at £150 to £350 per hour depending on location and seniority.

Here is how the two models compare from a seller's perspective:

For the vast majority of sellers, a fixed fee is the better option. If a firm quotes you on an hourly basis, ask them to estimate the total cost and cap it in writing. A sale that encounters unexpected enquiries or delays could see an hourly bill climb well beyond what a fixed-fee firm would charge.

Hidden extras that inflate conveyancing quotes

The headline legal fee rarely tells the whole story. Here are the most common extras that can inflate your final bill — some of which are legitimate and some of which should prompt you to ask questions:

• Leasehold supplement: £200 to £400 plus VAT. If you are selling a leasehold property, your solicitor charges this for the extra work involved in reviewing the lease, checking service charges, and liaising with the freeholder.
• Help to Buy or shared ownership redemption: £100 to £300. Handling the equity loan repayment adds work and is almost always charged as an extra.
• Abortive transaction fee: £100 to £300. Even firms offering "no sale no fee" sometimes charge this if the sale falls through after significant work has been done.
• Additional enquiry charges: Some firms cap the number of enquiry rounds included in their fee. If your buyer's solicitor raises complex or numerous additional enquiries, you could face a surcharge.
• Urgent or expedited completion: £100 to £250 if you need a faster turnaround than the firm's standard timeline.
• Post-completion administration: £50 to £150. Dealing with outstanding matters after completion, such as final mortgage redemption confirmations, is sometimes charged separately.

Before you instruct any firm, ask them explicitly: "Is there anything I could be charged on top of this quote?" A reputable firm should be able to list every possible extra.

How to evaluate disbursement estimates

Disbursements are third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf. They are separate from the legal fee and are usually charged at cost with no markup. For a deeper explanation, see our guide to disbursements in conveyancing.

For sellers, the standard disbursements are:

• Land Registry official copies: £7 per document. Most sellers need at least two (title register and title plan), totalling a minimum of £14.
• CHAPS bank transfer fee: £35 to £45 including VAT per transfer. You may need one transfer to send sale proceeds to your bank and a second to redeem your mortgage.
• Anti-money laundering (AML) ID checks: £10 to £30 per person. Joint sellers are each checked separately.
• Indemnity insurance (if needed): £20 to £300 for a policy to cover a minor title defect.

When comparing quotes, check whether the disbursement estimate includes all of these items. Some firms deliberately underestimate disbursements — quoting only £50 to £100 — to make their headline figure look more competitive. A realistic disbursement estimate for a standard freehold sale is £150 to £350.

Your step-by-step quote comparison checklist

Use this process every time you receive a conveyancing quote. It ensures you are comparing on a fair and consistent basis.

1. Request the total cost including VAT and all disbursements. Do not accept a quote that only shows the legal fee. You need the complete figure — legal fee plus VAT plus estimated disbursements — in writing.
2. Confirm the fee type. Is it fixed or hourly? If fixed, does it cover the entire transaction from instruction to completion? If hourly, what is the estimated total and is there a cap?
3. Ask about supplements and extras. Does the quote assume a freehold sale? What is the leasehold supplement if applicable? Is there a charge for handling mortgage redemption, additional enquiries, or a Help to Buy equity loan?
4. Check the no sale no fee terms. If the firm offers this guarantee, ask exactly what you would owe if the sale fell through. Confirm whether disbursements and abortive fees apply.
5. Verify the firm's credentials. Check the SRA register or CLC register to confirm regulatory status. For an extra layer of assurance, look for CQS accreditation.
6. Read independent reviews. Check Google, Trustpilot, and the Law Society's Find a Solicitor tool. Pay particular attention to comments about communication speed and how the firm handles complications.
7. Ask about caseloads and turnaround. How many transactions does each fee earner handle at any one time? A firm with 80 to 100+ cases per conveyancer is likely to be slower to respond. Ask what the average time from instruction to completion is for a straightforward sale.

Online conveyancers vs high street solicitors: comparing value

When gathering quotes, you will likely receive prices from both online-only firms and traditional high street solicitors. Online conveyancers typically charge £500 to £900 plus VAT, while high street firms charge £800 to £1,500 plus VAT for a standard seller transaction. The saving can be significant — potentially £300 to £600.

However, price is only one factor. Online firms often carry higher caseloads per fee earner, face-to-face meetings are rarely available, and communication can be slower during busy periods. High street solicitors generally offer more personal service and may be better placed to handle complications that arise during the sale.

Both types of firm must be regulated by either the SRA or the CLC, so your money is protected in either case. For a detailed comparison, see our guide on online conveyancing: pros and cons.

Solicitor vs licensed conveyancer: does the qualification matter?

When comparing quotes, you may receive prices from both solicitors and licensed conveyancers. A solicitor is a fully qualified lawyer regulated by the SRA who can advise on broader legal issues that may affect your sale. A licensed conveyancer is a property law specialist regulated by the CLC who focuses exclusively on conveyancing.

For a straightforward freehold sale, there is usually little practical difference in the service you receive. Licensed conveyancers are often slightly cheaper because of their specialist focus. If your sale involves unusual complications — boundary disputes, inheritance issues, or restrictive covenants — a solicitor may be better placed to advise. For a full comparison, see our guide on solicitor vs conveyancer.

Red flags to watch for when comparing quotes

Not all conveyancing quotes are created equal. These warning signs should make you think twice before instructing a firm:

• No itemised breakdown. If a firm cannot or will not provide a clear breakdown of legal fees, VAT, and disbursements, walk away. The SRA requires regulated firms to publish transparent pricing for residential conveyancing.
• Unrealistically low disbursement estimates. If a firm quotes disbursements of £30 to £50 when the realistic range is £150 to £350, they are artificially deflating their total to win your business.
• No mention of VAT. A quote that omits VAT entirely is either incomplete or deliberately misleading. Always confirm whether figures are inclusive or exclusive of VAT.
• Pressure to instruct immediately. A reputable firm gives you time to compare quotes. If a firm insists you must decide today, that is a red flag.
• Estate agent pressure to use their referral. Your agent may recommend a specific firm because they receive a referral fee of £150 to £300. Under the Estate Agents Act 1979, they must disclose this arrangement in writing. You are always free to choose your own solicitor.
• Very high caseloads. If the firm cannot tell you how many cases each conveyancer handles, or the number is above 100, expect slower service and more risk of errors.

How to save money without sacrificing quality

The goal is not to find the absolute cheapest conveyancer. It is to find the best value — a firm that charges a fair price and delivers reliable, responsive service. Here are practical ways to keep costs down:

• Get at least three quotes. The Law Society recommends comparing a minimum of three quotes. This gives you a fair benchmark and negotiating leverage.
• Negotiate with competing quotes. Most firms have some flexibility on their legal fee, especially if you can show them a lower quote from a comparable firm.
• Bundle sale and purchase. If you are buying and selling at the same time, most firms offer a discount of 20% to 30% for handling both transactions.
• Prepare your paperwork early. Completing your property information forms (TA6 and TA10) thoroughly before instructing reduces the amount of follow-up work your solicitor needs to do. Pine helps sellers do exactly this — getting legal preparation done before a buyer is even found.
• Avoid estate agent referrals. Choosing your own solicitor independently avoids the referral fee markup that is typically passed on through higher charges.

A worked example: comparing three real-world style quotes

To illustrate how different quotes can look, here is a worked example based on a straightforward freehold sale with a mortgage to redeem. All three firms are quoting for the same work:

At first glance, Firm A looks dramatically cheaper. But notice that Firm A charges two separate bank transfer fees and a higher AML check fee, while Firm C bundles these into the legal fee. Firm A also charges a £150 abortive fee if the sale falls through, while Firm C does not. The real gap between the cheapest and most expensive is narrower than the headline fees suggest.

You would then factor in reviews, caseloads, communication quality, and whether the firm holds CQS accreditation before making your decision.

When to start gathering quotes

Many sellers wait until they have accepted an offer before looking for a solicitor. This adds unnecessary time pressure and often means settling for whichever firm can start immediately rather than the one that offers the best value.

Ideally, you should start gathering quotes before you put your property on the market, or at the very latest when you first list. This gives you time to compare properly, ask follow-up questions, and have a firm ready to instruct the moment you accept an offer.

Some sellers go further and begin the legal preparation — completing property information forms and ordering searches — before they have a buyer. This is sometimes called "upfront information" or "seller-ready conveyancing," and it can cut weeks off the total timeline. Pine is designed to help sellers do exactly this.

Fixed fee vs hourly rate conveyancing: which is better?

One of the biggest decisions when comparing quotes is whether to go with a fixed fee or an hourly rate. Here is how the two pricing models stack up across the factors that matter most to sellers:

Most residential conveyancing is now done on a fixed-fee basis, and for the majority of sellers this is the better option. A fixed fee gives you certainty from day one: you agree a price, and that price does not change regardless of how many enquiries the buyer's solicitor raises or how long the transaction takes. This makes it far easier to budget and to compare one firm against another. For a detailed look at what solicitors typically charge, see our guide to solicitor fees for selling a house.

That said, hourly rate billing can be appropriate in certain circumstances. If your sale involves probate, unregistered land, or significant title issues, the work required is harder to predict upfront and a solicitor may be reluctant to offer a fixed price. In these situations, an hourly rate with a realistic estimate and a written cap can be a fair arrangement for both sides.

Regardless of which fee structure you choose, always ask for a full breakdown that includes disbursements. A fixed fee of £900 plus VAT means very little if the quote does not account for Land Registry copies, bank transfer fees, and AML checks on top. Equally, an hourly rate of £200 per hour tells you nothing about the total cost without an estimate of how many hours the work will take. For a complete explanation of third-party costs, see our guide to disbursements in conveyancing.

Sources and further reading

• SRA Transparency Rules — Price and Service Information (Solicitors Regulation Authority)
• Find a Solicitor (Law Society)
• Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) (Law Society)
• Conveyancing Fees: What to Expect (HomeOwners Alliance)
• Solicitor Fees When Selling a House (Compare My Move)
• Estate Agents Act 1979 (legislation.gov.uk)
• HM Land Registry — Registration Services Fees (GOV.UK)

Frequently asked questions