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Solicitors fees when buying a house

In our solicitors fees guide, we break down how much you can expect to pay — and why it’s so important.

solicitor-fees

How much do solicitors usually cost?

Solicitors fees are often one of the biggest expenses you run into when buying a home. But there is a lot of legalese and paperwork that you can run into, so a great solicitor is worth it.

There are two important costs to remember: the solicitor fee itself and what are known as “conveyancing disbursements”. That’s just legal jargon for the payments your solicitor will make for various searches and the legal paperwork. More on those in a minute. 

Solicitors fees

The amount you spend on a solicitor when buying a home will partially be dependent on the cost of the home itself. The more expensive the home is, the more the total fees are likely to be. 

Most estimates put the average solicitor cost of buying a house at around £800 to £1,500, including VAT, so it’s important to work those numbers into your budget. Even if a sale falls through, you can be on the hook for the work they’ve done so far.

At Strike, you only have to pay conveyancing fees if the sale actually takes place — no sale, no fee. We just think it’s simpler that way.  

Conveyancing disbursements

Time for the legal bit. Conveyancing disbursements are all of the little charges that come up when buying a home — searches, land registry paperwork, and all of those bits and bobs that you may have never heard of before, but suddenly will become very important. Individually they often don’t cost very much, but they can add up in a hurry — usually to a few hundred pounds or more. Here are the conveyancing disbursements you’ll typically encounter: 

  • Bankruptcy search  

  • Land Registry office copies

  • Electronic ID verification 

  • Local authority searches

  • Water and drainage search  

  • Environmental search 

  • Telegraphic transfer fee 

  • Mortgage handling fee 

  • HMLR final search 

  • Land Registry Charge 

When budgeting, keep in mind the solicitor fees and the disbursement cost. Your solicitor should be able to let you know how much to budget for the conveyancing disbursements on your particular property. 

When do I pay solicitors fees when buying a house?

That depends on your solicitor. Usually you’ll pay some amount upfront, which is held as a retainer or a deposit. Sometimes it will be about 10% of the estimated total cost, but it may be more. The rest you'll pay upon completion — which is just a fancy way of saying when the sale is all done.

With Strike, we have a "no sale, no fee" system. That means you only pay if the sale goes through.

Let's get you moving

Want stress-free conveyancing advice?

If you want to skip the jargon and the high-fees, we offer a conveyancing service with a twist. We only charge a flat fee, so there are no surprises, and we don't charge you a penny unless the sale goes through.

Our conveyancing service lets you track your sale in realtime through a digital hub — so you're in control every step of the way.

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Solicitors’ fees FAQs

Good question. Normally when you hire a solicitor to help you purchase a home you’ll pay some amount upfront — a retainer or a deposit. It may be 10% of the estimated total cost or it may be more, depending on the conveyancer you choose. The remaining balance is normally due upon completion. With Strike, you only pay if the sale goes through. No sale, no fee.