Conveyancing Solicitors: Costs, Timeline & How to Find the Right One

Whether you're buying your first home or selling and moving on, you'll need a conveyancing solicitor (or licensed conveyancer) to handle the legal transfer of the property. They do the searches, check the contract, manage the money and register your ownership, and choosing a good one, at a fair fixed fee, can be the difference between a smooth move and a stressful one.

This guide explains what a conveyancer actually does, what it costs in 2026, how long it takes, and exactly how to find and compare the right firm, for buying and selling.

What does a conveyancing solicitor do?

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer. It looks simple from the outside but involves dozens of documents, official searches and strict legal requirements. Your conveyancer handles all of it on your behalf and, crucially, protects your interests so you don't inherit someone else's problem.

If you're buying, your conveyancer will:

• Run property searches, local authority, water & drainage, environmental and flood checks to uncover anything that could affect the property or its value.
• Check the legal title with the Land Registry to confirm the seller actually owns the property and has the right to sell it.
• Review and negotiate the contract, flag risky clauses, and confirm exactly what's included in the sale.
• Raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor on anything unclear or concerning, often prompted by the searches or your house survey (which runs in parallel to the legal work).
• Handle the money, hold your deposit securely, draw down your mortgage funds and transfer everything on completion day.
• Exchange contracts, complete, and register you as the new owner with the Land Registry, then deal with any Stamp Duty due.

If you're selling, your conveyancer will:

• Prepare the draft contract and the legal pack (title documents, property information and fixtures & fittings forms).
• Answer the buyer's enquiries and deal with their solicitor.
• Obtain your mortgage redemption figure and settle it on completion.
• Manage the transfer of ownership and the final money flows.

Solicitor or licensed conveyancer, which do you need?

People use "solicitor" as shorthand, but you'll see two types of firm offering conveyancing:

• Solicitors are fully qualified lawyers, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They can handle wider legal matters as well as conveyancing, useful if your transaction is complex (for example a probate sale, a divorce, or a tricky lease).
• Licensed conveyancers are property-law specialists regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). They focus purely on property and are often quicker and a little cheaper for straightforward purchases and sales.

Both are fully qualified to handle your move, and both must carry insurance and follow strict client-money rules. For most standard purchases either is fine, the firm's track record, communication and fee matter far more than the label. A good comparison tool lets you see both side by side.

How much does conveyancing cost in 2026?

Your total bill has two parts: the firm's legal fee (their charge for doing the work) and disbursements (third-party costs they pay on your behalf, like searches and Land Registry fees). Here's what's typical in 2026:

For a fuller breakdown of every cost in a move, see our moving costs calculator and mortgage fees guide.

How long does conveyancing take?

Most conveyancing takes around 12 to 16 weeks from offer accepted to completion, and can run to 16 to 20 weeks. It depends heavily on the chain and how fast searches come back:

• No chain / cash buyer: potentially 8 to 10 weeks, sometimes faster.
• In a chain: add roughly 4 to 8 weeks, you can only move as fast as the slowest party.
• Local authority searches: the single biggest bottleneck, taking anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks depending on the council.

The best way to keep things moving: instruct your conveyancer early (sellers can prepare the legal pack before an offer even comes in), reply to forms quickly, and choose a firm that uses a digital portal so nothing sits waiting in the post.

How to choose a good conveyancing solicitor

Don't simply instruct whoever your estate agent suggests, and don't just pick the cheapest. Run through this checklist:

• Is the firm on your mortgage lender's panel? Lenders only release funds through approved firms. Off-panel, you'll usually pay for a separate firm to represent the lender (~£200+) and risk delays.
• Is it a genuine fixed fee? Ask for an itemised quote with all disbursements shown and no "to be confirmed" extras.
• Is there a no-sale-no-fee guarantee? Roughly a third of transactions fall through, this protects you from paying the legal fee if yours does.
• Who will actually handle your case, and how will they keep you updated? You want a named contact, not a call-centre queue.
• Check reviews and regulation, look them up with the SRA or CLC and read recent independent reviews.
• Experience with your property type, leasehold, new-build and shared-ownership all have extra steps.

Local or online? It genuinely doesn't matter, conveyancing is done by phone, email and secure portals, so a well-reviewed remote firm can do just as good a job, often faster.

Why use Digital Move to compare and instruct?

Rather than ringing round firms one by one, Digital Move (powered by ULS/eConveyancer, one of the UK's largest conveyancing networks) lets you compare and instruct in one place. It's the route we recommend because it ticks the boxes from the checklist above:

• Instant, fixed-fee quotes from 70+ regulated solicitors and licensed conveyancers, compare on price, location and rating in minutes.
• Pre-vetted, panel-ready firms, so you're far less likely to hit the off-panel problem with your lender.
• No-sale-no-fee protection on qualifying cases, peace of mind if a purchase falls through.
• A secure digital portal to complete forms, upload documents and verify ID from your phone, and track progress in real time, which removes the email back-and-forth (a common target for fraudsters) and has been shown to cut around two weeks off a typical move.

When to instruct your conveyancer

As early as you sensibly can. Buyers should be ready to instruct the moment an offer is accepted (getting quotes lined up beforehand saves days). Sellers should instruct as soon as the home goes on the market, so the legal pack is ready and you're not the one holding up the chain. Getting your Agreement in Principle and conveyancer sorted in parallel is the fastest way to a smooth completion.

Conveyancing jargon, in plain English

Conveyancing solicitors: frequently asked questions

How much does a conveyancing solicitor cost in 2026?

The average conveyancing fee is around £1,624 to buy and £1,023 to sell, with most quotes between £1,300 and £2,200. On top you'll pay disbursements (searches, Land Registry, AML checks) of roughly £700. Leasehold costs more than freehold.

How do I find a good conveyancing solicitor?

Get quotes from several regulated firms and compare on price, reviews and what's included; check they're on your lender's panel; and look for a fixed fee and no-sale-no-fee. The quickest route is a comparison platform like Digital Move, which returns fixed-fee quotes from 70+ regulated firms in minutes.

What's the difference between a solicitor and a licensed conveyancer?

A solicitor is a fully qualified lawyer (SRA-regulated) who can handle wider legal issues too; a licensed conveyancer (CLC-regulated) is a property specialist. Both can legally handle your move. Conveyancers are often cheaper and quicker for straightforward cases; a solicitor may suit complex ones.

How long does conveyancing take?

Usually 12 to 16 weeks from offer accepted to completion (sometimes 16 to 20). No chain or cash can be 8 to 10 weeks; a chain can add 4 to 8 weeks. Local authority searches are the biggest bottleneck.

Does my conveyancer need to be on my mortgage lender's panel?

Ideally yes. Off-panel, you'll usually pay for a separate firm to represent the lender (~£200+) and may face delays. Always check panel membership before instructing.

Can I use an online conveyancer instead of a local one?

Yes, conveyancing is done by phone, email and secure portals, so the firm needn't be local. A good digital conveyancer can be just as thorough and often faster.

What does "no sale, no fee" mean?

If your purchase or sale falls through, you don't pay the firm's legal fee (you may still owe for disbursements already incurred). It protects you if a deal collapses, common in chains.

Do I need a solicitor to sell my house?

In practice, yes. Selling still needs conveyancing, title, contract, enquiries and the legal transfer. Instruct as soon as your home is on the market so the legal pack is ready when you accept an offer.