How much does a solicitor charge to sell a house?
A legal fee for a typical freehold sale is roughly £700 to £950 including VAT, according to published UK cost guides. Sales at higher values cost more. However, the figure covers the solicitor’s legal work only, so check what a firm includes before you rely on it.
The short answer on selling costs
UK guides put a typical freehold sale’s legal fee at roughly £700 to £950 including VAT. However, sales at higher values cost more, so the fee for your home may differ. Note your sale price and tenure before you enquire, so the specialist can judge the job.
Treat that range as a guide, not a quote, because every sale has its own details. Our conveyancing page explains the legal work in more depth, while this guide stays with the cost of selling.
How long a sale takes
GOV.UK says selling a home in England and Wales takes about five months on average. However, it can take longer if you are part of a chain of buyers and sellers.
Therefore, it helps to have your paperwork ready early and to answer your solicitor’s questions promptly. Keep a list of the documents you have sent, because that shows what is still outstanding. Note the date of each reply, since this helps you track progress.
The steps in a sale
GOV.UK lists the seller’s steps in this order:
- Check what you owe on any mortgage.
- Find out the value of your home.
- Decide whether to use an estate agent.
- Choose a solicitor or conveyancer.
- Give buyers the right paperwork, including an Energy Performance Certificate.
- Set a price.
- Accept or negotiate an offer.
- Exchange contracts.
- Complete the sale.
The legal work of transferring ownership belongs to the solicitor or conveyancer you choose at step four. Because the buyer needs the paperwork, including the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), it is sensible to have that ready before you set a price.
What moves the fee up
The range above is for a typical freehold sale, so anything that makes the sale more work can push the fee higher. Sales at higher values cost more, as the published guides say.
Other situations add extra steps. For example, GOV.UK says extra steps apply when you are selling for someone else, and a rented property brings its own checks. A leasehold property is also a different kind of sale from a freehold one, so ask any firm how it affects their price.
Our guide to conveyancing costs in London looks at fees more widely. Whatever your situation, tell a firm about it at the start, since a quote based on a simple sale may not fit a complicated one.
What is not the solicitor’s fee
The solicitor’s fee is for the legal work of transferring ownership. It is not a payment for selling the home or finding a buyer.
An estate agent is optional, according to GOV.UK, and sells the home on your behalf. If you choose to use one, you deal with that cost separately from the legal fee. Therefore, when you add up the cost of selling, keep the two apart.
Ask each business what its price covers, because a single total can hide which part pays for what. That way you can see exactly what you are paying the solicitor for.
Who can do the work
Citizens Advice says you can use a solicitor or, in England and Wales only, a licensed conveyancer. A licensed conveyancer is regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers, not by the bodies that regulate solicitors.
The SRA says buying or selling property is a reserved legal activity. It must therefore be carried out by an authorised person, such as a regulated solicitor, when it is done for others.
You may do your own conveyancing, although Citizens Advice warns it can be complicated. HomeOwners Alliance says you do not have to use a solicitor or licensed conveyancer if there is no mortgage, but with a mortgage DIY conveyancing usually is not an option. Our guide on whether you need a solicitor to buy a house covers the buying side.
Selling for someone else or a rented home
GOV.UK says extra steps apply when you sell for someone else. Examples include where the owner has lost mental capacity, where you are selling after a death (probate) or where you are using a power of attorney.
If you are selling a rented property, GOV.UK says you should check whether you owe Capital Gains Tax. You should also give tenants notice and end the tenancy if needed.
Because these sales involve more steps, tell any firm about your situation before it quotes.
Protecting yourself from property fraud
GOV.UK gives three points to protect against property fraud. Confirm that you are dealing with the right person or business. Send money only to the correct bank account. Limit the personal information you share on social media.
How to ask for a fixed quote
Ask each firm for a fixed quote in writing, and describe your sale clearly first. Say whether the property is freehold or leasehold, whether you have a mortgage and whether you are selling for someone else.
The SRA says firms must publish price information for buying a house, covering residential properties only. That information includes what services are included in the price, anything not included that you might expect to be, staff experience and qualifications, and likely timescales. Use it as a checklist, since the same questions are worth asking about a sale.
The SRA Transparency Rules also require firms that publish that they offer residential conveyancing to individuals to publish cost information on their website. As a result, you can often compare what a firm says it will do before you contact it.
Once you have a name, take a few minutes to check a solicitor before you instruct them.