South East -- Property Law
Conveyancing Solicitors in Oxford: £850 to £2,200
Updated July 2026. Typical conveyancing solicitor fees in Oxford for buying and selling a home in 2026, with worked cost examples by property price, the disbursements you pay on top, and how to find a regulated local conveyancer.
A conveyancing solicitor in Oxford handles the legal transfer of a property: checking the title, running searches, raising and answering enquiries, exchanging contracts, and registering the sale with the Land Registry. Your bill has two parts: the solicitor's legal fee (plus 20 per cent VAT) and disbursements (third-party costs the solicitor pays on your behalf and recharges). Buyers also pay Stamp Duty Land Tax separately.
Worked cost examples in Oxford
The legal fee rises with the property price and complexity. These worked totals use Oxford rates for a standard freehold purchase, including VAT, searches, and the Land Registry fee. Leasehold, new-build, and shared-ownership purchases add supplements.
| Purchase price | Legal fee (inc VAT) | Searches | Land Registry | Typical total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £200,000 | £1,092 | £300 | £100 | £1,552 |
| £400,000 | £1,656 | £300 | £150 | £2,166 |
| £750,000 | £2,640 | £300 | £295 | £3,295 |
Totals exclude Stamp Duty Land Tax, which buyers pay separately to HMRC. Selling costs less as there are fewer searches and no SDLT.
Disbursements you pay on top in Oxford
| Disbursement | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Local authority searches | £200-£350 | Set by the local council, not the solicitor |
| Land Registry fee | £20-£500 | Tiered by property value |
| Environmental + drainage searches | £90-£160 | Flood, contamination, water and sewerage |
| Bankruptcy + ID checks | £10-£25 | Anti-money-laundering and insolvency |
| Telegraphic transfer fee | £30-£50 | Sending completion funds |
| Leasehold supplement | £150-£300 | Leasehold flats only |
Oxford's legal market combines a strong commercial element (intellectual-property and technology-transfer firms serving the university spin-out economy) with high-end private-client work serving the city's wealthy residential base. Conveyancing fees are pulled up by very high local property values (median over £500,000).
Oxford solicitor vs online conveyancer
For a straightforward chain-free freehold purchase, a national online conveyancer regulated by the SRA or CLC is often 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than a Oxford high street firm. Where a local Oxford solicitor earns their higher fee is on complex or time-critical work: leasehold flats with short leases, new-builds with developer deadlines, fragile chains, or any local title quirk where a name you can phone beats an online portal. Compare the full quoted total for your specific transaction, not the advertised starting price. See our online vs high street comparison for the full trade-offs.
SRA-regulated conveyancing firms in Oxford
The SRA register lists 53 authorised firms with a practising office in Oxford, of which 19 told the SRA in their last annual return that they deliver residential property work. Under the SRA Transparency Rules each of them must publish its conveyancing prices on its own website. The 12 nearest to the city centre (OX1 1BX) are below, ordered by straight-line distance; there is no ranking, rating or sponsorship.
| Firm | Office | Distance | Authorised | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenor Gardiner Wills and trustsResidential propertyProbate | Oxford OX1 2DH Head office · Oxford | 300 m | Recognised sole practice since 2015 | Price page challenor-gardiner.co.uk |
| Trueman's Solicitors Limited ProbateResidential propertyWills and trusts | Oxford OX1 1BN Head office · Oxford | 400 m | Recognised body since 2018 | Firm website truemans.org.uk |
| Boodle Hatfield LLP Residential propertyProbateWills and trusts | Oxford OX1 2BX Branch · Oxford | 500 m | Recognised body since 2012 | Firm website boodlehatfield.com |
| Mills & Reeve LLP Wills and trustsProbateResidential property | Oxford OX1 1HU Branch · Oxford | 800 m | Recognised body since 2011 | Firm website mills-reeve.com |
| Hedges Law Limited ProbateWills and trustsResidential property | Oxford OX2 7HN Branch · Oxford | 3.0 km | Licensed body since 2016 | Price page hedgeslaw.co.uk |
| Gardner Leader LLP Residential propertyWills and trustsProbate | Oxford OX2 7HT Branch · Oxford | 3.1 km | Recognised body since 2011 | Firm website gardner-leader.co.uk |
| Howes Percival LLP Residential propertyWills and trustsProbate | Oxford OX2 7HT Branch · Oxford | 3.1 km | Recognised body since 2011 | Price page howespercival.com |
| Pimm & Co Ltd ProbateResidential propertyWills and trusts | Oxford OX2 7HT Branch · Oxford | 3.1 km | Licensed body since 2025 | Firm website pimmandco.com |
| Bower & Bailey LLP ProbateResidential propertyWills and trusts | Oxford OX2 7JF Branch · Oxford | 3.3 km | Recognised body since 2011 | Firm website bowerandbailey.co.uk |
| Hine Solicitors Limited Residential propertyProbateWills and trusts | Oxford OX2 7JF Branch · Oxford | 3.3 km | Recognised body since 2019 | Price page hinesolicitors.com |
| Spratt Endicott Limited Wills and trustsProbateResidential property | Oxford OX2 7LG Branch · Oxford | 3.3 km | Licensed body since 2014 | Firm website se-solicitors.co.uk |
| Lewis Nedas Law LTD ProbateResidential property | Oxford OX4 3UT Branch · Oxford | 3.6 km | Recognised body since 2012 | Price page lewisnedas.co.uk |
Distances are straight-line from the city centre postcode to the firm's nearest office. "Since" is the SRA authorisation year. Areas of law are those each firm reported to the SRA in its annual return.
Full lists by district: Oxford (19).
All SRA-regulated firms by town ->
solicitorcost.com includes data supplied by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
FAQ
How much does a conveyancing solicitor cost in Oxford?
Typically £850 to £2,200 plus VAT for a purchase, and £700 to £1,720 plus VAT for a sale, plus disbursements: searches (£200 to £350), Land Registry (£20 to £500), and ID and bankruptcy checks (around £20). Buyers pay Stamp Duty Land Tax separately.
Can I use an online conveyancer instead of a Oxford solicitor?
Yes. For a standard chain-free freehold purchase an SRA or CLC regulated online conveyancer is usually 30 to 40 per cent cheaper. For leasehold, new-build, or a complication, a local Oxford solicitor you can phone is often worth the extra. Get three quotes and compare the full total.
How long does conveyancing take in Oxford?
Around 8 to 12 weeks with no chain, or 12 to 16 weeks in a chain, the same as the rest of England and Wales. The pace is set by searches, the other side's responsiveness, and the chain, not by the city. See our conveyancing timeline.
How do I find a conveyancing solicitor in Oxford?
Start with the SRA-regulated firms listed above, each linked to the conveyancing prices it must publish, or browse every SRA-authorised firm by town. Check the firm on the SRA register, get three written quotes, and confirm each is a fixed fee listing every disbursement.