Property Law
Online Conveyancing Costs: £500 to £1,000
Updated July 2026. Online conveyancers charge 30 to 40 per cent less than a high street solicitor. Here is what you actually pay, when cheap conveyancing is the right call, and the extras that inflate a low headline quote.
Online conveyancing vs high street solicitor
| Factor | Online conveyancer | High street solicitor |
|---|---|---|
| Typical buying fee | £500-£1,000 | £1,000-£1,800 |
| Typical selling fee | £450-£850 | £800-£1,400 |
| How you deal with them | Online portal, email, phone | Phone, email, in person |
| Your point of contact | A case handler, sometimes a team | Usually one named solicitor |
| Availability | Often evenings and weekends | Office hours |
| Local knowledge | National, not area-specific | Knows the local market and quirks |
| Best suited to | Chain-free standard freehold | Leasehold, new-build, chains, complications |
The extras that inflate a cheap quote
A £399 headline fee is rarely the total. These supplements are commonly added on top and are the difference between a genuinely cheap quote and a misleading one:
| Add-on | Typical charge | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Leasehold supplement | £150-£300 | Any leasehold flat or maisonette |
| Help to Buy / shared ownership | £150-£250 | Government scheme purchases |
| New-build supplement | £100-£250 | Buying from a developer |
| Telegraphic transfer fee | £30-£50 | Sending completion funds (per transfer) |
| Mortgage / lender handling | £100-£200 | Acting for your lender as well as you |
| Expedited or 'priority' service | £100-£300 | Optional, to push a tight deadline |
Ask every firm for a written quote that shows the legal fee plus every disbursement and every supplement that applies to your specific transaction. A £399 quote that becomes £950 after leasehold and lender supplements is more expensive than a transparent £750 fixed fee. Compare the bottom-line total for your exact situation.
When cheap online conveyancing makes sense, and when it does not
- Chain-free freehold house
- First-time buyer, standard purchase
- Remortgage or transfer of equity
- You are comfortable dealing by portal and email
- No tight, immovable deadline
- Leasehold flat, especially short lease
- New-build with a developer deadline
- Shared ownership or Help to Buy
- A long or fragile chain
- Any known title or boundary issue
A legitimate online conveyancer is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Check the firm on the SRA register or the CLC directory before paying anything. Regulation means client money protection and a complaints route to the Legal Ombudsman if things go wrong.
To see how the legal fee sits against searches, Land Registry, and stamp duty in your total bill, use our conveyancing fee calculator or read the full conveyancing cost breakdown.