Property
How Much Does a Solicitor Cost for a Remortgage in 2026?
Your own conveyancer charges £300 to £600 plus VAT for a standard remortgage, or you can take the lender's free legals and pay nothing for the legal work. Add a Land Registry charge fee of £20 to £65, and there is normally no stamp duty. Updated July 2026.
A remortgage needs legal work to redeem your old loan and register the new lender's charge, but it is far cheaper than a purchase because nothing changes hands. You have two routes: instruct your own conveyancer (£300 to £600 plus VAT), or take the lender's free legals through its panel (£0 for a standard case).
If you are staying with the same lender and only switching to a new rate (a product transfer), there is usually no legal work and no conveyancer fee at all.
Full cost breakdown
| Component | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyancer legal fee (own firm) | £300-£600 +VAT | Some firms quote from £250. Fixed-fee is standard for a remortgage. |
| Lender free legals (alternative) | £0 | Lender's panel firm, standard remortgage only. Extras charged separately. |
| Land Registry charge fee (Scale 2) | £20-£65 | Scale 2, on the mortgage amount not property value. Electronic filing, loans up to £1m; full range in the table below. |
| Official copies of the title | £7 each | HM Land Registry portal fee (£11 postal). |
| Searches and bank transfer fee | £20-£60 | Bankruptcy and priority searches, plus the CHAPS/telegraphic transfer fee. Firm-set. |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax | £0 | None on a plain remortgage. Only arises with a transfer of equity above the threshold. |
| Typical all-in (own conveyancer) | £400-£800 | Legal fee plus VAT, Land Registry and disbursements, no stamp duty. |
The legal fee, searches and bank-transfer figures are typical 2026 market brackets and are set by each firm, not a fixed tariff. The Land Registry and official-copy fees are the statutory HM Land Registry fees below.
Free legals vs your own conveyancer
The single biggest decision on remortgage cost is which of these you take. They are genuinely different products, not just a price difference:
A panel conveyancer chosen by the lender does the work and the lender pays. Costs you nothing on a standard remortgage. The trade-offs: panel firms run high volumes so it can be slower and more impersonal, you do not choose the firm, and non-standard work (transfer of equity, leasehold packs, Help to Buy redemption) is charged as an extra.
You instruct and pay a firm of your choice, typically £300 to £600 plus VAT. You get a named contact, usually faster turnaround, and a firm that can handle complications. Some lenders offer a cashback contribution (often a few hundred pounds) toward your own solicitor as an alternative to free legals, which narrows the gap.
The Land Registry charge fee (Scale 2)
Registering the new lender's charge is the one unavoidable government fee. HM Land Registry assesses it under Scale 2, on the amount of the mortgage rather than the value of the property, so it is far lower than the Scale 1 fee on a purchase. Under the Land Registration Fee Order 2024 (in force since 9 December 2024), the fees are:
| Mortgage amount | Electronic (portal) | Postal |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £100,000 | £20 | £45 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £30 | £70 |
| £200,001 to £500,000 | £45 | £100 |
| £500,001 to £1,000,000 | £65 | £145 |
| £1,000,001 and over | £140 | £305 |
Most remortgage conveyancers file electronically, so the reduced fee applies. Example from HM Land Registry: a remortgage securing £200,000 is assessed under Scale 2 on £200,000, so the fee is £30 electronically.
If you are switching to a new lender, yes. The new lender requires a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to redeem the old mortgage, register its charge and confirm good title, so legal work happens whether you pay for it directly or take free legals.
If you are staying with your current lender and only changing to a new interest rate (a product transfer or rate switch), there is normally no legal work, no conveyancer and no Land Registry fee, because the charge is already registered and ownership has not changed.
Worked example: £250,000 remortgage to a new lender
Own conveyancer, standard freehold house, electronic filing