Yes. Every property purchase in the UK needs a solicitor or licensed conveyancer, and it is not optional. Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring property ownership from the seller to you, and it has to be handled by a qualified legal professional.
Your solicitor's role covers the full legal process, including the property searches, reviewing the title, exchanging contracts and completing the transfer of funds. They also register the new ownership with HM Land Registry.
Title & Property Searches
Reviews the title register and carries out local authority, drainage, and environmental searches to identify any legal issues affecting the property.
Contract Review & Negotiation
Reviews the seller's contract, raises enquiries, and negotiates any necessary amendments to protect your interests before you commit.
Exchange of Contracts
At exchange, the sale becomes legally binding for both parties. Your deposit is transferred and a completion date is agreed. Buildings insurance must be in place from this point.
Completion & Registration
Transfers the remaining funds to the seller, pays any Stamp Duty on your behalf, and registers the new ownership at the Land Registry.
Conveyancing fees vary depending on the property value, type (freehold vs. leasehold), and whether you're using a government scheme or specialist mortgage product. Leasehold properties, shared ownership, and Help to Buy all add additional legal complexity and typically increase costs. Your adviser can help connect you with a suitable conveyancer.
Your mortgage lender will have specific insurance requirements, and there are also strongly recommended policies that protect you and your household. Here's a clear breakdown:
Required by Lender
Buildings Insurance
Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of the property: walls, roof, floors and permanent fixtures. Your mortgage lender will require this to be in place as a condition of your mortgage, because the property is their security against the loan.
Strongly Recommended
Contents Insurance
Contents insurance covers your personal belongings within the home: furniture, electronics, clothes and other household items. It is not required by mortgage lenders, but it protects you against theft, damage or unexpected events that could cost thousands to replace.
Strongly Recommended
Life Insurance
Life insurance pays a lump sum to your beneficiaries if you die during the policy term. Many lenders strongly recommend it (and some require it) so that the mortgage can be repaid, protecting any joint owner or dependants from being left with the debt.
There are two main types relevant to mortgages: decreasing term insurance (which reduces in line with your outstanding mortgage balance) and level term insurance (which pays a fixed amount). Your adviser will help you choose the right type and level of cover.
Highly Recommended
Income Protection Insurance
Income protection pays a regular monthly benefit if you are unable to work because of illness or injury, helping you keep up your mortgage payments and other living costs during a difficult period. It matters most if you are self-employed and have no employer sick pay to fall back on.
Your mortgage adviser can discuss and arrange all of these insurance products for you, sourcing the most suitable cover from the market at no additional cost to you.
The quote you get from a conveyancing solicitor is really two bills stapled together: their own legal fee for the work, and a list of third party costs they pay out on your behalf. First time buyer solicitors costs for a straightforward freehold purchase usually land somewhere between £1,500 and £2,500 all in, with stamp duty on top if it applies. Here is where every pound goes, and how to keep the total down.
This is what the solicitor or licensed conveyancer charges for the legal work itself: reviewing the contract, raising enquiries, checking the title, exchanging and completing. Most residential conveyancing firms now quote fixed fees, typically £850 to £1,500 plus VAT for a freehold house, although some still work on a sliding scale that rises with the purchase price. Leasehold adds £200 to £400 because there is a lease to read and a management company to deal with.
Property searches from the local authority, the water company and an environmental agency come to roughly £250 to £450. HM Land Registry fees for registering you as the new owner run from £45 to a few hundred pounds depending on property value. Add a bank transfer fee of £20 to £45 to move the money on completion day, and anti money laundering checks at £10 to £30 per person. Your solicitor does not mark these up, so they should be identical between quotes.
Stamp Duty Land Tax is often the biggest single item, and it is your solicitor who pays it to HMRC on completion. At the time of writing, first time buyer relief in England and Northern Ireland means nothing to pay up to £300,000 and 5% on the slice between £300,001 and £500,000; above £500,000 the relief disappears altogether. Wales charges Land Transaction Tax with no first time buyer relief, and Scotland's Land and Buildings Transaction Tax has its own threshold. Run your figures through our stamp duty calculator before you offer.
A freehold property is the simpler job. With a leasehold property, usually a flat, your solicitor has to review the lease length, ground rent and service charges, obtain a management pack from the freeholder or management company, and serve notices after completion. Those notice fees alone can be £100 to £300, and the extra legal work pushes the total up. It is money well spent: a short lease or an escalating ground rent can make a flat hard to mortgage later.
Cost
Typical range
When it is paid
Solicitor's legal fee
£850 to £1,500 plus VAT
On completion (some ask for a deposit up front)
Property searches
£250 to £450
Up front, when you instruct
HM Land Registry fee
£45 to £330
On completion
Bank transfer fee
£20 to £45
On completion
ID and anti money laundering checks
£10 to £30 per person
Up front
Leasehold notice fees
£100 to £300
After completion (leasehold only)
Stamp Duty Land Tax
£0 for most first time buyers under £300,000
Within 14 days of completion, via your solicitor
Ranges are typical figures we see on client quotes in 2026 and are for illustration only. Your own quote will depend on the property, the firm and the lender.
Say you are a first time buyer paying £300,000 for a freehold semi in Hampshire. A typical quote might read: legal fee £1,100 plus VAT of £220, searches £350, Land Registry fee £150, bank transfer £30 and ID checks £20 for a couple. That is £1,870 in total, and because first time buyer relief covers the full purchase price there is no stamp duty to add. Swap that for a £220,000 leasehold flat and the legal fee rises to around £1,300 plus VAT, with £150 or so of notice fees after completion, so the total creeps towards £2,300 even though the flat is cheaper.
Developers usually want you to exchange within 28 days of reserving, so new build conveyancing needs a firm that knows the process and can hit the deadline. There is often more paperwork too: planning conditions, road and drainage agreements, the new build warranty and any incentives the developer is offering. If you are buying through a government scheme or with a gifted deposit, tell the solicitor at the quote stage so nothing is missed. Our new build mortgages page covers the lender side.
Compare quotes like for like, separating the legal fee from the disbursements, because the disbursements should be the same everywhere. Ask for a fixed fee and a no completion, no fee guarantee so a collapsed purchase does not leave you paying the full legal bill. Check the firm is on your lender's panel; if it is not, the lender appoints its own solicitor and you pay twice. Then avoid delays yourself: have your ID, three months of bank statements and any gifted deposit letter ready on day one.
From the moment contracts are exchanged the property is your risk, even though you do not have the keys. Most lenders make it a condition of the mortgage offer, so we arrange the policy to go live on exchange day. For a typical semi the premium is a few hundred pounds a year, and it is based on the rebuild cost rather than the market value. If you are buying a flat, the freeholder normally insures the block and you pay your share through the service charge, so check before you buy a separate policy. See our buildings and contents insurance page for the detail.
Nobody makes you insure your belongings, but a burst pipe or a break-in in your first month would be a miserable start. Contents policies are usually inexpensive, and buying buildings and contents together from one insurer tends to be cheaper than two separate policies. Add up what it would cost to replace everything you own before you pick a cover limit; most people underestimate it.
Decreasing term cover falls in line with a repayment mortgage balance and is the cheaper option, which is why it is the usual recommendation for a first home. Level term pays the same lump sum throughout and suits people who also want to leave money for a family. The premium depends on your age, health, whether you smoke and how long the term is. Writing the policy in trust means the payout goes straight to the people you choose rather than through probate. Our life insurance page explains the options.
Life cover only pays out if you die. A serious illness or a long spell off work is statistically more likely during a 25 year mortgage, which is where critical illness cover and income protection come in. Income protection pays a monthly amount after a deferred period you choose (the longer you wait, the cheaper it is), so it can be tailored to whatever sick pay your employer offers. We arrange all of this alongside the mortgage and are paid by the insurer, so there is no extra fee to you.
Nothing is due at the Agreement in Principle stage. Once your offer is accepted you instruct the solicitor and pay for the searches, usually £300 to £450. The mortgage offer arrives a few weeks later. At exchange you transfer your deposit and your buildings insurance goes live. On completion day the solicitor pays the balance to the seller, settles the Land Registry fee, the bank transfer fee and any stamp duty, and sends you their invoice. If the purchase falls through before exchange you lose the search fees and any survey costs, which is why a no completion, no fee agreement matters. Our guide to deposits, borrowing and costs covers the rest of the budget.
No. The seller's solicitor acts for the seller, and both sides need independent advice. Using the same firm would be a conflict of interest, and your lender would not accept it.
A single agreed legal fee for the whole transaction, regardless of how many hours the work takes. Disbursements are still charged at cost on top, so always ask for the total including them.
Not directly. Lenders will not lend against fees, so the money has to come from your savings. Some lenders offer a cashback or free legals incentive on certain products, which we will flag if it suits your case.
The usual culprits are a leasehold title that was not disclosed at the quote stage, a gifted deposit that needs extra checks, or a lender that is not on the firm's panel. A good firm tells you about these at the start, so ask before you instruct.
No. Most conveyancing is done by email and phone, and we work with firms across the country. A local firm can help with unusual properties or a difficult chain, but for a standard purchase the important things are the fee, the lender panel and how quickly they respond.
It is not a legal or lender requirement for most residential mortgages, but if anyone depends on your income it is one of the first things we discuss. Buildings insurance, on the other hand, almost always is a condition of the offer.
Want a realistic figure for your own purchase? Get in touch on 03300 432 428 and we will talk you through the solicitor, insurance and protection costs alongside your first time buyer mortgage, at no cost to you.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Insurance figures on this page are for illustration only and are not a personal recommendation.
Speak to one of our fee free mortgage advisers today. We will work out your affordability, explain your options in plain English and help you move forward with confidence.
