You’ve found a home, your offer has been accepted, and now the paperwork starts. One of the first questions most buyers ask is when you pay solicitors’ fees when buying a house, and how much cash you need to have ready along the way.
The short answer is that you’ll usually pay a smaller amount upfront for searches and checks, then the rest of your conveyancing fees later in the process, either before exchange or just before completion. Take a look at our guide for a rundown of conveyancing fees.
The timing is the same whether you use a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. At Bespoke Law Services, we’re licensed conveyancers, so this guide uses both terms. It covers buying a property in England and Wales.
| Quick answer: When do you pay solicitors’ fees when buying a house? Most buyers make a payment on account when they instruct a conveyancer, to cover early costs such as searches and ID checks. The rest of the legal fee, plus disbursements and Stamp Duty, is paid later. Depending on the firm, that’s either before exchange or just before completion. |
When Do You Pay Conveyancing Fees? Your Payment Timeline
The payment timeline follows the stages of conveyancing for buyers. Before looking at each stage, it helps to know that you pay your conveyancer two kinds of money, as well as the deposit and purchase price itself:
- The legal fee – your conveyancer’s charge for the legal work, plus VAT
- Disbursements – costs your conveyancer pays to other organisations on your behalf, such as search providers, HM Land Registry and HMRC
Disbursements are the reason some money is needed early. Your conveyancer can’t order searches until the search fees are covered, for example. The table below shows when each payment usually falls due.
| Stage | What you pay | When it’s due |
| You instruct a conveyancer | Payment on account (covers early checks and often searches) | When you sign the terms of business |
| Searches are ordered | Search fees, if not already covered | When the searches are ordered |
| Survey and mortgage | Survey and any lender or broker fees, paid directly to them (not conveyancing costs) | When you book or apply |
| Before exchange | Your deposit, and with some firms part of the legal fee | As cleared funds before exchange |
| Before completion | The balance: remaining legal fee, disbursements, Stamp Duty and the rest of the purchase price | By the deadline on your completion statement |
| After completion | Nothing more, unless there’s a shortfall. Your conveyancer pays HMRC and HM Land Registry for you | Within the legal deadlines |
Most purchases take around 8 to 12 weeks from offer to exchange, and completion usually follows 1 to 2 weeks later. With no chain, the whole process often takes around 8 to 12 weeks. Your timeline may be shorter or longer depending on the chain, your mortgage and the searches. Our guide to how long it takes to exchange contracts breaks this down stage by stage.
When you instruct your conveyancer
Many conveyancers ask for a payment on account when you instruct them. It’s sometimes called a deposit or retainer, but it’s separate from the deposit on the house. It’s held in the firm’s client account and covers early costs such as ID and anti-money laundering checks, and often the searches.
It isn’t an extra cost: the payment on account is credited against your final bill. Some firms don’t ask for one, and the amount varies.
Our payment on account is £270 – you’ll need this money soon after you accept your offer, before any mortgage funds are released, so include it in your budget from the start. We’ll also ask you to pay for your search pack up front, which is £333.60.
Early in the process: search fees
Searches are usually the first disbursement, because your conveyancer has to pay the council and search providers before the results come back. Some firms include search fees in the payment on account, and others ask for them separately as soon as the searches are ordered. Search costs vary by council and property.
Once your conveyancer has ordered and paid for the searches, that money usually can’t be refunded, even if the purchase doesn’t go ahead.
Find out what searches are done when buying a house and why they matter.
Before exchange: your deposit
Your deposit isn’t a conveyancing fee, but it’s paid to your conveyancer and must be in their account as cleared funds before contracts can be exchanged. On exchange, your conveyancer sends it to the seller’s conveyancer, and the purchase becomes legally binding. For more information, read our guide to exchange of contracts.
Some firms also ask for part or all of the legal fee at this point, which is why some buyers remember paying their solicitor before they exchange. Your terms of business will say whether this applies.
If you’re a first-time buyer using a Lifetime ISA or a gifted deposit, tell your conveyancer as early as possible. Your conveyancer requests Lifetime ISA funds from your provider, which takes time.
Lifetime ISA money can’t be used for your exchange deposit, because it’s released for completion, so you’ll need to pay that deposit from other savings. Gifted money needs its own source-of-funds checks.
Both involve extra work, so they carry a supplement: at Bespoke Law Services, it’s £175 plus VAT for a Lifetime ISA and £150 plus VAT for a gifted deposit, and both are included in your quote from the start.
Taking your first step onto the property ladder? Explore each step of the process so you know exactly what to expect with our step-by-step first-time buyer conveyancing guide.
Before completion: the balance
After exchange, your conveyancer sends you a completion statement showing the total still needed. You pay the balance as cleared funds by the deadline given, which is usually a few working days before completion.
At Bespoke Law Services, we need cleared funds at least four working days before completion.
Your mortgage lender sends its money directly to your conveyancer, usually just before completion. On completion day, your conveyancer sends the full purchase price to the seller’s conveyancer, and the keys are released.
After completion: what your conveyancer pays for you
You don’t pay anything further after completion unless there’s a shortfall. Your conveyancer uses the money you’ve already sent to:
- Pay Stamp Duty Land Tax – the return must be filed and the tax paid to HMRC within 14 days of completion. Buyers in Wales pay Land Transaction Tax to the Welsh Revenue Authority within 30 days instead. Our guide explains how Stamp Duty works.
- Register you as the owner – contacting HM Land Registry and paying the registration fee.
If you’ve overpaid, for example because a disbursement cost less than estimated, the difference is refunded.
Are Conveyancing Fees Paid Upfront, on Exchange or on Completion?
For most buyers, conveyancing fees are payable in two parts: a smaller amount upfront, and the rest before completion. The legal fee itself is usually part of the completion balance, although some firms ask for it before exchange instead. Your completion statement and terms of business confirm which applies to you.
If you’d rather pay as little as possible upfront, some firms offer ’no completion, no fee’ terms, where you don’t pay the legal fee if the purchase doesn’t go ahead. You’ll usually still pay for searches and checks early on, because these costs are paid to other organisations.
How Much Are Solicitors’ Fees When Buying a House?
According to Reallymoving, the average cost of conveyancing when buying a house is £1,509, including VAT and disbursements. Our fixed legal fee for conveyancing starts from £400 plus VAT, with disbursements listed separately so you can see exactly where your money goes.
What you pay depends on:
- The property price – some firms charge more for higher-value homes.
- Leasehold or freehold – leasehold purchases need extra work on the lease.
- Your mortgage – acting for your lender adds work.
- Extras – such as shared ownership, new builds, a Lifetime ISA or a gifted deposit.
On top of the legal fee, you’ll pay disbursements like searches, HM Land Registry fees and Stamp Duty.
How much cash do you need ready?
Before you start, budget for:
- The payment on account
- Search fees, if not included in the payment on account
- Your survey
- Your deposit, before exchange
- The completion balance, including Stamp Duty
Fixed fee or hourly rate: does it change when you pay?
The way your conveyancer charges affects how predictable your payments are.
| Fixed fee | Hourly rate | |
| When you know the total | From the start | When the work is finished |
| How you’re billed | Payment on account, then the balance at the agreed stage | Payment on account, then possibly interim bills as the work goes on |
| Best for | Budgeting with certainty | Unusual transactions where the work is hard to predict |
Most residential conveyancing is charged on a fixed-fee basis. At Bespoke Law Services, our fixed legal fee for a purchase is:
- £400 plus VAT if you’re buying without a mortgage
- £450 plus VAT with a mortgage
This means you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying before we start. Some purchases need extra work, which is added to your quote at the outset: £200 plus VAT for a leasehold property, and £175 plus VAT for shared ownership.
Check your quote for what the fee includes, whether VAT is shown, which disbursements are listed separately and what you’d pay if the purchase falls through.
Want to know your figures upfront? Get a fixed-fee conveyancing quote with our fees and disbursements set out in full.
What’s on Your Completion Statement?
Your completion statement is the document that tells you exactly how much to send before completion. It lists the money coming in, the money going out, and the difference you need to cover.
A completion statement may include the following items:
- The property’s purchase price
- The deposit paid
- Your mortgage advance
- Your payment on account
- Outstanding mortgage balance (for sellers)
- Conveyancing fees and VAT
- Searches and other disbursements
- Stamp Duty Land Tax
- HM Land Registry fees
- Balance due (paid to the conveyancer)
Before you pay, check the statement against your original quote and ask your conveyancer about anything different. It’s much easier to sort out a query before completion day than after.
Pay the balance by the deadline on the statement, so it has time to clear. If the money arrives late, your conveyancer may not be able to send the purchase funds on time, and that can delay completion for you and anyone else in the chain.
What Do You Pay If Your Purchase Falls Through?
If your purchase falls through before exchange, what you owe depends on how far the work has gone and what your terms of business say.
- Disbursements already paid – searches and ID checks usually can’t be refunded, because your conveyancer has already paid them to other organisations.
- The legal fee – with a standard fixed fee, your terms of business should explain what you’d owe at each stage. With an hourly rate, you’ll usually pay for the time spent so far.
- Abortive fees – some firms charge a reduced ‘abortive fee’ if a purchase doesn’t complete, even when they advertise ‘no completion, no fee’. Check the terms for exactly what’s charged and when before you instruct anyone.
What if it falls through after exchange?
Once contracts are exchanged, the purchase is legally binding. If you pull out at this stage, you’ll usually lose your deposit, often 10% of the purchase price, and you could be liable for the seller’s further losses. This is why it’s important to have your mortgage offer, survey and funds in place before you exchange.
You can reduce the risk of paying for a purchase that doesn’t go ahead by getting a mortgage agreement in principle before you make an offer, and by booking your survey early so any problems come to light before costs build up.
For a full breakdown of each cost, see our guide to conveyancing fees.
When Do Sellers Pay Conveyancing Fees?
Sellers usually pay less upfront than buyers. Some firms ask for a small payment on account, while others ask for nothing until the end. The rest is normally taken from the sale proceeds on completion.
On completion day, the buyer’s money arrives with your conveyancer, who then pays off your mortgage, deducts their own fees and any disbursements, pays the estate agent if you’ve asked them to, and sends you what’s left. Your completion statement shows each of these deductions.
If you’re buying and selling at the same time, your conveyancer usually prepares one completion statement covering both. The proceeds from your sale go towards your purchase, so you only need to send any shortfall. Find out more about selling your property with us.
Solicitor vs Licensed Conveyancer: Does It Change What You Pay?
The legal costs of buying a home are often called ’solicitor fees’, although you don’t need a solicitor to handle your purchase. Licensed conveyancers can do the same legal work, and you pay them at the same stages set out in this guide.
The difference is in their training and focus – a solicitor is qualified across many areas of law, and conveyancing is one of the services they may offer.
Meanwhile, a licensed conveyancer specialises in property law, so buying and selling homes is their main focus. Conveyancers such as Bespoke Law Services are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, which sets standards for their training, conduct and how they handle client money.
| Licensed conveyancer | Solicitor | |
| Regulated by | Council for Licensed Conveyancers | Solicitors Regulation Authority |
| Area of expertise | Specialises in property law | Qualified across many areas of law, which may include property |
| Work on a house purchase | Title checks, searches, enquiries, your lender, exchange, completion and registration | The same |
| Typical fee structure | Usually a fixed fee | Fixed fee or hourly rate |
| When you pay | Payment on account, then the balance before exchange or completion | The same |
| Client protection | Regulated, with professional indemnity insurance and client money held in a separate client account | The same |
Because a licensed conveyancer focuses on property, their fees for a straightforward purchase can be lower than a solicitor’s for the same work. Choosing a conveyancer doesn’t limit your mortgage options either, as long as they’re on your lender’s panel.
Our residential conveyancing team handles purchases, sales and remortgages across England and Wales on a fixed fee, and we’re on all the main mortgage lender panels.
How to Pay Your Conveyancer Safely
Large payments to your conveyancer, such as your deposit and the completion balance, are made by bank transfer. Some firms accept a debit or credit card for smaller amounts, such as the payment on account.
Before you send a large transfer:
- Check your bank’s limits – many banks set daily limits on online transfers, and large payments can trigger extra security checks, so contact your bank in advance if you need to.
- Allow time for the money to clear – send it well before the deadline your conveyancer gives you.
- Confirm the bank details by phone – call your conveyancer on a number you already have, such as one from their website or your client care letter, and check the account details before you pay.
- Send a small test payment – wait for your conveyancer to confirm it’s arrived before sending the larger figure.
Watch out for email fraud
Criminals sometimes send emails that look like they’re from a conveyancer, asking buyers to pay into a new bank account.
We’ll never change our bank details by email. If you get an email like this that looks like it’s from us, don’t reply to it or pay anything. Instead, please contact our team immediately by phone on 0345 373 2030 or email enquiries@bespokelawservices.co.uk.
Know What You’ll Pay and When With Bespoke Law Services
If you’re wondering when you pay solicitor fees when buying a house, the clearest answer comes from your own quote and terms of business.
With Bespoke Law Services, you’ll get a fixed, itemised quote that shows what you’ll pay and when, before any work starts. When you instruct us to do your conveyancing, you get:
- A fixed legal fee, with disbursements listed separately
- A dedicated conveyancer for your purchase
- A service available through all the major mortgage lender panels
- Peace of mind, because we’re regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers
- Access to an online service designed for buyers and sellers across England and Wales
Solicitor Fees When Buying a House: FAQs
Is the payment on account taken off my final bill?
Yes. Any payment on account you’ve made is credited against your total costs, and it appears on your completion statement as money already received. It isn’t an extra charge on top of your quoted fee.
How many days before completion do I need to send the money?
Your conveyancer will give you a deadline on your completion statement, usually a few working days before completion. At Bespoke Law Services, we need cleared funds at least four working days before completion, so we can send the money to the seller’s conveyancer on the day.
When do I pay conveyancing fees?
You’ll usually make a payment on account when you instruct your conveyancer, then pay the remaining legal fee and disbursements as part of your completion balance. Some firms ask for the legal fee before exchange instead. Your terms of business will confirm the timing.
When do I pay Stamp Duty?
You send the Stamp Duty to your conveyancer as part of your completion balance. They then file the return and pay HMRC on your behalf within 14 days of completion. In Wales, Land Transaction Tax is paid to the Welsh Revenue Authority within 30 days.
Is VAT charged on conveyancing fees?
Yes, VAT is charged on the legal fee. Some disbursements, such as certain searches, may include VAT, but Stamp Duty and the HM Land Registry fee don’t.
Can I pay conveyancing fees in instalments?
Most firms don’t offer instalment plans, but the cost is naturally spread out across the payment on account, any early search fees and the completion balance. If you need a different arrangement, ask your conveyancer before you instruct them.
Can solicitors’ fees be added to my mortgage?
Usually not. Your mortgage advance goes to your conveyancer to pay for the property itself, so your legal fees need to come from your own funds. This is different from a lender’s arrangement fee, which some lenders let you add to the loan.
If you’re selling a property at the same time, the proceeds of your sale can be used to cover your purchase costs, including your conveyancing fees.
Do I pay the estate agent when buying a house?
Usually not. The seller normally pays the estate agent. As a buyer, you pay your own conveyancer, surveyor and any mortgage lender or broker fees.
Do I need to pay anything before my offer is accepted?
You won’t usually pay any conveyancing fees until you instruct a conveyancer, which normally happens once your offer is accepted. You might pay for a mortgage agreement in principle or a broker before then, depending on the provider.
