Conveyancing Quote Calculator: Estimate Your Legal Costs
Buying or selling a property involves significant legal work, known as conveyancing. These legal services come with costs that can add a substantial amount to your overall budget. Our Conveyancing Quote Calculator helps you estimate these expenses, including legal fees, third-party costs (disbursements), and Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), giving you a clearer financial picture for your property transaction.
How to Use Our Conveyancing Calculator
To get an estimate, simply provide the following details about your property transaction:
- Property Price (£): The agreed price for the property you are buying or selling. This is the biggest factor in determining tax and some fees.
- Transaction Type: Specify whether you are only buying, only selling, or doing both simultaneously. This changes the services and disbursements required.
- Property Type: Indicate if the property is freehold (you own the building and the land it stands on) or leasehold (you own the property for a fixed period but not the land). Leasehold transactions involve more legal work and are typically more expensive.
- First-Time Buyer Status: If you are buying, confirming whether you are a first-time buyer is crucial for calculating the correct amount of Stamp Duty Land Tax, as significant reliefs are available.
Understanding Your Conveyancing Quote
A conveyancing quote is typically broken down into three main parts. Our calculator provides an estimate for each of these components.
Legal Fees (Solicitor's Fees)
This is the fee your solicitor or conveyancer charges for their professional time, expertise, and the work involved in managing the legal transfer of property ownership. This includes drafting contracts, raising enquiries, advising you on legal matters, and handling the exchange of funds. Our estimate is based on a tiered scale relative to the property's value and complexity (e.g., leasehold).
Disbursements
Disbursements are third-party costs that your solicitor pays on your behalf as part of the process. These are then passed on to you at cost. Common disbursements include:
- Local Authority Searches: Checks with the local council for information on planning, building control, and nearby road schemes. (Cost: £150 – £400)
- Land Registry Fees: A compulsory fee paid to HM Land Registry to register the change of ownership. The fee is based on the property's value.
- Bank Transfer (CHAPS) Fees: A fee charged by the bank to securely transfer large sums of money, such as the purchase price. (Cost: £25 – £40 per transfer)
- Environmental & Water/Drainage Searches: Checks for issues like flood risk, contaminated land, and public sewer connections. (Cost: £100 – £200)
- Leasehold Information Pack: If selling a leasehold property, this pack must be obtained from the landlord or managing agent. (Cost: £200 – £500+)
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
SDLT is a government tax payable on property purchases in England and Northern Ireland. The amount you pay is calculated on a tiered basis, depending on the property price and your buyer status. First-time buyers benefit from reduced or zero SDLT on properties up to a certain value. Sellers do not pay SDLT. Note: The rates used in this calculator are for England & NI and are subject to change by the government. This calculation does not account for higher rates on additional dwellings.
Example Conveyancing Calculation
Let's consider a first-time buyer purchasing a freehold property for £300,000.
- Property Price: £300,000
- Transaction: Buying
- Property Type: Freehold
- First-Time Buyer: Yes
An estimated quote would be:
- Estimated Legal Fee: £1,150.00
- Estimated Disbursements: £430.00 (including searches and Land Registry fees)
- Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT): £0.00 (due to first-time buyer relief on properties up to £425,000)
- Total Estimated Cost: £1,580.00
Factors That Can Affect Your Conveyancing Quote
While our calculator provides a solid estimate, certain factors can increase the complexity and cost of conveyancing. These include new build properties, shared ownership schemes, Help to Buy ISAs, gifted deposits, and properties in areas with specific local issues. Always obtain a detailed, fixed-fee quote from a qualified solicitor before instructing them to proceed.
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function calculateConveyancing() {
var propertyPrice = parseFloat(document.getElementById('propertyPrice').value);
var transactionType = document.getElementById('transactionType').value;
var propertyType = document.getElementById('propertyType').value;
var isFirstTimeBuyer = document.querySelector('input[name="isFirstTimeBuyer"]:checked').value === 'yes';
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result');
if (isNaN(propertyPrice) || propertyPrice <= 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid property price.';
return;
}
var legalFee = 0;
var disbursements = 0;
var stampDuty = 0;
// 1. Calculate Legal Fee (based on tiers and complexity)
if (propertyPrice <= 150000) {
legalFee = 850;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 300000) {
legalFee = 1150;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 500000) {
legalFee = 1350;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 1000000) {
legalFee = 1800;
} else {
legalFee = 2500;
}
if (propertyType === 'leasehold') {
legalFee += 250; // Leasehold supplement
}
if (transactionType === 'both') {
legalFee = legalFee * 1.75; // Discount for handling both sides
}
// 2. Calculate Disbursements
var bankTransferFee = 35;
var landRegistrySearchFee = 6; // Office copies for selling
var landRegistryRegistrationFee = 0;
var searchPackFee = 350; // For buying (Local, Water, Enviro)
// Land Registry Fee Scale (Electronic) for purchase
if (propertyPrice <= 80000) {
landRegistryRegistrationFee = 20;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 100000) {
landRegistryRegistrationFee = 40;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 200000) {
landRegistryRegistrationFee = 100;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 500000) {
landRegistryRegistrationFee = 150;
} else if (propertyPrice <= 1000000) {
landRegistryRegistrationFee = 295;
} else {
landRegistryRegistrationFee = 500;
}
if (transactionType === 'buying') {
disbursements = searchPackFee + landRegistryRegistrationFee + bankTransferFee;
} else if (transactionType === 'selling') {
disbursements = landRegistrySearchFee + bankTransferFee;
} else if (transactionType === 'both') {
disbursements = searchPackFee + landRegistryRegistrationFee + landRegistrySearchFee + (bankTransferFee * 2);
}
if (propertyType === 'leasehold' && (transactionType === 'selling' || transactionType === 'both')) {
disbursements += 300; // Estimated cost for management pack
}
// 3. Calculate Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for England & NI
if (transactionType === 'buying' || transactionType === 'both') {
var price = propertyPrice;
if (isFirstTimeBuyer && price 425000) {
stampDuty = (price – 425000) * 0.05;
} else {
stampDuty = 0;
}
} else {
// Standard Rates
var tax = 0;
if (price > 250000) {
var band1 = Math.min(price, 925000) – 250000;
tax += band1 * 0.05;
}
if (price > 925000) {
var band2 = Math.min(price, 1500000) – 925000;
tax += band2 * 0.10;
}
if (price > 1500000) {
var band3 = price – 1500000;
tax += band3 * 0.12;
}
stampDuty = tax;
}
}
var totalCost = legalFee + disbursements + stampDuty;
var resultHTML = '
Estimated Conveyancing Quote
';
resultHTML += '
';
resultHTML += '| Estimated Legal Fee: | £' + legalFee.toFixed(2) + ' |
';
resultHTML += '| Estimated Disbursements: | £' + disbursements.toFixed(2) + ' |
';
resultHTML += '| Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT): | £' + stampDuty.toFixed(2) + ' |
';
resultHTML += '| Total Estimated Cost: | £' + totalCost.toFixed(2) + ' |
';
resultHTML += '
';
resultHTML += '
Disclaimer: This is an estimate for informational purposes only. It does not include costs for non-standard work, additional property SDLT rates, or VAT on fees. Please seek a formal quote from a qualified solicitor for an exact price.';
resultDiv.innerHTML = resultHTML;
}