Fixed fee conveyancing explained
Nobody wants a legal bill that’s higher than the number they budgeted for. That’s the whole appeal of fixed fee conveyancing, a single agreed price for the legal work, decided before you instruct anyone.
But “fixed fee” gets used loosely across the industry, and it doesn’t always mean what people assume. Here’s what it actually covers, what’s usually charged on top, and how Best Value Conveyancing’s own Fixed Legal Fee Guarantee works.
One of three guarantees included as standard with every quote.
What fixed fee conveyancing means
Instead of billing by the hour, your solicitor agrees a set price upfront for the standard legal work involved in your sale or purchase. You know the number before you commit, and it shouldn’t move just because the transaction takes a few extra weeks.
That typically covers things like:
- Reviewing and preparing the contract
- Liaising with your mortgage lender
- Confirming the legal title of the property
- Registering the change of ownership with the Land Registry
- Submitting your Stamp Duty Land Tax return
- Raising and answering enquiries from the other side
What a fixed fee usually doesn't include
This is where most confusion comes from. A fixed fee covers your solicitor’s own legal work. It doesn’t automatically include disbursements, the third party costs paid out on your behalf during the transaction, most commonly search fees and Land Registry fees.
Those costs are real, they’re just separate from the legal fee itself. A properly fixed quote should list them clearly rather than folding them in or leaving them for later.
There’s also a small number of cases where something genuinely unexpected comes up mid transaction, a complication with the title, or extra work a leasehold property needs, for example. A fixed fee firm worth using will talk you through any extra charge and why it applies, rather than letting it show up unexplained on the final bill.
See how much conveyancing typically costs for a full breakdown.
What to check before choosing a fixed fee conveyancer
Not every firm means the same thing by “fixed fee”. Before you commit, it’s worth checking:
- Whether disbursements are listed separately, or vaguely bundled into one number
- Whether you’d be told about any extra charge before it’s added, or find out on the final bill
- Whether the fee is genuinely fixed for your specific transaction type, or a starting price that assumes the simplest case
- If you’re using an intermediary with a panel of solicitors, whether every firm on that panel is actually bound to honour the fee you were quoted
That last point matters more than people realise. A quote is only as fixed as the firm doing the work is required to stick to it.
Our guide on what makes the best conveyancing solicitors covers the wider checklist.
Best Value Conveyancing's Fixed Legal Fee Guarantee
We aim to provide a fixed legal fee quote for every service and product on our site. It’s based on the details you give us being complete and accurate, since that’s what the quote is built on.
In a small number of transactions, something comes up that genuinely couldn’t be foreseen at the outset. If that happens, your conveyancer will talk it through with you and explain exactly what the extra charge is for, before it’s added, not after.
We work with a panel of service providers across England and Wales, and under our partnership agreements, every one of them has to honour the fixed legal fee quote we’ve given you. If a provider ever tries to charge you more than that, get in touch with us directly and we’ll sort it out.
This guarantee covers the price. Our No Move, No Fee guarantee covers what happens to that fee if your transaction doesn’t complete, and our Search Rebate helps if you end up paying for searches twice.
Get your instant quote to see your fixed legal fee, or call us on 0800 038 7007.