The average quoted cost of a combined property sale and purchase fell in the third quarter of 2026, according to reallymoving figures reported by Property Industry Eye on 6 November.
The report puts the combined average at £2,365, including VAT, expenses and disbursements. It describes a 3% fall from the previous quarter and a 3.5% decline from a year earlier, based on more than 77,000 quotes generated through the comparison platform.
These are platform quote figures. They are not a national tariff, a guarantee of the bill for a particular transaction or evidence that every conveyancing firm has cut its prices.
What the figures include
The same report gives average purchase costs of £1,479 and selling costs of £887 in Q3. Quoted amounts can vary with the work required, so a buyer comparing firms should first establish whether the proposals cover the same transaction and assumptions.
Avoid adding or comparing headline numbers without checking their basis. A combined sale-and-purchase average serves a different purpose from a quotation for one leasehold purchase or a remortgage.
Read the breakdown
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s transparency guidance separates a firm’s legal charges from disbursements: costs paid to third parties, such as searches. Its guidance also calls for clarity on VAT, the services included, exclusions and likely timescales.
For residential conveyancing, the SRA’s examples recognise that the property and transaction affect the quote. Matters such as tenure, a mortgage, a new build or shared ownership can change what needs to be considered. Lease-specific payments may only become clear once the lease has been reviewed.
Questions worth asking before instructing
Request a written breakdown and ask which amounts are fixed, estimated or dependent on further information. Check how additional work would be approved and how you would be told about a change in the expected total.
Ask who will handle the file, how updates are provided and who covers an absence. If the transaction has a particular complication, describe it at the quotation stage so that the firm can explain its approach.
A lower price can be welcome. The useful comparison is between the complete services offered for your own move, with a clear understanding of what could alter the cost.
Sources checked 8 November 2026: https://propertyindustryeye.com/conveyancing-fees-fall-again-as-competition-squeezes-firms-margins/ https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/transparency-in-price-and-service/