Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Strategy. Read the original article for full details.
Conveyancing Costs Remain Steady Despite Rising UK House Prices
Conveyancing costs have remained stable even as average UK house prices increased, according to research from Lyons Bowe solicitors. The analysis found that conveyancing continued to account for 0.53% of the average property’s value between April 2025 and April 2026.
Lyons Bowe’s research showed that the average cost of buying a freehold property rose from £1,383 in April 2025 to £1,439 in April 2026. Over the same period, the average UK house price increased from £260,162 to £270,080. Despite these changes, the proportion of conveyancing costs relative to property value remained unchanged year-on-year.
The study examined average conveyancing fees for freehold purchases alongside average house prices across every UK region. In the East Midlands, East of England, North West, South West, and across the UK as a whole, conveyancing represented exactly the same proportion of the average house price in both years. Where regional variations did occur, the changes were described as modest.
In London, average house prices fell by 2.1%, while conveyancing fees remained virtually unchanged. This resulted in conveyancing accounting for 0.32% of the average property value in the capital. In Scotland, conveyancing costs increased more quickly than average house prices, with fees rising from 0.62% to 0.69% of the average property’s value. Meanwhile, in the North East and Northern Ireland, stronger house price growth meant conveyancing represented a slightly smaller share of the average purchase price than a year earlier.
The research compared annual changes in both legal fees and property values to assess how conveyancing costs have changed relative to the wider housing market. For letting agents and inventory clerks, these findings highlight the ongoing stability of conveyancing fees as a proportion of property value, even as market conditions fluctuate.
Source: Mortgage Strategy