How to Compare Conveyancing Quotes Properly

Comparing conveyancing quotes properly means looking well beyond the headline price: get every quote in writing, check whether it's fixed or an estimate, make sure disbursements and VAT are itemised rather than bundled or hidden, and weigh all of that against reviews and communication style before you decide. A quote that looks £150 cheaper on the surface can easily end up costing more once extras are added, or turn into a worse experience if the firm behind it is slow to respond.

Getting conveyancing quotes is easy. Most firms will give you a number within minutes of an online enquiry. Comparing them properly is the part people rush, usually because it's tempting to just pick whichever figure looks smallest and move on with the rest of your to-do list. That approach can work out fine. It can also mean discovering, three months into your purchase, that your "cheap" quote wasn't quite what it seemed.

This article sets out a proper method for comparing quotes, what to ask for, what the numbers actually mean, and how to weigh price against everything else that affects how smoothly your transaction goes. As ever, a disclaimer: I'm a blogger who writes about the property process, not a solicitor or licensed conveyancer, so this is general guidance rather than advice tailored to your own transaction.

One thing worth saying before we get into the detail: there's nothing wrong with price being an important factor. Most people have a budget and conveyancing isn't cheap. The goal here isn't to talk you out of caring about cost, it's to help you compare like with like, so the number you're comparing actually means what you think it means.

Table of contents

• Why comparing quotes properly actually matters
• What a proper conveyancing quote should include
• Fixed fee versus estimate: what's the difference
• Common hidden extras to watch for
• How many quotes to get, and where from
• Building a proper like-for-like comparison
• Factors beyond price worth weighing in
• Questions to ask before you instruct anyone
• FAQs about comparing conveyancing quotes
• Summary and what to do next

Why comparing quotes properly actually matters

A conveyancing quote isn't a single, standardised number the way a supermarket price tag is. Firms structure their fees differently, some quote a low legal fee and charge more for disbursements, others do the opposite, and a small handful add costs later that weren't mentioned upfront at all.

The real risk of comparing headline figures alone

If you only compare the top-line number on each quote, you're really comparing marketing figures, not the actual cost of your transaction. Two quotes that look £100 apart at first glance can end up nearly identical, or wildly different, once everything included is accounted for properly.

This happens because there's no single, universally standardised way for firms to lay out a conveyancing quote. Some present a genuinely all-in figure. Others quote a low legal fee and let disbursements do the heavy lifting on the total cost. Neither approach is dishonest by itself, but it means the number that first catches your eye isn't always the number that matters most.

It affects more than just your wallet

A proper comparison also tells you something about how a firm operates. A quote that's vague, incomplete, or reluctant to put figures in writing is itself a useful data point, quite separate from the number involved. Firms that are upfront and thorough about pricing often (though not always) carry that same thoroughness into how they handle the rest of your transaction.

What a proper conveyancing quote should include

Before you can compare anything meaningfully, it helps to know what a complete quote actually looks like.

The core components

• Legal fee: the firm's own charge for carrying out the conveyancing work itself
• Disbursements: third-party costs the firm pays on your behalf, such as search fees, Land Registry fees, and bank transfer charges
• VAT: charged on the legal fee and on most disbursements, and easy to miss if a quote only shows figures excluding VAT
• Any conditional extras: charges that apply only in certain situations, such as leasehold administration fees or indemnity insurance

What to insist on seeing

A trustworthy quote should be provided in writing, itemised clearly enough that you can see each component separately, and specific about which figures include VAT and which don't. If a firm only gives you a single verbal number over the phone, ask for the same thing in writing before you take it seriously as a comparison point.

Fixed fee versus estimate: what's the difference

This distinction matters more than it sounds, and it's often glossed over during the quote stage.

Fixed fee quotes

A genuine fixed fee means the price agreed at the outset shouldn't change, provided your transaction proceeds as described (freehold rather than leasehold, no unusual complications, and so on). If circumstances change, say, a survey reveals the property is actually leasehold when you thought it was freehold, a fixed fee can still increase, but a reputable firm should explain clearly upfront what might trigger that.

Estimate-based quotes

An estimate is more of a starting point than a promise. Some firms use these deliberately because conveyancing genuinely can become more complex partway through, and they'd rather give a realistic estimate than a fixed number they later have to revise upwards, which can feel worse to a client even if the final cost is similar.

Why you need to know which one you're getting

• Comparing a fixed fee against an estimate isn't really a fair like-for-like comparison
• Ask directly: "is this a fixed fee, or an estimate that could change?"
• Ask what specific circumstances would cause the price to increase
• Get the answer in writing alongside the quote itself, not as a separate verbal reassurance

Common hidden extras to watch for

Some costs have a habit of appearing later in the process, even when a firm hasn't done anything improper, simply because they weren't mentioned clearly at the quote stage.

Extras worth specifically asking about

• Telegraphic transfer fees: a charge for transferring funds electronically, sometimes listed separately from the main legal fee
• Leasehold administration or management pack fees: additional charges that apply specifically to leasehold transactions
• ID verification or anti-money-laundering check fees: increasingly common as a separate line item
• Indemnity insurance premiums: sometimes needed to resolve a specific legal issue found during the transaction
• Fees for dealing with a mortgage lender's solicitor separately, if applicable: relevant if the firm doesn't act for both you and your lender
• Charges if the transaction falls through: some firms charge a reduced fee for work done up to that point, others don't, and it's worth knowing which applies before you commit

The simplest way to avoid surprises

Ask each firm directly for a complete list of every possible additional charge that could apply to your specific transaction, not just the standard ones. Most firms will happily provide this in writing if asked directly, and a firm that resists doing so is worth treating with a bit of extra caution.

How many quotes to get, and where from

There's no fixed rule here, but there's a sensible middle ground between accepting the first quote you get and requesting so many that the process becomes exhausting.

A reasonable approach

• Get two or three quotes as a general minimum, enough to spot obvious outliers without dragging the process out for weeks
• Mix your sources: try an independent comparison site, a recommendation if you have one, and perhaps a local firm you've found through your own research
• Make sure at least one quote comes from a firm you haven't been specifically referred to, purely as a sense check against any potential referral fee arrangements elsewhere
• Give each firm the same information about your transaction, so the quotes you get back are actually comparable

Giving accurate information upfront

Quotes are only as good as the information they're based on. If you tell one firm your purchase is a straightforward freehold and don't mention to another that it's actually a leasehold flat with a short lease remaining, you'll end up comparing two completely different scenarios without realising it. Be as accurate and consistent as you can when describing your transaction to each firm you approach.

It's worth including details like whether you're part of a chain, whether you're using a mortgage, roughly what the property is worth, and anything unusual you already know about, a new-build with a management company, an ex-council flat, a property with a short lease. The more consistent the picture you give each firm, the more genuinely comparable the numbers that come back will be.

Building a proper like-for-like comparison

Once you've got two or three written quotes, it helps to lay them out side by side rather than trying to hold the comparison in your head.

A simple comparison table approach

1. List the legal fee for each firm, with and without VAT clearly marked
2. List all disbursements separately for each firm, checking they cover the same items
3. Add up the true total for each quote, including VAT and all disbursements
4. Note whether each quote is fixed or an estimate
5. Note any conditional extras that might apply to your specific transaction
6. Record what happens to the fee under each firm if the transaction falls through

Doing this properly usually reveals that the gap between quotes is smaller, or larger, than it first appeared. Sometimes the "expensive-looking" quote turns out to be the most complete and, once genuinely compared, actually cheaper overall.

It doesn't need to be complicated. A simple spreadsheet or even a page in a notebook, one column per firm, one row per cost item, is enough to make the comparison genuinely useful. The point isn't to produce something polished, it's to force yourself to look at every quote in the same amount of detail, rather than giving the cheapest-looking one an easy pass and scrutinising the others more closely.

Factors beyond price worth weighing in

Price is important, but it's rarely the only thing that determines whether your experience of conveyancing is a good one.

Other factors to fold into your decision

• Reviews: look for recurring themes across a spread of recent reviews, not just the overall star rating
• Regulatory status: check the firm appears correctly on the SRA or CLC register before instructing anyone
• Communication style: ask whether you'll have a named contact or a team-based service, and which suits you better
• Typical turnaround times: ask each firm for a realistic timescale for a transaction like yours
• No-sale-no-fee terms: worth understanding exactly what's covered, rather than assuming

The cheapest quote with the weakest reviews and vaguest communication policy isn't necessarily a bargain. Sometimes paying a bit more genuinely buys a smoother few months, and sometimes it doesn't. Weighing price against these other factors, rather than in isolation, tends to produce a better decision either way.

Think of it a bit like buying insurance. You wouldn't choose a policy purely on premium without checking what it actually covers, and conveyancing works similarly. The fee buys you a service, and the quality of that service, how quickly problems are flagged, how clearly things are explained, how well you're kept in the loop, matters just as much as the number on the invoice, arguably more once you're a few weeks into a stressful chain.

Questions to ask before you instruct anyone

A short, consistent set of questions across every firm you're comparing makes the whole process fairer and faster.

Questions worth putting to every firm

1. Is this quote fixed or an estimate, and what could cause it to change?
2. Can I have the full breakdown in writing, including VAT and all disbursements?
3. What happens to the fee if the transaction doesn't complete?
4. Are you regulated by the SRA or the CLC?
5. Will I have a named point of contact, and what's your typical response time?
6. What's a realistic timescale for a transaction like mine?

Asking the same six questions of every firm you're comparing turns a messy pile of quotes into something you can actually weigh up fairly, rather than relying on gut feeling or whichever email you happened to read first.

It also helps to note not just what each firm answers, but how quickly and how clearly they answer. A firm that responds to these questions promptly, in plain language, with a proper written breakdown attached, is telling you something useful about how they're likely to communicate once you're a paying client rather than a prospective one. A firm that drags its feet or gives half-answers at this early stage rarely improves once you've signed up.

FAQs about comparing conveyancing quotes

Is the cheapest conveyancing quote usually the best option?
Not necessarily. A low headline figure can exclude items that get added later, so it's worth comparing the full written total, including VAT and disbursements, rather than the price alone.

How many conveyancing quotes should I get?
Two or three written quotes generally gives a reasonable sense of the market without dragging the process out too long.

What's the difference between a fixed fee and an estimate?
A fixed fee shouldn't change unless your circumstances differ from what you described at the outset, while an estimate is more of a starting point that can shift as the transaction progresses.

Should I get quotes in writing rather than over the phone?
Yes, a written quote is much easier to compare properly and gives you something concrete to refer back to if extra charges appear later.

What happens to conveyancing fees if my purchase falls through?
This varies by firm. Some charge a reduced fee for work already completed, others don't charge at all, so it's worth asking this directly before you instruct anyone.

Do all conveyancing quotes include VAT?
Not always shown clearly. Some quotes list figures excluding VAT, which can make one quote look cheaper than another until VAT is added to both.

Summary and what to do next

• Get every conveyancing quote in writing, itemised into legal fee, disbursements and VAT
• Confirm whether each quote is fixed or an estimate, and what could cause the price to change
• Watch for common extras like transfer fees, leasehold admin charges, and fall-through fees
• Compare two or three quotes side by side, alongside reviews, regulatory status and communication style
• Ask the same short set of direct questions of every firm so the comparison is genuinely fair

To reiterate, this is written from a blogger's perspective rather than a solicitor's or licensed conveyancer's, so treat it as a practical starting point rather than personalised advice. Every transaction has its own quirks, so it's always worth checking the specifics with a qualified professional before you commit to any firm.

Need help or have questions?

We're not able to tell you which specific quote is right for your transaction, since that's a decision for you alongside proper professional advice rather than something a blog can settle. What we can do is point you towards further guides on fees, fixed pricing and choosing a conveyancer generally.

If you've got a general question about anything in this article, our contact form is the quickest way to reach us, just send your question through and we'll get back to you.

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This is a blog rather than a law firm, so please don't treat this article as a substitute for proper legal advice. For guidance on your own transaction, speak to a qualified solicitor or licensed conveyancer directly.