"While firms have managed to sustain most of the price gains made earlier this year against a backdrop of softening demand, home movers are actually paying slightly less in real terms than they were 12 months ago"
- Rob Houghton - reallymoving
The cost of conveyancing in the UK showed little change in the second quarter of 2025, falling by just 0.1% compared with Q1. Most of the price growth achieved ahead of the 31 March Stamp Duty deadline has been maintained. Analysis of 47,000 quotes from home mover comparison site reallymoving indicates that handling the legal side of a combined property sale and purchase now costs £2,435, up 2.3% compared with Q2 2024.
Adjusted for inflation, conveyancing costs fell by 1.9% compared with Q1 2025 and by 1.2% year on year, reflecting the ongoing impact of high inflation.
The Conveyancing Costs Index tracks average prices paid for legal services by home movers across the UK and how these evolve over time. Costs include expenses and disbursements for combined sales and purchases, with historical data going back to 2018. The index is updated monthly on reallymoving’s live Conveyancing Price Index webpage.
Regional conveyancing trends
Seven out of twelve UK regions saw quarterly price increases in Q2. The East of England recorded the highest rise at +3.3%, followed by the West Midlands at +3.1%. Meanwhile, conveyancing costs fell in Wales (-3.2%), the North East (-2.8%), the North West (-2.2%), the East Midlands (-1.5%), and London (-0.2%). Local transaction volumes and competition for legal services largely explain the regional variations.
Rob Houghton, founder and CEO of reallymoving, commented, “Following a rush of completions in Q1 ahead of the Stamp Duty deadline, conveyancing costs have now stabilised, dipping only fractionally in Q2,” he said. “While firms have managed to sustain most of the price gains made earlier this year against a backdrop of softening demand, home movers are actually paying slightly less in real terms than they were 12 months ago.
“Home movers continue to be cautious and price-sensitive, but transactions have steadily recovered since the disruption caused by changes to Stamp Duty in the spring. That said, speculation around property tax reform could slow momentum leading up to the Autumn Budget if homebuyers adopt a wait-and-see approach, putting conveyancing costs under pressure again.”
