The price paid by home movers for conveyancing services increased by 2.8% in the first quarter of 2026, recovering much of the decline sustained in the final quarter of last year, as the market stalled ahead of the Autumn Budget. Annually, prices are broadly flat with growth of just 0.1%
Analysis of over 86,000 conveyancing quotes on the home mover comparison site reallymoving shows it now costs a total of £2,440 including VAT to handle the legal side of a combined property sale and purchase, including expenses and disbursements.
The Conveyancing Costs Index aims to keep the property industry informed of average prices being paid for legal services by home movers across the country and how they are changing over time. The costs published include expenses and disbursements, for combined sale and purchase. With historical data going back to 2018, the latest figures are also updated monthly on reallymoving’s live Conveyancing Price Index webpage.
Regional Conveyancing Costs
Conveyancing costs rose across most of the UK in Q1 2026, with nine out of 12 regions seeing quarterly increases as activity picked up following a subdued end to last year. The strongest gains were concentrated in the northern markets, led by Scotland (+12.4%), alongside the North West (+6.5%) and the North East (+5.7%), reflecting stronger underlying transaction levels, while parts of the Midlands and Wales continue to see softer demand.
reallymoving founder and CEO, Rob Houghton, said: “The market is stabilising after a difficult final quarter of 2025, but not yet delivering the kind of growth conveyancers need. A modest quarterly uplift is welcome, but annual growth is currently flat and when adjusted for inflation, conveyancing costs have fallen in real terms. This means conveyancers are effectively earning less per transaction in real terms than a year ago.
“Firms are facing rising costs on multiple fronts, from compliance and tech to overheads and staff, yet fees are not keeping pace, which is eating into already slim margins. We can see from our data that while price is certainly a key factor in decision-making, only 40% of customers using reallymoving opt for the cheapest quote. The majority choose to pay more for good reviews and ratings, specific service features such as a live app or portal, or just a better sales process.
“In comparison, for surveys and removals, around 50% of customers opt for the cheapest quote, highlighting that service carries extra weight in conveyancing. Firms that can consistently deliver a high-quality service while investing in technology are best placed for growth in the current market.”
