The cost of conveyancing fell by 3.2% in the final quarter of 2025 as housing market activity slowed in the run-up to November’s Autumn Budget.
Home movers buying and selling a property now pay an average of £2,372 in legal fees and disbursements, according to new analysis of more than 69,000 conveyancing quotes.
The quarterly fall means conveyancing costs ended 2025 slightly lower than a year earlier, down 0.5% compared with Q4 2024. When inflation is taken into account, costs fell by 3.8% year on year, marking a real-terms decline in the price of legal services for home movers.
Data from reallymoving’s Conveyancing Costs Index shows prices fell across most of the UK in the final quarter, with nine of the 12 regions recording a reduction.
CAPITAL COSTS
London, where conveyancing remains the most expensive, saw the sharpest quarterly fall at 6.4%, followed by Scotland at 4.2% and the South East at 4%.
Wales was the only region to record a notable increase, with average conveyancing costs rising by 5% over the quarter. Smaller increases of 0.5% were also seen in the North East and North West, where transaction levels held up better than in other parts of the country.
The Conveyancing Costs Index tracks average prices paid by home movers for combined sale and purchase transactions, including fees and disbursements.
With data going back to 2018, the index is updated monthly and provides a snapshot of how pricing responds to changes in market activity.
SOFTER CONDITIONS
Rob Houghton (main picture), Founder and Chief executive of reallymoving, said the slowdown in transactions towards the end of the year fed directly through to conveyancing fees, particularly in higher-cost regions.
He added that while lower prices will be welcomed by home movers, they reflect softer market conditions rather than a lasting shift, with fees likely to rise again if transaction volumes recover.
