Conveyancing costs have remained broadly stable following the post–stamp duty deadline surge earlier this year, new analysis shows.
The average fee for combined sale and purchase services stood at £2,435 in the second quarter of 2025, edging down by just 0.1% compared with the previous three months, according to data from comparison site Reallymoving.
Fees were 2.3% higher than in the same period last year, though once adjusted for inflation, they were down 1.9% on Q1 and 1.2% year on year.
The marginal dip follows a sharp rise in the first quarter, when demand accelerated ahead of the 31 March stamp duty deadline. Conveyancers appear to have retained most of those gains despite a slowdown in transactions.
COSTS STABLE
Rob Houghton, founder and chief executive of Reallymoving, says: “Following a rush of completions in Q1 ahead of the stamp duty deadline, conveyancing costs have now stabilised, dipping only fractionally in Q2.
“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.”
REGIONAL VARIATIONS
Regional variations were marked, with fees rising in seven of 12 areas. The East of England saw the sharpest increase at 3.3%, followed by the West Midlands at 3.1%. Falls were recorded in Wales (-3.2%), the North East (-2.8%), the North West (-2.2%), the East Midlands (-1.5%) and London (-0.2%), reflecting differences in local transaction volumes and competition.
Houghton adds: “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.”
