The cost of conveyancing increased by 11.9% between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025 as buyers pushed to buy before the stamp duty holiday ended, analysis from reallymoving has revealed.
Conveyancing amounted to £2,434 per person, which amounts to purchase fees of £1,492 and sales fees of £942.
Rob Houghton, co-founder and chief executive of reallymoving, said: “The conveyancing industry is breathing a sigh of relief after working flat out for six months leading up to the stamp duty deadline.
“This surge in demand, combined with the pressure of time-sensitive transactions and the fact that many firms are currently understaffed, pushed the cost of conveyancing to record levels – but this growth may not be sustainable long-term if buyer demand softens.”
Conveyancing cost increases outpaced inflation by 1.6% quarter on quarter, and by 8.8% year on year, growing to £1,874.
During the first quarter of this year, the cost of conveyancing increased in every region of the UK apart from the South West and Yorkshire & the Humber, which saw quarterly falls of 2.6% and 0.4% respectively.
Price growth was otherwise strong across the board, with the largest increases in the North East (+6.5%) and Northern Ireland (+6.2%). In London, conveyancing costs rose +1.5% compared to Q4 2024.