What conveyancing costs can buyers and sellers expect to pay?
Conveyancing for buyers and sellers usually means engaging a licensed conveyancer or solicitor to handle the legal work involved in a property transaction, charged either on a sliding scale (base fee) or a fixed amount. Buyer and seller fees do not follow a universal rule. A seller requires contract preparation and disclosure work, while a buyer generally requires contract advice, review of legal documents, searches and due diligence. The conveyancing cost will depend on the pricing structure and particular transaction.
Buyers
Fixed conveyancing fees for buyers usually includes all searches and disbursements, whereas a sliding scale rate means that some costs are charged separately. While the base amount may seem low and more attractive, it may cost more and make it challenging to budget appropriately during a residential property transaction. Buyers can expect to pay between $1,500 and $2,500 for conveyancing in NSW.
Sellers
A seller incurs legal requirements before the property is even advertised. In NSW, a sale contract must be prepared before residential property is offered for sale. Depending on the property, the contract package can require title and plan searches and documents, dealings registered on title, drainage information, a section 10.7 planning certificate, prescribed cooling-off information and additional pool or off-the-plan documentation. Sellers can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 for conveyancing in NSW.
What is the difference between sliding scale and fixed-fee conveyancing?
Sliding-scale conveyancing means that conveyancers may charge a ‘base fee’ for their time and expertise, plus additional charges for all searches and extra work. The cost of disbursements will be charged separately and may vary depending on the location and type of property.
Disbursements refer to the costs incurred during the conveyancing process. These can include title searches, council rates certificates, water rate searches, compliance certificates, registration of mortgage fees, transfer fees, land tax certificates, sundry fees such as printing and archiving and stamp duty application fee. Your conveyancer usually pays this fee on your behalf.
Fixed fees for conveyancing typically includes disbursements, allowing buyers and sellers to more accurately budget for the associated costs. There are usually no unexpected costs involved at the end.
What is not included in conveyancing fees?
Some costs for buying a home such as transfer duty, lenders mortgage insurance, pest and building reports, strata reports, mortgage registration, loan application, valuation charges and other ownership costs are not included in your conveyancing fees.
Transfer duty (stamp duty)
It’s important not to confuse conveyancing fees with transfer duty (stamp duty). Transfer duty is a NSW Government tax paid by a purchaser and is calculated separately according to the property’s dutiable value. First-home-buyer exemptions or concessions for these government fees may apply under the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (FHBAS).
Building and pest inspections
Building and pest inspections are usually conducted by a licensed professional and these third-party costs can vary widely depending on the age and size of the house, experience of the building and pest inspector and location of the property. Hipages places prices at around $200 to $300 for smaller properties and $400 to $500 for average properties, while inspections for pests can cost an extra $100 to $150. We always recommend getting at least two or three quotes before moving forward with what you are comfortable with.
Strata reports
With over 85,000 strata schemes in NSW according to government data, there may be a chance you’re buying a strata property. Getting a report on how the strata runs before buying is always recommended because the report may reveal issues that aren’t visibly obvious. For example, some reports have restrictions on types of pets allowed or there may be significant building defects or planned works that you may not be able to budget for. In our experience, this typically costs between $300 and $400 but it is worth it for your long-term benefit.
Property Exchange Australia (PEXA) fees
At settlement, you are required to pay the PEXA fee, which covers the use of the electronic settlement platform that most NSW property transactions now settle through. This fee is charged directly by PEXA, not the conveyancer, and is generally passed on at cost. PEXA pricing in NSW for a single transfer title is $146.30 as of 1st July 2026.
Lodgement fees
Clients are also responsible for paying the lodgement fees during the settlement process, which covers registering the change of ownership title with NSW Land Registry Services. These fees are set and charged by the provider and are usually at cost and not included in your conveyancer’s fees.
Loan borrowing costs
Additional costs related to borrowing, including lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), mortgage registration, loan application fees and other bank fees, are not covered by conveyancing fees. These vary by lender and loan amount, and are best confirmed directly with your financial institution.
Legal advice for property disputes and issues (outside the scope of standard conveyancing)
Your conveyancing fee covers the standard legal work involved in selling or buying a property in NSW, including contract preparation or review, searches, exchange and settlement. However, if the transaction uncovers a separate legal issue, such as a boundary dispute, title problem, encroachment or other property dispute, resolving that issue may require additional legal advice and work outside the standard property conveyancing process. A property lawyer will charge legal fees separately depending on the scope.
Can you do conveyancing yourself? What are the risks?
NSW recognises DIY conveyancing in principle, but an unrepresented individual’s practical ability to complete land-registration and electronic settlement steps is limited. Anyone considering DIY conveyancing should confirm the current LRS and electronic-settlement requirements before proceeding.
So, what could go wrong if you do it yourself? You could miss a property search that reveals the home has an extreme flood risk, making it uninsurable. You could make a mistake with the entity details you’re buying or selling under, or worse, enter into a contract for the wrong property. If you purchase a limited title property, there may be other considerations you haven’t factored in.
Professional, licensed conveyancers must have professional indemnity insurance. This protects you if they make a mistake or are negligent. You also have consumer rights if you have a concern with a lawyer or conveyancer in NSW. You will not have this protection if you do the conveyancing yourself, which means the legal and financial implications of a mistake are significant. If you’re buying or selling a property worth over a million dollars, a question to ask is whether the risk is worth it.
In many instances, we have seen buyers waive their rights to cooling-off periods without understanding the implications. A buyer can waive the standard cooling-off period by providing a Section 66W certificate, making the contract immediately binding without any added protection. This can create risk where finance may be declined for reasons such as severe financial restrictions, income discrepancies, new debt and new lending criteria.
Depending on the contract, the vendor may be entitled to keep your full deposit which is usually 10% of the sales price or depending on what is in the contract. This is why obtaining legal advice before waiving a cooling-off period is important. The property settlement process itself can be complicated to finalise on your own without any prior experience, resulting in unexpected and costly mistakes. It costs much more to fix a mistake than to get it right in the first place.
Inconsistencies or errors in the contract can also impact the property transfer, potentially resulting in the forfeiture of your deposit. When reviewing the Contract of Sale, a property lawyer or conveyancer knows what to look for and can ensure everything is in order.
Getting legal advice on the contract ahead of time can protect both buyers and sellers. Sometimes, you may need advice beyond the property transaction, especially if there are issues with the title or boundaries. It may also be worth understanding the differences between a property lawyer and conveyancer to make an informed decision.
Who pays conveyancing fees?
Each party is responsible for paying fees to their conveyancing lawyers.
The buyer pays the costs associated with the legal requirements for their purchase, while the seller pays for the legal work involved in preparing the contract and completing the sale. The parties may also have separate disbursements and other transaction costs, so conveyancing fees are not normally split between the buyer and seller.
Your conveyancer may take all or part of their fee at settlement, reducing your upfront costs; however, their fees will still need to be paid one way or another.
What should I look for in a conveyancing quote?
Don’t compare conveyancing quotes on the headline fee alone. Two quotes can look very different because not everyone includes the same work or third-party costs in its advertised price. One quote may include contract reviews, title searches, PEXA fees and other disbursements, while another may charge for some of these separately. Ask for the total expected cost and exactly what is included in the costs and what isn’t.
These are all the details to look for within the quote to understand what’s involved and to help you avoid hidden costs that may arise later.
- Contract review
- Contract negotiations/amendments
- Searches
- Disbursements
- Additional contract reviews if the first property falls through
- Additional correspondence/negotiations
- GST inclusive or exclusive
RS Law Group can help you with your conveyancing needs in NSW
Hiring an experienced conveyancer or property lawyer can streamline the complex process of property transactions, ensuring all legal aspects of ownership transfer are diligently managed. While it may seem tempting to do it yourself or to hire the cheapest conveyancer you can find, experience such as ours in property law, can help avoid expensive mistakes.
As experienced conveyancing lawyers, we understand the complexities of property law matters and can advise you on various aspects of the transaction, especially in more high-risk or complex situations, beyond what a standalone conveyancer can offer. Our conveyancing legal fees are competitive and transparent, and we always put our clients’ interests first in every matter.
At RS Law Group, we provide fixed-fee conveyancing and same-day contract review to help our clients achieve their goal of selling or buying a home in NSW without worrying about unexpected costs.
