If you're buying or selling a property, you'll need to satisfy a range of legal requirements in order to transfer its ownership from one person or entity to another. This work and all the paperwork that goes with it, is called conveyancing, and is handled by licensed conveyancers or solicitors. 

If you're selling a property, it's very likely you will need their services to:

• Advise you about the legal processes and requirements of a property sale
• Handle the transfer of your property to the buyer

And the first question on most people's lips is invariably something along the lines of 'how much does a conveyancer cost?', or 'how much does conveyancing cost?' or 'what are conveyancing fees for selling a house?' 

The average conveyancing fees range from $1,050 to $1,875, depending on your state. We’ll go into more detail about all the different factors that can impact the cost.

What is conveyancing?

According to the Australian Institute of Conveyancers, conveyancing is "the transfer of legal title of property from one person to another."

"A typical conveyancing transaction contains two major landmarks: the exchange of contracts (whereby equitable title passes) and completion (whereby legal title passes). Conveyancers essentially provide specialist services to anyone selling or purchasing real estate".

In our survey of 344 Australians who’ve sold a property in the last 2 years, nearly 10% said that handling legal documents was the most stressful part of the process. An experienced conveyancer can take this off your hands.

What do conveyancers do?

Conveyancers are qualified professionals who specialise in all aspects of property dealings, helping to ensure the legal side of a transaction moves smoothly all the way to settlement day. Their tasks fall into three clear phases:

Pre-contract

• Order title searches and certificates to uncover easements, unapproved works or government interests.
• Explain contract conditions, cooling-off rules and state-based disclosure obligations.
• Draft or review the contract of sale and vendor statement.

Pre-completion

• Hold the buyer’s deposit in trust.
• Coordinate building and pest inspections, strata reports and stamp-duty timelines.
• Liaise with banks to confirm loan approval and prepare mortgage discharge or new-loan paperwork.
• Calculate adjustments for council rates, water, land tax and body corporate fees.

Post-completion (settlement)

• Exchange signed transfer documents and register the new owner with the titles office.
• Confirm payout of existing mortgages and release of any caveats.
• Distribute sale proceeds to the seller and provide a final settlement statement to both parties.

Together, these steps turn a mountain of legal details into a seamless handover, protecting both parties and keeping the sale on schedule.

How much does conveyancing cost?

Average conveyancing costs or fees can start anywhere from $500 and go as high as $2,200 for a complex transaction — for example, deals involving old-system titles, leasehold properties or company-title units, all of which demand extra searches and legal checks.

However, you also need to budget for disbursement costs – the expenses a solicitor or conveyancer may need to pay to third parties on your behalf. These include fees for settlement, certificates and various searches, including council or water rates, roads, land tax searches and heritage listings. 

There could also be out-of-pocket costs for miscellaneous charges like photocopying, postage, phone calls and stationery.

Disbursements and miscellaneous charges

Expect disbursement payments to a conveyancer to cost:

• $270+ for a property purchase
• $280+ for a property sale

According to Australian Institute of Conveyancers NSW Division (AICNSW), some examples of disbursements and their estimated charges are:

• Title Search $20 - $100
• Local Council Building Certificate $250
• Local Council S149 Certificate $53 - $133
• Drainage Diagram $25
• Sydney Water, rates certificate $20-$25
• Local Council, rates certificate $65
• Land Tax, clearance certificate $20-$25
• Department of Education $20-$25
• Environmental Protection Authority $20-$25
• Roads & Traffic Authority $20-$25
• Transgrid, electricity/power stations $20-$30
• Postage, stationery, faxes $20-$40
• Local Council Pool Compliance/Non-Compliance Certificate $150-$450
• Other costs, depending on the transaction.

Note: The costs quoted are approximate only and may vary with some councils and departments.

Conveyancing is often pricier for sellers than buyers because the vendor’s conveyancer must also draft and supply the complete contract of sale and vendor disclosure documents.

Conveyancing fees in each state

While there are general guidelines around what conveyancing may cost, there tends to be some disparity from state to state. To get a better idea of conveyancing fees where you live, see the table below.

Estimated averages are calculated by OpenAgent based on public pricing data from multiple sources including Home-in, Open House Conveyancing, Golottas Solicitors and Di Jones. These figures are for general guidance only and may not reflect your specific circumstances. We recommend obtaining direct quotes.

What's included in a standard conveyancing fee?

Like other professional services, a conveyancer's fees can vary depending on:

• How much work they need to do
• Who you use
• The type of property involved
• The complexity of the transaction
• Where they are based

Fixed fee vs. sliding scale fee

Conveyancers set their own fees and these can be negotiable, though they usually have a fixed fee for their range of services. They are more cost effective than the costs of using solicitors, many of whom charge by the hour. Some conveyancers, however, may charge a sliding fee based on the property's sale price.

What qualifications do conveyancers have?

Conveyancers specialise in property law. To do so, they must have completed a minimum of two years' study at tertiary level in this area and have had at least two years worth of supervised practical experience in conveyancing before they can apply for a conveyancing licence. 

Requirements vary by state, yet every jurisdiction insists on comparable training and professional indemnity insurance for practising conveyancers.

They must also undertake ongoing professional development each year to retain that licence. However, the specific requirements may vary, depending on each state's or territory's conveyancing regulations.

Hiring a conveyancer

When you look at a conveyancer's quote, it should give you a breakdown of the services provided and make clear what the disbursements will be.

Cost is only part of the equation; it's also important to consider a conveyancer’s experience, location, reputation and service quality.

When deciding on a conveyancer, consider your budget, the complexity of the transaction and your needs, as well as your own abilities to deal with legal issues. Also remember that this is likely to be one of the more significant transactions you will make in your lifetime and consider the risks of not getting it right.

You also don't need to wait until you are ready to sign a contract. It makes sense to select your conveyancer or solicitor as soon as you decide to buy or sell a property. They can then be across everything from day one. 

Questions to ask a conveyancer

To help you choose a conveyancer, the AICSA suggests you explain your requirements to two or three conveyancers and ask them a range of questions such as:

• Are you a member of the Australian Institute of Conveyancers?
• What's the maximum I can expect to pay in fees and charges?
• What are your fees and what services are included in those fees?
• What will any additional services cost?
• What government fees and charges will I need to pay?
• How long will the settlement process take?
• How will you keep me up to date with what's happening?

AICSA also cautions that it's important that you understand what your conveyancer can and can't do for you. It's vital that you explain very clearly your position and your requirements. You should notify your conveyancer about anything that could affect the transaction.

"It is vital that you explain very clearly your position and requirements to your conveyancer. You should notify them about anything that could affect the transaction."

If you have severe financial restrictions, tight time limits or any other specific concerns or special requirements, be sure you explain this at the very beginning. Nobody wants surprises or misunderstandings to ruin your transaction.

Wherever you’re buying or selling, confirm your conveyancer holds the proper licence, insurance, qualifications and a proven track record.

Should you DIY your conveyancing?

It isn't mandatory to hire a conveyancer, and it isn't against the law to do your own conveyancing work. But should you DIY your conveyancing?

If you are comfortable dealing with government departments, banks, legal documents and legal terminology, have the time needed and are on a tight budget, you could do the legal work yourself by using one of the DIY conveyancing kits available online for states such as New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. These can cost between $80 and $150.

This type of low-cost conveyancing provides a breakdown of what you need to do to complete the conveyancing process. Sometimes it also comes with phone support.

"Conveyancing is highly technical and specialised - it requires knowledge of all the relevant administrative procedures and legal documents that need to be lodged."

Otherwise, conveyancing is highly technical and specialised, and requires knowledge of all the relevant administrative procedures and legal documents that need to be lodged. 

The Australian Institute of Conveyancers SA Division (AICSA) warns against doing your own conveyancing unless you know precisely what to do and are certain that you have the capacity to do it. It also cautions that you cannot expect any assistance from the conveyancer acting for the other party.

"If you make an error, you may cause settlement to be delayed (causing default interest to be payable by you) or even enable the other party to terminate the contract," says the AICSA. "Conveyancing is an expert's job - to be safe, you should engage an expert. Remember, you are buying peace of mind for just a few hundred dollars."

If you're looking to sell your home anytime soon, it's a good idea to calculate the cost of selling your home to help you budget accordingly.

Can a solicitor do my conveyancing?

If you have an established relationship with your own lawyer or solicitor, you might prefer him or her to do the work. They are also a better choice if the transaction is likely to be complex or to become litigious.

Like conveyancers, conveyancing solicitors are able to oversee any straightforward property transaction. That's because they have studied property law for six months during their law degrees. If not, they may use law clerks or licensed conveyancers to complete the conveyancing transaction on their behalf.

"Like conveyancers, conveyancing solicitors are able to oversee any straightforward property transaction."

But unlike conveyancers, solicitors are also able to deal with the more complex legal issues that sometimes raise their ugly heads in property deals. They can, for example, give you vital legal advice beyond conveyancing on matters such as estate issues, tax implications or how a property deal may affect divorce proceedings. 

In contrast, conveyancers must refer a transaction to a solicitor for help if it moves beyond the scope of property law. Solicitor fees for selling a house will be higher than a conveyancer, and this is because they charge by the hour.