Conveyancing costs in NSW: what you pay when you buy

The three parts of conveyancing costs

1. The legal fee. This pays for the work: reviewing the contract, advising you, dealing with the seller's side, and running the purchase to settlement.
2. Searches and certificates. These check the property and the money owed on it, such as rates, water, land tax and, for a unit, the strata records.
3. Government fees. These include the fees to register the transfer into your name and to register your mortgage.

The searches and government fees are often called disbursements. They are paid to third parties, not kept by the firm.

The government fees in 2026-27

NSW Land Registry Services charges $182.73 to register a transfer, and $182.73 to register a mortgage. These fees apply from 1 July 2026 and include GST.

If you pay cash and have no mortgage, you pay only the transfer fee.

Stamp duty is separate, and much larger

Stamp duty is a tax paid to Revenue NSW. It is not a conveyancing cost, but you pay it through the purchase.

On a $900,000 home it is $34,687 at the general rate. A first home buyer who qualifies pays $19,593.50 at that price, and none up to $800,000.

How much should conveyancing fees be?

There is no set fee. It depends on the property, the contract, and the work involved.

A unit, an off the plan purchase, a house and land package, or a purchase with a family loan usually needs more work than a simple house purchase.

What matters is that you know the total before you start, and what it includes.

Is $2,000 a lot for conveyancing?

It depends on what the $2,000 includes.

Check whether it covers the contract review before you sign, the searches, the government fees, and the time spent if something goes wrong before settlement.

Two quotes with the same total can cover very different work.

Who is cheaper, a solicitor or a conveyancer?

It varies from firm to firm. Neither is always cheaper.

Compare written estimates on the same basis, item by item. Read conveyancer or solicitor in NSW for what each can do.

Your right to know the costs

Solicitors must tell you about their legal costs, generally before or when you engage them. The rules come from the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

You should receive the estimate in writing, and be told if it changes.

Ask for an itemised statement of the likely costs before the work starts.

What to ask for in a quote

1. The legal fee, and what work it covers.
2. Whether the contract review before you sign is included.
3. Each search and certificate, and its cost.
4. The government registration fees.
5. Any fee for electronic settlement.
6. What happens to the fee if the purchase does not go ahead.
7. Whether GST is included.

Where buyers get caught

Common questions