Conveyancing Fees In NSW In 2026

Most standard residential purchases in New South Wales cost roughly A$900 to A$2,500 in professional fees, depending on whose price guide you read, plus A$350 to A$950 in disbursements such as searches and certificates. Off-the-plan and complex matters cost more, often A$2,000 to A$6,000 or higher. Always ask for a written quote that separates the professional fee from third-party costs.

Buying or selling property in New South Wales means paying for legal work that transfers title and settles the money. That work can be done by a licensed conveyancer or by a solicitor, and the quotes you receive will not always be comparable. Some are headline fixed fees that leave out searches. Others bundle everything but add extras if the contract is unusual. This guide sets out what conveyancer fees NSW practices charge and what they typically cover, why conveyancing fees NSW buyers see can differ so much, how published price ranges compare, what the government charges separately, and how to compare quotes fairly.

All figures below are in Australian dollars and are attributed to the publisher that produced them. They are indicative only, and none of them is a quote for your matter.

• Typical Conveyancing Fees In NSW
• Professional Fee Versus Disbursements
• Solicitor Vs Conveyancer In NSW
• How Conveyancers Are Licensed In NSW
• Conveyancing Costs In Sydney
• Off-The-Plan And Complex Purchases
• The Cooling-Off Period And Why It Matters For Fees
• Transfer Duty: A Separate Cost
• What Drives The Cost
• How To Compare Quotes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• The Short Version

Typical Conveyancing Fees In NSW

There is no official fee schedule for residential conveyancing in NSW, and fees are set by each practice. The best available guide is therefore the range published by comparison sites, law firms and industry editors. Those ranges differ, which is normal: they measure different things, use different assumptions about property type and price, and are written for different audiences.

Read together, the sources suggest that a plain, single-title residential purchase with a competent practice commonly lands between about A$900 and A$2,500 before third-party costs. A low-cost online conveyancer can sit below that for simple sales, and a law firm can sit above it. If a quote is far outside this band, ask what is included before deciding whether it is good value.

It is worth knowing that some of these publishers sell conveyancing or lead generation themselves, so treat their ranges as market indicators rather than independent audits.

Professional Fee Versus Disbursements

A conveyancing quote has two parts. The professional fee pays for the practitioner's time and responsibility: reviewing the contract, advising you, preparing documents, liaising with your lender and the other side, and attending settlement. Disbursements are costs the practice pays to third parties on your behalf and passes on, usually at cost.

The practical point is that a fixed fee of A$990 and a fixed fee of A$1,300 are not necessarily a A$310 difference. The cheaper quote may exclude searches or PEXA, and the dearer one may include them. Ask each practice for the total you will pay through to settlement, then compare.

What Is PEXA And Who Pays For It?

PEXA is the national electronic settlement platform used by most conveyancers and solicitors. Its fees are charged to the practitioner and normally passed on to the client as a disbursement. ProperEasy puts the typical charge at A$150 to A$250. PEXA publishes a pricing schedule for practitioners that varies by state and transaction type, so the exact amount on your invoice will depend on the transactions involved, such as a transfer and a mortgage.

Solicitor Vs Conveyancer In NSW

The solicitor vs conveyancer NSW question is mostly about price, complexity and the scope of advice. For standard residential work, both can lawfully act, and the published ranges show licensed conveyancers costing less.

NSW Fair Trading sets out some firm limits on what a licensed conveyancer may do. A conveyancer cannot start or run legal proceedings, create or vary trusts, prepare wills, or give investment or financial advice. A solicitor can do all of those things. That matters if your purchase is tied to a family trust, an estate, a boundary dispute or a self-managed super fund structure. In those cases, paying the higher solicitor rate for a single, joined-up service may be cheaper than hiring a conveyancer and then a lawyer on top.

If you are comparing law firms in Sydney, ask whether they quote a fixed conveyancing fee or charge by the hour, and whether the person who will actually handle your file is a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer employed by the firm, or a paralegal supervised by one of them.

How Conveyancers Are Licensed In NSW

Conveyancers in NSW are regulated by NSW Fair Trading under the Conveyancers Licensing Act 2003. According to the NSW Government's guidance on conveyancer licences, you need a licence for certain property work, including the sale or lease of land and mortgages over property. Licences can be held by individuals or corporations for 1, 3 or 5 years.

In practice, check the licence on the NSW Fair Trading register before you instruct anyone, and ask for confirmation that professional indemnity insurance is in place. Both steps are free and take a few minutes.

Conveyancing Costs In Sydney

The published figures for Sydney are generally at the upper end of NSW ranges. ProperEasy notes that Sydney firms sit at the top of its A$900 to A$1,800 band, and the Sydney-specific guides above put a standard licensed-conveyancer purchase at A$950 to A$2,000 and a Chamberlains standard residential matter at A$1,200 to A$2,500. For conveyancing cost Sydney buyers should therefore plan on A$1,000 to A$2,500 in professional fees and A$350 to A$950 in disbursements, a combined A$1,350 to about A$3,450, if the property is a standard house or unit.

Apartment purchases tend to involve more paperwork than houses, because strata records, levies and building reports all need review. Where Sydney costs also include accounting and tax questions, such as the effect of a purchase on an investment structure, it is common to involve accountants in Sydney as well. You can also browse the wider Sydney services hub for other local providers you may need around a purchase.

Off-The-Plan And Complex Purchases

Buying a property before it is built, or buying one with an unusual title, takes more legal time. Chamberlains Law Firm puts off-the-plan purchases at A$2,000 to A$3,500 because of complex contracts and developer conditions, and quotes A$250 to A$400 to review a contract before an auction. What's The Damage? places off-the-plan, strata with issues, trusts, SMSF purchases, easements, caveats and disputed titles in a single complex band of A$3,000 to A$6,000 or more.

For off-the-plan contracts, long settlement periods and sunset clauses are the usual areas of concern, and many buyers prefer a solicitor to read them. If you are looking at several quotes, make sure each one states whether it covers reviewing variations, attending the pre-settlement inspection paperwork and dealing with the developer at settlement.

The Cooling-Off Period And Why It Matters For Fees

NSW gives most buyers of residential property a cooling-off period. According to Finder, it runs for 5 business days from when you receive the signed contract and ends at 5pm on the last day. If you rescind, the penalty is 0.25 per cent of the purchase price (about A$1,250 on a A$500,000 property). Written notice must reach the agent within the period, and the seller must refund your deposit within 14 days, minus the penalty. The period generally does not apply to auction purchases.

The fee link is simple. You get the most use from a conveyancer if the contract is reviewed inside the cooling-off period, because cancelling costs far more than the review. If you are asked to waive cooling-off, you will need a section 66W certificate from your conveyancer or solicitor, so confirm in advance whether the practice charges extra for it.

Transfer Duty: A Separate Cost

Transfer duty, often called stamp duty, is paid to the NSW Government and is not part of the conveyancing quote. Revenue NSW states that you generally must pay transfer duty when you buy or receive a property in NSW. ProperEasy reports that NSW uses a sliding scale topping out at 5.5 per cent, that eligible first home buyers pay no duty up to A$800,000 with a concession from A$800,000 to A$1,000,000, and that a 9 per cent surcharge applies to foreign purchasers. Thresholds are indexed and change, so check the current rates and calculator on the Revenue NSW website before you set a budget.

Your conveyancer will usually calculate the duty for you and arrange payment as part of settlement, but the amount is a tax, not a professional fee, and it should appear as a separate line in your cost summary.

What Drives The Cost

• Buying or selling: Purchases involve more searches, lender liaison and verification than most sales, so they usually cost more. What's The Damage? shows lower online-conveyancer fees for simple sales.
• Property type: Strata units add records, levies and by-laws to review. Houses on a clean title are quicker.
• Price and complexity of the title: Easements, caveats and shared driveways increase time spent.
• Finance: Mortgage documents and lender conditions add work, and the PEXA transaction may include a mortgage as well as a transfer.
• Who acts: Law firm rates are higher than licensed conveyancer rates for standard work, according to the published ranges above.
• Urgency and timing: Chamberlains quotes an extra A$300 to A$600 for same-day contract reviews, and some practices charge more for weekend settlements.
• Disbursements: Searches, certificates and PEXA add a fixed layer of third-party cost, whichever practitioner you use.

How To Compare Quotes

Ask for the quote in writing and compare the total cost to settlement, not the headline fee. A quote that is A$300 cheaper but excludes searches and PEXA may end up costing more. Once you have narrowed down to two or three, speak to each by phone: responsiveness before you instruct them is a reasonable predictor of responsiveness afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Are Conveyancing Fees In NSW?

Published guides put the professional fee for a standard residential purchase at roughly A$900 to A$2,500, with Sydney at the upper end. On top of that, disbursements such as searches, council and water certificates and PEXA typically add A$350 to A$950, according to What's The Damage?. Off-the-plan and complex matters cost more. Ask for a written all-in quote.

How Much Do Conveyancer Fees In NSW Go Up For Apartments?

There is no official uplift, but strata purchases involve more documents to review, including records, levies and building reports. What's The Damage? places strata with issues in its complex band of A$3,000 to A$6,000 or more, while a clean strata unit can sit in the ordinary range. Practices differ, so ask whether strata review is included in the fixed fee.

What Does Conveyancing Cost In Sydney Compared With The Rest Of NSW?

Sydney sits at the top end of the range. ProperEasy notes that Sydney firms fall at the upper end of its A$900 to A$1,800 band, and Sydney guides publish figures up to A$2,500 for standard matters. Regional fees can be lower, but disbursements are set by third parties and are broadly similar wherever the property is.

Can I Do My Own Conveyancing In NSW?

Some people act for themselves, but the work is technical: contracts, searches, mortgage documents and settlement all carry risk, and a mistake can cost more than the fee saved. Check with your lender and with a licensed conveyancer or solicitor before deciding to go it alone.

Is A Solicitor Or A Conveyancer Better For Buying A House?

For a standard purchase, either can act, and a licensed conveyancer is usually cheaper according to the published ranges. A solicitor suits matters involving trusts, estates, disputes or complicated contracts, because conveyancers cannot run legal proceedings, create trusts or give investment advice, per NSW Fair Trading guidance.

What Is The Cooling-Off Period In NSW?

Finder reports that it is 5 business days from receiving the signed contract, ending at 5pm on the last day, with a 0.25 per cent penalty if you cancel. It generally does not apply to auctions. You can waive it in writing with a section 66W certificate from your legal representative. Have your contract reviewed before the period expires.

Who Regulates Conveyancers In NSW?

NSW Fair Trading licenses and regulates conveyancers under the Conveyancers Licensing Act 2003, keeps a public register and approves insurance. Decisions can be reviewed internally and then taken to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Solicitors are regulated separately as legal practitioners.

The Short Version

• Expect roughly A$900 to A$2,500 in professional fees for a standard NSW purchase, with Sydney near the top, plus A$350 to A$950 in disbursements.
• Off-the-plan and complex matters commonly run A$2,000 to A$6,000 or more, so a solicitor may be the better fit.
• Licensed conveyancers are regulated by NSW Fair Trading; check the register and insurance before you instruct anyone.
• Transfer duty and the cooling-off penalty are separate from the conveyancing fee.
• Compare total cost to settlement in writing, including searches, PEXA and GST, rather than headline fees.

This guide is general information only. Confirm current figures and rules with your practitioner, NSW Fair Trading, Revenue NSW or the official source before you commit.