This page is general information about remortgage conveyancing in England and Wales, last reviewed on 30 August 2026. It is not legal advice, and it is not a quote. Ethical Conveyancing is an introducer: we match you with a panel solicitor who does the legal work.
Our remortgage legal fees start from £230. That is the legal fee, not an all-in total — disbursements (Land Registry, official copies, indemnity, CHAPS and the like) sit on top. The figure for your file comes from the remortgage quote. Market ranges further down this page are third-party, not our price.
A remortgage is usually simpler and quicker than buying or selling. There is no chain, no seller to chase, and often no full search pack. There is still legal work when you move to a new lender, because a new charge has to be registered. That is the work this page is about.
So far this year, remortgages through Ethical have averaged around 3 weeks. That is our own experience — a faster picture than a house move. It is not a promise that every remortgage completes in 3 weeks.
Same-lender product transfer vs remortgage to a new lender
These are easy to mix up on a comparison site. They are not the same job.
Product transfer (same lender)
You stay with your current lender and move to a new rate or product with them. Many lenders handle this in-house. There is often little or no conveyancing, because the existing charge stays in place. Some product transfers still need legal input (for example if the title is messy, or you are changing who is on the mortgage). That is a “typically / many lenders” picture, not a rule for every product. Your lender or broker will say what their process is.
Remortgage (new lender)
You repay the old mortgage and take a new one with a different lender. The old charge comes off; a new one goes on. That is legal work. It usually involves official copies of the title, redemption of the current mortgage, a new mortgage deed, Land Registry Scale 2 registration of the charge, and identity and bankruptcy checks. Many lenders accept a search indemnity policy instead of a full local-authority search pack on a remortgage; that is a lender decision, not something this page can choose for you.
If you are also moving house, that is a sale and/or purchase, not a remortgage. Use the sale, purchase or sale and purchase quotes, and see how much conveyancing costs in 2026.
What “free legal work” usually means
A “free legal work” or “free conveyancing” incentive on a remortgage offer almost always means: the new lender will instruct a firm on its panel, and you will not pay that firm’s professional fee for the lender’s work.
It does not usually mean “the whole job costs nothing.”
- You may still pay disbursements (Land Registry, official copies, bankruptcy/OS1, search indemnity, CHAPS). Those are third-party costs. They exist whether the legal fee is “free” or privately paid.
- The panel firm is instructed to protect the lender. Their job is to get the new charge on. Contact can be limited; you may not get the same updates you would from a solicitor acting for you.
- If the firm on the panel is not a firm you would choose — or is not on a panel you can use — the “free” offer may not apply in the way the advert suggested.
- If there are leasehold issues, title defects, or a transfer of equity at the same time, the panel retainer is often too narrow. People then instruct their own solicitor (sometimes as well as the panel firm).
None of that makes the incentive a trick. It makes it a lender-side service. Read the offer: legal fee vs disbursements vs “you must use our panel.” Then decide whether you also want someone acting for you. That choice is yours; this page does not tell you which route to take.
Our solicitor vs conveyancer guide explains who can do this work. Ethical’s panel is solicitors regulated by the SRA. Licensed conveyancers regulated by the CLC can also carry out conveyancing.
CTA: If you want a solicitor of your own on a remortgage, get a remortgage quote. Legal fees from £230. The quote is the legal fee you pay; disbursements sit on top. About 60 seconds, no obligation.
When people often instruct their own solicitor
You do not automatically need a separate solicitor for every remortgage. Many straightforward freehold remortgages complete with the lender’s panel firm alone.
Own-solicitor instructions are common in situations such as:
- Leasehold — notice of charge, certificate of compliance, landlord fees, a short or defective lease, or a managing agent who is slow with replies. The panel firm may not chase the landlord the way you would want. See leasehold transaction charges and freehold vs leasehold.
- Transfer of equity at the same time — adding or removing a name (a new partner, an ex-partner, a family member). That is a change of ownership, not only a new charge. Lenders have to consent; SDLT can apply even when little or no cash changes hands, because assuming a mortgage can be chargeable consideration. Your solicitor and HMRC confirm what applies; do not rely on a blog for your tax. Guide: transfer of equity explained.
- Title problems — restrictions, missing documents, unregistered land, a second charge, Help to Buy or another equity loan still on the title.
- The chosen firm is not on the lender’s panel — some lenders allow a non-panel solicitor to act if they meet criteria; some do not. The solicitor on the file will tell you what that lender accepts.
- You want someone whose only client is you — updates, a named contact, and a fixed fee you have seen in writing.
This is a map of typical situations, not a recommendation for your case.
What remortgage conveyancing typically costs
Ethical remortgage legal fees start from £230. That is the legal fee, not an all-in total, and it is not a promise that every remortgage is £230. Disbursements sit on top. The figure for your file is on the remortgage quote. Sale and purchase legal fees start from £400 — a different job.
Do not treat the next paragraph as our price. It is third-party market commentary on what private-pay remortgages often cost all-in.
What comparison sites and remortgage firms often cite as a private-pay range
- Legal fee: often a few hundred pounds plus VAT
- Disbursements commonly include:
- Land Registry Scale 2 (charges / remortgages — different from Scale 1 on a purchase). See the live table on GOV.UK Land Registry fees. Statutory HMLR fees do not attract VAT.
- Official copies of the register and title plan
- Bankruptcy search / OS1 priority search
- Search indemnity (many lenders accept this on a remortgage instead of a full search pack)
- CHAPS / telegraphic transfer to repay the old lender
- ID / AML per person
- All-in, privately paid, straightforward freehold: often cited around £400–£1,000
- Leasehold: typically higher, because of landlord notices and certificates (see below)
Purchase-side market averages are a different job. The reallymoving Q2 2026 index (sale + purchase £2,438 inc. VAT and disbursements; purchase £1,509; sale £929) describes buying and selling, not remortgage. Use them only as a reminder that a remortgage is usually cheaper than a purchase. Full breakdown: how much does conveyancing cost in 2026.
SDLT does not normally arise on a like-for-like remortgage of a property you already own. It can arise if the remortgage is bundled with a transfer of equity and there is chargeable consideration. That is a tax question for the solicitor and HMRC, not a conveyancing “fee.” See the SDLT guide.
How long remortgage conveyancing takes
So far this year, remortgages through Ethical have averaged around 3 weeks. That is first-party experience on files we have introduced — a positive, and one we are happy to put on the page. It is not a promise that every remortgage will complete in 3 weeks.
Industry commentary often cites 4–8 weeks from a full mortgage offer on a straightforward freehold. Treat that as third-party market context, not our typical. A clean freehold with ID and forms returned promptly is the file that matches the faster end of anyone’s range.
It is not the same as:
- A purchase (some straightforward chain-free freeholds complete in around 8–12 weeks; the 2026 market average from offer to completion is longer — see how long conveyancing takes in 2026)
- A traditional auction (often around 28 days from the hammer, which is exchange)
- A leasehold purchase waiting on a management pack
The practical deadline is usually the end date of your current deal. Completing after that date can mean falling onto a higher reversion rate. Instructing as soon as the new offer is in, rather than in the last fortnight, is how most people avoid that squeeze. Your broker and solicitor will work to the offer’s conditions.
Leasehold remortgages, remortgages that include a transfer of equity, or lender delays often sit at the slower end of the market 4–8 week range, or beyond it, because a landlord, a second party or the new lender has to respond.
Leasehold remortgages: the extras people meet
A remortgage of a flat (or any other leasehold) still has to satisfy the lease. Typical extra items — some are legal work, some are landlord fees:
- Notice of charge — the lease often requires the landlord or managing agent to be told that a new mortgage has been granted, and to be paid a notice fee
- Certificate of compliance (or similar restriction on the title) — Land Registry may need the landlord’s certificate before they will register the new charge
- Landlord or managing-agent administration fees, which they set; they are disbursements, not the solicitor’s legal fee
- A copy of the lease, ground rent and service-charge position if the new lender asks for comfort on the title
These are the same family of charges you meet on a leasehold sale or purchase, scaled to a charge rather than a change of owner. Amounts vary by freeholder. There is no single “typical landlord fee” that is safe to put on this page as a quote. Flag leasehold on the remortgage form so the solicitor’s legal fee and the likely disbursements are in the picture from the start.
Some leasehold reforms have taken effect; others are proposed or awaiting commencement. What applies depends on the lease in front of the solicitor. This page does not advise you to extend, vary or wait.
Remortgage plus transfer of equity
Adding a spouse or partner, removing an ex-partner, or changing shares often sits on top of a remortgage because the lender will only lend to the people who will own the property. It is two legal jobs sharing a timeline:
- The transfer (who is on the title)
- The new charge (who is on the mortgage)
Expect more documents, lender consent, and a longer timetable than a like-for-like remortgage. Whether SDLT applies depends on the consideration, which can include mortgage debt assumed — not only cash that changes hands. HMRC and the solicitor acting for you confirm; our transfer of equity guide is general information.
If you are remortgaging and moving, that is not a transfer of equity. Use the sale and purchase quotes.
CTA: Get a remortgage quote. If the quote form cannot capture a transfer of equity on its own, contact us on 0330 043 9795 or support@ethicalconveyancing.co.uk and we will match you with a panel solicitor for the work involved.
Why people instruct through Ethical
Ethical Conveyancing is an introducer, not a regulated law firm. Panel solicitors do the legal work. What you get with us:
- Fixed legal fees — from £230 on a remortgage, from £400 on a sale or purchase. The legal fee we quote is the legal fee you pay. No hidden extras on that fee. Disbursements (Land Registry, official copies, indemnity, CHAPS and the like) sit on top.
- No Move, No Legal Fee — if the remortgage does not complete, you do not pay our legal fee. Disbursements already incurred are still payable.
- A highly rated solicitor on our panel — not a call-centre file. Rated 4.9/5 or higher on review sites.
- A dedicated support manager and an online portal so you can track the file without chasing.
- A clear quote in under 60 seconds. We are not always the cheapest headline on a five-quote shop. We sell a fixed, itemised legal fee and a file you can actually follow.
Get a remortgage quote — legal fees from £230, about 60 seconds, no obligation.
Same small print as on a sale or purchase — see how much conveyancing costs and our FAQs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a solicitor to remortgage?
For a new-lender remortgage, legal work is typically needed to redeem the old charge and register the new one. Many people use the lender’s panel firm (sometimes advertised as free legal work). A same-lender product transfer often needs little or no conveyancing. Your lender or broker will say which process you are in. This is general information, not advice on your product.
What does “free legal work” actually cover?
Usually the lender’s panel firm’s professional fee for the lender’s work. Disbursements (Land Registry, official copies, indemnity, CHAPS) are often still payable. The panel solicitor is acting for the lender. If you want a solicitor acting for you — or the title is leasehold, or you are changing names on the deeds — people often instruct their own firm as well or instead.
How much does remortgage conveyancing cost?
Our remortgage legal fees start from £230. The quote is the legal fee you pay; disbursements sit on top. Market commentary often cites around £400–£1,000 all-in for a straightforward private-pay freehold, with leasehold higher. That all-in range is third-party, not our fee. Get a remortgage quote.
How long does remortgage conveyancing take?
So far this year, remortgages through Ethical have averaged around 3 weeks. That is our experience, not a guarantee. Industry guides often quote 4–8 weeks. Leasehold, a transfer of equity at the same time, or lender delays can take longer. It is not the 8–12 week (or longer) purchase timetable.
Can I remortgage a leasehold property?
Yes, in the ordinary course, but expect extra landlord steps: notice of charge, sometimes a certificate of compliance, and landlord fees. Flag leasehold on the quote. See leasehold transaction charges.
Can I add or remove someone from the title at the same time?
That is a transfer of equity sitting alongside the remortgage. It is common (new partner, separation) and it is more work than a like-for-like remortgage. Read transfer of equity explained and tell us on the quote or by phone.
Is stamp duty payable on a remortgage?
Not on a like-for-like remortgage of a home you already own. It can be relevant if ownership is changing and there is chargeable consideration (which can include debt). See the SDLT guide. Your solicitor/HMRC confirm.
What do I pay if the remortgage falls through?
Under No Move No Legal Fee the legal fee is waived. Disbursements already incurred are still payable.