Manchester Conveyancing with Panel Solicitors — Fixed Legal Fees from £400

Manchester conveyancing at a glance

• What we do: Ethical Conveyancing arranges conveyancing for home movers in Manchester and across Greater Manchester, with the legal work carried out by a solicitor from our panel, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and/or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
• Where: Properties in England and Wales, including all ten Greater Manchester boroughs — Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Wigan.
• Legal fees: From £400 + VAT for a sale or purchase, and from £230 + VAT for a remortgage. Disbursements (such as searches and Land Registry fees) are charged on top and listed separately on your quote.
• Fixed legal fee: The legal fee you are quoted is the legal fee you pay. If extra work is needed, you are told what, why and the cost before it happens.
• No Move, No Legal Fee: If your transaction does not complete, you are not charged the legal fee. Disbursements already incurred may still be payable.
• Getting a quote: Fill in a short online form with your contact details and property information, and your itemised quote follows. You can also call 0161 710 3200.
• Local panel: Our solicitor panel includes a Manchester-based firm.
• Timescales: 8–12 weeks is the band we work to on Ethical files for a straightforward sale or purchase — not a promise. Chains, leasehold packs and lender timing can make it longer.
• Reviews: Rated 5.0 on Google.

Buying a Manchester apartment? Read this first

Much of the housing in Manchester city centre, Ancoats, Salford Quays and around MediaCity is apartments. Buying a flat usually means extra conveyancing steps compared with a freehold house:

• Leasehold. Most flats are leasehold. The seller's solicitor needs a management pack from the managing agent or freeholder, which is charged by them (not by the solicitor) and can take weeks. Your solicitor reviews the lease length, ground rent and service charges.
• New builds. Buying from a developer adds developer contracts, warranty paperwork and sometimes a completion date on notice. See buying a new build in 2026.
• Building safety paperwork. On some blocks, lenders ask for extra building-safety information before they will lend. Your solicitor and lender will tell you what applies. See leasehold conveyancing costs and extra charges.

Flag leasehold and new build on your quote form so they are priced from the start. For the basics, read freehold vs leasehold.

Houses in Chorlton, Altrincham, Stockport and beyond

Freehold houses are usually more straightforward, but sort these early:

• Local authority searches go to the council for the property's area, and turnaround varies between councils. Instructing as soon as your offer is accepted gives your solicitor the most time. See property searches explained.
• Extensions and alterations. If you are selling, find planning permissions and building-regulations certificates now rather than when the buyer's solicitor asks.
• Buying and selling together. Get a sale and purchase quote so both sides are priced together.

Your quote shows the legal fee, VAT and each disbursement as separate lines. Full breakdown: how much conveyancing costs in 2026.

How long does conveyancing take in Manchester?

On Ethical files, 8–12 weeks is the band we work to for a straightforward sale or purchase — a confidence band, not a promise. Chains, leasehold packs, search times and mortgage offers can all make it longer.

For wider context, Rightmove's July 2026 figures put the Great Britain average at around 154 days from sale agreed to completion.

Remortgaging? There is no chain, and so far this year remortgages through Ethical have averaged around 3 weeks — our experience, not a promise. See remortgage conveyancing and how long conveyancing takes in 2026.