Each council sets its own search fee
The local authority search (the LLC1 register search and the CON29 enquiries) is priced by the council for the property’s area, so the same search costs very different amounts. Published fees for a standard residential search, cheapest first:
- Leeds City Council£90.52from 1 April 2026
- Birmingham City Council£151.00from 1 April 2026
- Hartlepool Borough Council£153.02from 1 April 2026
- Newcastle City Council£165.10current fee, undated
- Ribble Valley Borough Council£200.65from 1 April 2026
- Westminster City Council£252from 1 April 2026, VAT not stated
- Mole Valley District Council£346.08current fee, undated
Where the council now prices only the CON29 enquiries, because HM Land Registry holds the register search:
Each council’s own fee page, checked 31 October 2026, including VAT unless marked. Manchester and Sheffield are not listed: check the council’s own site for its current fee (Sheffield’s last published fees are from 2019/20). Your solicitor’s search quote will show the exact figure. In Scotland a property enquiry certificate does this job instead; see Scotland and Northern Ireland. Search providers may charge their own price for a personal search.
Higher prices move the tax and registration bands
Where homes cost more, the same move pays more Stamp Duty or Land Transaction Tax, and can fall into a higher HM Land Registry fee band. A £500,000 purchase in England pays £15,000 Stamp Duty at standard rates and a £150 registration fee; a £200,000 purchase pays £1,500 and £100.
Wales uses its own Land Transaction Tax, with a £225,000 nil-rate band and no first-time buyer relief. Use the calculator above with your price and country.
Typical budget by region
The calculator’s answer for each region’s average price: buying freehold with a mortgage and replacing your main home, at standard rates. Cheapest budget first.
- Wales£1,543–£1,833Average £216,363 · Land Transaction Tax £0 · registration £150
- North East£2,306–£2,596Average £165,640 · Stamp Duty £813 · registration £100
- Yorkshire and the Humber£3,228–£3,518Average £209,266 · Stamp Duty £1,685 · registration £150
- North West£3,451–£3,741Average £220,393 · Stamp Duty £1,908 · registration £150
- East Midlands£3,882–£4,172Average £241,955 · Stamp Duty £2,339 · registration £150
- West Midlands£4,080–£4,370Average £250,731 · Stamp Duty £2,537 · registration £150
- South West£6,750–£7,040Average £304,139 · Stamp Duty £5,207 · registration £150
- East of England£8,435–£8,725Average £337,848 · Stamp Duty £6,892 · registration £150
- South East£10,541–£10,831Average £379,953 · Stamp Duty £8,998 · registration £150
- London£19,410–£19,700Average £554,430 · Stamp Duty £17,722 · registration £295
Average prices for August 2026 from the UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry, published 21 October 2026). Budgets add our legal fee, a £250–£500 search allowance, registration and the other calculator lines to the tax; your own price changes all three.
