What is the buyer's policy on covering additional costs, such as legal fees, during the sale process?

Any contribution towards sale-related costs depends on the terms agreed for the individual property. A cash purchase does not automatically mean that the buyer will pay the seller’s legal fees or other expenses. The written offer should therefore be treated as the reference point: it should identify whether a cost is included, excluded or subject to further agreement.

In a typical residential sale, the seller may need to budget for:

• Conveyancing or solicitor’s fees for reviewing the contract, responding to enquiries and completing the transfer.
• Mortgage or secured-loan redemption charges, where an outstanding balance must be settled from the sale proceeds.
• Land Registry or title-related work, particularly where the property has missing documents, restrictions, multiple owners or an unusual legal history.
• Probate-related legal work where the registered owner has died and the personal representatives are selling the property.
• Leasehold information, management-pack or notice fees for a leasehold property, where the freeholder or managing agent charges for supplying information.
• Removal, clearance, repair or compliance costs if these are agreed as part of the transaction rather than left for the buyer to handle.

These expenses are separate from the agreed purchase price. A contribution from the buyer may reduce the amount the seller has to fund personally, but it does not necessarily remove the underlying charge. For example, a solicitor may still invoice the seller directly even where the offer records that the buyer will contribute to conveyancing costs.

Before accepting an offer, the seller should ask for the financial terms to be set out clearly in writing. Useful points to confirm include the exact cost or contribution covered, whether there is a maximum amount, who pays the supplier, when reimbursement takes place, and whether the contribution is conditional on completion. The seller should also check whether any change to the agreed price or contribution could arise from title issues, valuation findings or additional legal work.

It is important to distinguish sale costs from sums that must be paid to settle existing obligations. An outstanding mortgage, secured charge, court order or other restriction may need to be dealt with before the title can be transferred. A buyer’s contribution to legal fees would not, by itself, settle those obligations. The seller’s conveyancer should obtain the relevant redemption or settlement figures and explain how they affect the final proceeds.

For probate, divorce or ownership disputes, extra legal documents and authority checks may be required. In those circumstances, the seller should establish whether the proposed contribution covers only ordinary conveyancing or also includes the additional work needed to resolve the specific issue. The same approach applies to damaged or legally complex properties: any agreed treatment of related costs should be recorded rather than assumed.

A solicitor or licensed conveyancer can compare the written offer with the likely disbursements and identify costs that remain payable by the seller. Sellers should avoid relying on verbal assurances and should not instruct professionals or commit to chargeable work on the assumption that the buyer will pay unless the arrangement has been documented.