Conveyancing cost in Victoria: the complete $880 to $2,200 breakdown

A conveyancer in Victoria charges roughly $880 to $2,200 for a standard residential matter, but that professional fee is only a slice of what you actually pay. The largest single cost is land transfer duty (Victoria's name for stamp duty), and on top of that sit disbursements and a Land Services Victoria registration fee. This guide sets out every part, with the duty and registry figures computed from the current State Revenue Office and Land Services Victoria rates.

Where the $880 to $2,200 range comes from

Published Victorian price guides put a standard residential conveyance at the low end around $800 plus GST (about $880 including GST) for a licensed conveyancer on a simple purchase, rising to roughly $2,200 where the matter is more involved, a solicitor is engaged, or the property is a unit with owners corporation searches. Conveyed's Melbourne cost guide quotes base fees "from $800" plus GST with disbursements of about $200 to $500, and Eagle Peak's Victorian cost guide states a conveyancer "typically ranges between $800 and $2,200" depending on complexity. These are market ranges, not a fixed schedule, so always ask for a written fixed-fee quote for your own matter.

That professional fee is separate from, and much smaller than, the government charges a buyer pays. The table below shows the full picture.

Total cost of buying in Victoria at five price points

The land transfer duty and land registry figures below are computed from the current State Revenue Office Victoria general rates and the Land Services Victoria fee, and the professional fee and disbursements are the market ranges above. Duty here is shown at the standard (general) rate; an owner-occupier or first home buyer usually pays less (see how owner-occupiers and first home buyers pay less).

Land transfer duty computed from the State Revenue Office Victoria general rates (contracts on or after 1 July 2021). Land registry fee from the Land Services Victoria transfer of land fees calculator (2026/27, electronic lodgment). Professional fee and disbursement ranges are market estimates (Conveyed and Eagle Peak, 2026), not official figures. Excludes any foreign purchaser additional duty, loan costs, and building or pest inspections.

Professional fee versus disbursements

A Victorian conveyancing quote should always separate two things:

1. Professional fee: what your conveyancer or property lawyer charges for their time and expertise. This is negotiated directly and varies between practices, which is where the $880 to $2,200 spread comes from.
2. Disbursements: the third-party costs your conveyancer pays on your behalf, such as title and planning certificate searches, the PEXA electronic settlement fee, and the Land Services Victoria registration fee. Most of these are set by government or third parties, not by the conveyancer.

A quote that shows only a professional fee, with no estimate of disbursements, is incomplete. Ask for a single figure that includes both.

Buyer costs in Victoria

As a buyer in Victoria, budget for the following on top of your deposit and purchase price:

• Conveyancer or lawyer professional fee: about $880 to $2,200 for a standard matter (market estimate). A licensed conveyancer is usually cheaper than a solicitor for a straightforward purchase.
• Land transfer duty: paid to the State Revenue Office on the greater of the price or market value. This is the largest cost for most buyers (see the table above).
• Disbursements: title search, planning and rates certificates, and the searches your conveyancer runs to review the Section 32 vendor statement, roughly $200 to $500 (market estimate).
• Land Services Victoria registration fee: the fee to register the transfer of title, which scales with the price (see the table above).
• PEXA settlement fee: the electronic settlement platform charges a fee to each party to a settlement.
• Building and pest inspection: not a conveyancing fee, but a cost most buyers incur before signing, arranged separately.

Seller costs in Victoria

As a seller in Victoria, your conveyancing costs are different from a buyer's, because your conveyancer's central job is preparing the contract and the mandatory Section 32 vendor statement before the property is offered for sale:

• Conveyancer or lawyer professional fee: sellers often sit at the higher end of the range because the Section 32 vendor statement requires ordering title, planning and rates certificates before marketing.
• Section 32 vendor statement disbursements: the certificates and searches your conveyancer must gather to disclose title, easements and covenants, planning zone and overlays, outgoings and connected services, as required by the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic).
• Mortgage discharge cost: if you have a loan on the property, your lender charges a discharge fee to release its security at settlement. This is paid to the lender, not your conveyancer.
• Estate agent commission: usually the largest cost of selling, and separate from conveyancing.

A seller does not pay land transfer duty on a straightforward residential sale; duty is a buyer cost. Any capital gains tax is a separate matter for your accountant. The full vendor's side, from the Section 32 duty to settlement, is in the selling property in Victoria guide.

Land transfer duty: the biggest cost

Land transfer duty is a State Revenue Office Victoria tax, set under the sale of land legislation and administered by the State Revenue Office Victoria. It is a graduated tax: the higher the price, the higher the effective rate. Because it dwarfs the professional fee, it deserves its own detailed guide, which sets out the general and owner-occupier rate tables, the $550,000 principal place of residence cliff, the first home buyer exemption, and a calculator.

See Stamp duty Victoria: land transfer duty rates and calculator for the full duty picture and to estimate your own amount.

How owner-occupiers and first home buyers pay less

The duty figures in the table above are the standard (general) rate. Two concessions can bring that number down sharply, and both are computed here from the same engine:

• Principal place of residence rate: any owner-occupier (not only first home buyers) pays a lower rate on a property valued up to $550,000. At $500,000, the owner-occupier duty is $21,970, compared with $25,070 at the general rate, a saving of $3,100. Above $550,000 the concession does not apply at all.
• First home buyer exemption or concession: an eligible first home buyer pays no land transfer duty at all up to $600,000, with the concession phasing out to full duty by $750,000. A first home buyer at $650,000, for example, pays about $11,357 rather than the full $34,070.

Both are explained in full, with the exact rate tables and the reason the $550,000 boundary creates a genuine cliff, in the stamp duty Victoria guide.

How to compare Victorian quotes honestly

When you gather quotes, ask each conveyancer or lawyer for a written breakdown that separates their professional fee from an itemised estimate of disbursements, states whether the quote is fixed or can vary, and lists what is not included. The cheapest headline fee is not always the cheapest total, because a low professional fee can sit next to a thin disbursements estimate. Compare like for like.

Conveyancing Explained provides general information about property transactions in Australia. It is not legal advice and does not create a client relationship. For advice on your situation, engage a licensed conveyancer, settlement agent, or property solicitor in your state or territory.