Property services
Solicitors and estate agents in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Conveyancing, missives, title and — where they offer it — marketing the property.
In Scotland, solicitors run the legal side of a sale and, in many firms, the marketing as well. Conveyancing here means preparing the title and the missives, dealing with the buyer's solicitor, and settling on the date of entry.
Solicitor estate agents are a genuinely Scottish institution: the same firm markets the property, receives the notes of interest, sets the closing date and concludes the missives. Others do the legal work only and leave marketing to an agency.
When Edinburgh owners call solicitors and estate agents
- You are selling and need the legal work and possibly the marketing.
- You are buying and need an offer submitted before a closing date.
- Title, boundaries, servitudes or a missing completion certificate need resolving.
- You are dealing with an executry sale and need advice on confirmation.
Local context: Edinburgh and the Lothians
The Edinburgh process is distinctive: the property is marketed with a Home Report, buyers note interest through their solicitor, a closing date is set when there is competition, and offers are submitted in writing by a solicitor at a fixed time.
Missives are then concluded by an exchange of formal letters, and it is that conclusion, not an English-style exchange, that makes the deal binding. The date of entry is when money and keys move, and is set out in the missives.
What this work typically costs
Published ranges are market context gathered from local jobs, not a quotation. We do not price work, arrange it or take a cut of it — always get your own written quotes.
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyancing fee, sale | £800-£1,600 plus VAT | Outlays such as registration dues and searches are additional. |
| Conveyancing fee, purchase | £900-£1,800 plus VAT | Plus LBTT, Registers of Scotland fees and searches. |
| Estate agency commission, solicitor estate agent | 0.7%-1.5% plus VAT | Some firms charge a fixed fee instead; marketing costs may be separate. |
| Marketing pack, photos, floorplan, portal listing | £400-£1,200 | Sometimes bundled with commission, sometimes not. |
| Executry or title rectification work | Hourly, £180-£350 | Ask for an estimate of total hours up front. |
Tenements and common repairs
A tenement sale generates title questions that a house sale does not: the share of common parts, the factor's arrangements, outstanding common repair accounts and any statutory notices. A solicitor who handles Edinburgh flats routinely will ask for this paperwork at the outset.
Unresolved common repair liabilities are a common cause of delayed settlements. Gathering the factor's statement and any repair correspondence early is the single best thing a seller can do for their own timetable.
What to check before you instruct
- Law Society of Scotland registration
- Written fee estimate including outlays and LBTT
- Who handles the file day to day
- Law Society of Scotland registration
- Every practising Scottish solicitor is on the Law Society of Scotland's Find a Solicitor register. Check the firm and the individual.
- Written fee estimate
- Ask for fees, VAT and outlays itemised — registration dues, searches, LBTT and any bank transfer fee.
- Who runs the file
- Ask who handles the day-to-day work and how you will reach them. This determines your experience more than the firm's name.
- Marketing and legal separated
- If the firm also markets, ask what the commission covers and what is charged whether or not the property sells.
We publish factual detail supplied by each business. We do not rate, rank, endorse or guarantee anyone listed, and no business pays for placement. Checking registration, insurance and references is always your decision.
Questions to ask before you instruct
- What is the total cost including VAT and all outlays?
- Do you market as well as act legally, and how are the two charged?
- How many Edinburgh flats have you sold in the last year?
- Who is my day-to-day contact and what are their hours?
- What paperwork do you need from me now to avoid a delay at settlement?
- How do you handle a closing date and advise on the offer?
Businesses listed
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Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.
Solicitors and estate agents: common questions
- What does a Scottish conveyancing solicitor actually do?
- Concludes missives, examines and delivers title, deals with the standard security, handles LBTT and Registers of Scotland registration, and settles funds on the agreed date. Solicitors in Scotland may also market property.
- Should the same firm market my property and do the conveyancing?
- Many Scottish solicitor estate agents do both, and it can be efficient. You are free to separate the roles, and the fee estimate should show marketing and legal work as distinct figures.
- What should a written fee estimate from a Scottish solicitor include?
- The legal fee, VAT, and outlays such as Registers of Scotland dues, advance notice fees and searches, plus any separate marketing charge. Law Society of Scotland rules require clear fee information at the outset.