What conveyancing costs in New Zealand in 2026: lawyer fees for buying a house
Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
Published fixed-fee conveyancing pricing from named New Zealand law firms for a standard residential purchase with a mortgage generally runs from around $1,000 to $2,500, plus GST and disbursements, though the exact figure depends on the firm, the property type and whether a trust or company is involved (Movest, and each firm's own current pricing page, retrieved 9 September 2026, cited below). No official national average exists.
What conveyancing actually covers
Conveyancing is the legal work that transfers a property's title from seller to buyer: checking the sale and purchase agreement, reviewing the title and any encumbrances, liaising with your bank on mortgage registration, handling settlement funds, and registering the transfer with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). It is separate from your builders report and your mortgage approval, though all three usually run in parallel in the weeks before settlement.
What conveyancing costs, from named firms
Four firms we checked all publish fixed or from-price fees for a standard residential purchase, and the table below compares them directly for the most common scenario: a purchase with one mortgage.
Published purchase-with-mortgage pricing from four named firms currently spans roughly $1,000 to $2,500, and the table below shows exactly what each firm quotes.
| Firm | Purchase with mortgage | Purchase, no mortgage | GST and disbursements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convey Law (Auckland) | From $1,000 | Not separately published | Plus GST and disbursements |
| Land Law NZ | From $999 | From $999 | Plus AML, GST and LINZ disbursements |
| The Property Law Centre (Auckland) | $2,290 | $2,040 | GST and LINZ disbursements included in the quoted price |
| Movest (property lawyers) | $2,500 | $2,300 (cash purchase) | Plus GST and disbursements |
(Each firm's own published pricing page, retrieved 9 September 2026; see References. "From" prices can increase for complex titles, trusts, companies or unit title bodies corporate.)
How much does conveyancing cost in NZ?
Published fixed or from-fees for a standard residential purchase with a mortgage range from around $999 to $2,500 across the four firms we checked, before GST and disbursements are added on top of the lower quotes (Land Law NZ; Movest; retrieved 9 September 2026). Always ask whether a quoted figure includes GST and disbursements, since some firms quote all-in and others do not.
Why do quoted prices vary so much between firms?
Partly because some firms quote the professional fee alone, with GST and LINZ disbursements added afterwards, while others quote an all-inclusive figure; The Property Law Centre specifically notes that "competitors often advertise the professional fee only" and that its own prices include GST and LINZ disbursements (The Property Law Centre, retrieved 9 September 2026). Comparing like-for-like matters more than comparing the headline number alone.
What extra costs come on top of the base conveyancing fee?
Common additions include an anti-money laundering (AML) compliance charge, LINZ registration fees, mortgage registration and discharge fees, and a higher fee for a unit title, cross-lease or property held by a trust or company. Land Law NZ, for example, publishes an AML charge of $50 plus GST per individual or $100 plus GST for a company, trust or high-risk matter, on top of its from-$999 purchase fee (Land Law NZ, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Does buying through a trust or company cost more?
Generally yes. The Property Law Centre publishes a higher price for a purchase with a mortgage by a trust or company ($2,390) than for an individual purchase with a mortgage ($2,290), and separately charges more for a mortgage arranged by a trust ($1,045) than by an individual ($945) (The Property Law Centre, retrieved 9 September 2026).
How long does conveyancing take once an offer is accepted?
Timing is not standardised and depends on your contract's conditions (finance, building report, LIM) and how quickly they are satisfied; firms do not publish a single fixed timeframe, but a straightforward unconditional purchase to settlement commonly takes a small number of weeks once all conditions are met, so confirm expected timing directly with your lawyer against your contract's dates.
What is the AML compliance charge, and why do I have to pay it?
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance is a legal requirement on law firms under New Zealand's AML/CFT regime, and firms pass on a per-client or per-entity charge to cover identity verification; Land Law NZ, for example, charges $50 plus GST per individual, or $100 plus GST for a company, trust or high-risk matter, in addition to its base conveyancing fee (Land Law NZ, retrieved 9 September 2026).
Unit titles, cross-leases and other complicating factors
A standard freehold purchase is the cheapest to convey; some property types and structures cost more because they involve extra checks.
Unit title, cross-lease and trust or company purchases generally cost more than a standard freehold purchase, and the table below shows the named surcharges we found.
| Complicating factor | Extra cost, named firm |
|---|---|
| Unit title, Residents Society or subject to tenancy (purchase or sale) | Plus $245 (The Property Law Centre) |
| Unit, cross-lease or leasehold title | Plus $200 (Land Law NZ) |
| Purchase without a mortgage by a trust or company | $2,290, versus $2,040 for an individual with no mortgage (The Property Law Centre) |
| KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal, one or two applications | $295 and $495 respectively (The Property Law Centre) |
(Each firm's own published pricing page, retrieved 9 September 2026.)
How much does conveyancing cost for a unit title or cross-lease property?
Expect a surcharge on top of the base purchase fee: The Property Law Centre adds $245 for a unit title, Residents Society or tenancy-subject purchase or sale, and Land Law NZ adds $200 for a unit, cross-lease or leasehold title (The Property Law Centre; Land Law NZ; retrieved 9 September 2026). These titles involve extra checks, such as body corporate or cross-lease flat plan review, that a standard freehold purchase does not.
Does using KiwiSaver for a deposit add to the legal cost?
Yes, at firms that separately price it: The Property Law Centre charges $295 for one KiwiSaver withdrawal application and $495 for two, on top of the base conveyancing fee (The Property Law Centre, retrieved 9 September 2026). Confirm whether your chosen firm bundles this into its standard purchase price or charges separately.
Buying versus selling versus refinancing
Conveyancing fees differ depending on which transaction you are doing, and firms generally price each separately.
The same firms that price a purchase also publish separate figures for a sale and a refinance, and the table below compares all three.
| Firm | Purchase (with mortgage) | Sale (with mortgage) | Refinance (one property) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convey Law (Auckland) | From $1,000 | From $900 | From $690 |
| Movest (property lawyers) | $2,500 | $2,200 | $1,800 |
| The Property Law Centre (Auckland) | $2,290 | $2,090 | $1,595 (individual) |
(Each firm's own published pricing page, retrieved 9 September 2026. All figures plus GST and disbursements unless the firm states otherwise.)
Is selling a house cheaper than buying one, legally?
Generally yes, at every firm we checked. Convey Law prices a sale with one mortgage from $900 against a purchase with one mortgage from $1,000; Movest prices a standard sale at $2,200 against $2,500 for a standard purchase with a mortgage; and The Property Law Centre prices a sale with a mortgage discharge at $2,090 against $2,290 for a purchase with a mortgage (Convey Law; Movest; The Property Law Centre; retrieved 9 September 2026). A sale generally involves less due diligence than a purchase.
How much does refinancing a mortgage cost in legal fees?
Published refinance fees for one property range from around $690 (Convey Law, from-price) to $1,800 (Movest) across the firms we checked, generally well below a full purchase or sale, since refinancing does not involve a change of ownership (Convey Law; Movest; retrieved 9 September 2026).
What conveyancing does not cover
A conveyancing lawyer handles the legal transfer, not your building inspection, your finance approval, or your insurance. Those sit with your own builders report, your mortgage pre-approval, and insurance on settlement day respectively, all of which usually run alongside conveyancing in the weeks before settlement.
When should I engage a conveyancing lawyer?
Before you make an offer, ideally, so the lawyer can review the sale and purchase agreement terms before you sign, rather than after; most firms recommend early contact even if the formal engagement and fixed-fee quote only firms up once you have an accepted offer.
Can I do my own conveyancing in NZ?
This page does not give personal legal advice on whether to self-manage a property transfer; the firms compared above exist specifically because most buyers and sellers engage a lawyer or licensed conveyancer to handle title checks, LINZ registration and settlement funds, given the legal and financial risk of an error in a property transaction.
What this page does not cover
This page compares published law firm pricing for standard residential conveyancing; it is not personal legal advice, and pricing changes, so always confirm a current fixed-fee quote directly with the firm for your specific property and situation. It does not cover general house insurance, which is a separate decision covered on insurance on settlement day. QuoteHub's read is that the spread between firms is wide enough that a quick comparison before engaging one is worth the ten minutes it takes. Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
Where to go next in this cluster
Our buying-a-house checklist hub sets out every step in order. For the physical building side, see a builders report in NZ, and for finance, mortgage pre-approval in NZ. Once conveyancing is underway, insurance on settlement day covers what must be arranged before the keys change hands. For the wider insurance picture around a first home, see insurance for first-home buyers, first-home buyer insurance in New Zealand, life insurance with a home loan and life insurance versus mortgage protection. Our mortgage protection guide, guide to mortgage protection, mortgage protection companies compared and the mortgage protection calculator cover the cover itself, alongside mortgage life insurance in NZ, life insurance for mortgage holders, our life insurance guide, life insurance quotes NZ, life insurance calculator and life insurance quotes, and making a will in New Zealand is worth a look once you own the property outright. Start a free comparison with a licensed adviser once conveyancing and your finance are both underway.
Adviser's view
Two firms can quote wildly different numbers for what is functionally the same job, because one prices the professional fee alone and adds GST and disbursements afterwards while another quotes an all-inclusive figure. QuoteHub compared the fee structures, not just the headline totals, and its read is that asking whether a quote is all-inclusive matters more than which firm looks cheapest at first glance.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Conveyancing Cost NZ 2026: Lawyer Fees for Buying a House. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/buying-a-house/conveyancing-cost-nz. Updated 2026-09-09.
References
- Convey Law (Auckland): Conveyancing fees
- Land Law NZ: Fees
- The Property Law Centre (Auckland): Property law prices
- Movest (property lawyers): Our fixed prices
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