Conveyancing Solicitors Edinburgh

Edinburgh conveyancing on a fixed fee

Edinburgh is the most expensive housing market in Scotland, and one of the most competitive. Buyers often need to move quickly, sellers want to know that an offer will hold up, and flats come with shared repair obligations that can cost thousands if they are missed. Our solicitors handle Edinburgh purchases and sales from start to finish on a fixed fee, with identity checks, signing and updates done online and by phone, so you never need to take time off to visit an office.

The Edinburgh property market in 2026

The average price in the City of Edinburgh council area was £303,965 in July 2026, up 4.0% on a year earlier, according to the UK House Price Index. That is more than £100,000 above the Scottish average of £196,000. Rightmove's sold prices for the year to July 2026 show how much property type matters in the city:

Closing dates are becoming less common. In ESPC's figures for May to July 2026, 19.8% of sales went to a closing date, down from 22.1%. Buyers still paid an average of 102.2% of the Home Report valuation, and the median property sold in 21 days. For you as a buyer, that means being ready: mortgage in principle arranged, solicitor instructed and funds for any shortfall between the price and the lender's valuation in place before you view.

Buying a flat in Edinburgh

At the 2011 Census, 64% of Edinburgh homes were flats, including tenements and "four in a block" houses. Much of the city centre is historic. The New Town was built between 1767 and 1890, the Old and New Towns have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, and the city has 50 conservation areas where alterations are more tightly controlled. That shapes the legal work on a flat purchase:

• Statutory repair notices. Edinburgh has its own register of statutory repair notices, kept under a 1991 Act. A search costs £78 and tells us whether the council has ordered or carried out work on the building. We order it on every flat purchase, because unpaid statutory repair bills can follow the property.
• Common repairs and the factor. We check how the title deeds share repairs between owners, whether there is a factor, and whether any repair has been agreed but not yet billed.
• Listed buildings and conservation areas. If the flat is listed or in a conservation area, we check whether past alterations had the consents they needed.

Letting in Edinburgh: short-term lets and HMOs

The whole city has been a short-term let control area since 5 September 2022. If a property is not your main home, using it as a short-term let needs planning permission, and Edinburgh's 5% visitor levy applies to licensed short-term lets from 24 July 2026. Longer-term lets to three or more unrelated people need an HMO licence. If you are buying to let, tell us your plans at the start and we will check the property's planning and licensing history before you commit.

New homes and regeneration

Edinburgh declared a housing emergency in November 2023, and new supply is concentrated in a few big schemes. Granton Waterfront is a £1.3 billion plan for 3,500 homes, with a first phase of 847 homes, a primary school and shops. A £38.4 million National Wealth Fund loan to get it started was announced in September 2026. The tram extension to Newhaven, which opened in June 2023 and runs down Leith Walk, has made Leith and the waterfront easier to reach, and the council adopted City Plan 2030 in November 2024 to guide where new homes go. New-build purchases have their own missives, set by the developer, and we review them carefully before you sign.

What your Edinburgh purchase could cost

At the Edinburgh average price of £303,965:

• Land and Buildings Transaction Tax: £4,798 for a home mover, or £4,198 for a first-time buyer.
• Additional Dwelling Supplement: a further £24,317 if you already own another home.
• Registers of Scotland registration dues: £660 for the disposition, plus £80 for a standard security.
• Our fee: £1,230 plus VAT at this price.

Our LBTT guide for first-time buyers explains the relief in more detail, and the quote calculator gives you your exact figures.

Areas we cover in Edinburgh

We act across the city, including the Old Town and New Town (EH1, EH2), the West End, Tollcross and Fountainbridge (EH3), Stockbridge, Comely Bank and Cramond (EH4), Granton, Leith and Newhaven (EH5, EH6), Marchmont and the Grange (EH9), and Morningside, Colinton, Portobello, Liberton and Gilmerton (EH10 to EH17). We also act for buyers moving between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which is 44 minutes on the fastest trains.