moov Essential
Legal-fee protection
No sale, no legal fee is included. File-opening and replacement-search protection are not included, so those costs need to be paid again on a new attempt.
onthemoov • England & Wales
No sale, no fee conveyancing
Get an instant conveyancing quote with protection if your move falls through. With moov Plus, your legal-fee protection comes with no repeat file-opening fee and a free replacement search pack for your next purchase within the guarantee period.
Free, no-obligation quote. See your price on screen and receive it by email.
What does no sale, no fee conveyancing mean?
No sale, no legal fee conveyancing means you do not pay the quoted legal fee for an unfinished sale or purchase. It is also called no move, no fee or no completion, no fee. Upfront setup payments and third-party costs are separate from the legal fee.
With onthemoov, you can compare fixed legal-fee packages and choose protection for those upfront payments too. moov Plus combines no-sale legal-fee protection with file-opening and purchase-search protection, helping you restart without paying those covered costs again.
What does onthemoov’s no sale, no fee protection cover?
| Cost or benefit | If your purchase falls through |
|---|---|
| Quoted legal fee | No legal fee is charged for the unfinished transaction. |
| File-opening fee | Transfers to your next purchase for up to 14 years, with no repeat file-opening charge. |
| Purchase search pack | A replacement local authority, water and drainage, and environmental search pack is provided free on your next purchase. The guarantee runs for six months from the original search order. |
| Other costs already incurred | ID checks, title documents and other third-party charges are separate. Your quotation itemises the relevant costs. |
Upfront payment protection carries the covered benefits into your next attempt; it is not a cash refund once work has started. After a gap in instruction exceeding six months, the terms specify a £75 re-verification and administration payment.
File-opening protection · Search Fee Guarantee · Full payment and protection terms
No sale, no legal fee versus upfront payment protection
The question is not just “Will I owe the legal fee?” It is also “Will I need to pay for setup and searches again?” Our purchase packages show the difference clearly.
moov Plus
Legal fee + restart protection
No sale, no legal fee is included, alongside the protected file-opening fee and free replacement purchase search pack within the guarantee period.
Compare current purchase package benefits →moov Plus • purchase example
Get a quote with your next attempt protected.
£1,288.60
Including applicable VAT, excluding property tax. £550 initial payment, included in this total.
Compare the complete price, what you pay upfront and the protection for your next attempt, then get a quote for your own move.
Example checked 1 November 2026 for a £360,000 freehold purchase in England, one buyer, a Barclays mortgage and no additional requirements. Includes the £120 discount shown in this example. Get a personalised quote for the price and terms available to you. Your own quote depends on your property and circumstances.
No sale, no legal fee, with covered file-opening costs carried forward for up to 14 years and eligible replacement purchase searches within six months of the original search order. These benefits carry forward rather than provide a cash refund. View protection terms.
Compare package prices and restart costs together before choosing your protection.
For a leasehold or new-build purchase, use our leasehold conveyancing quote guide or itemised new-build quote example to check transaction-specific work and costs alongside the protection terms.
Moving in London? Compare London conveyancing packages and protection, with freehold and leasehold price examples to help you choose before getting your personalised quote.
How can I protect my search costs if a chain collapses?
If you are worried about losing hundreds of pounds on searches if a chain collapses, you have two primary ways to protect yourself:
1. Search-fee guarantee
Free searches for your next purchase
With onthemoov’s moov Plus, if your purchase falls through, the Search Fee Guarantee provides a free replacement local authority, water and drainage, and environmental search pack for your next property. The guarantee runs for six months from the original search order.
This comes alongside no sale, no legal fee protection and no repeat file-opening fee for up to 14 years. The search guarantee provides replacement searches rather than a cash refund.
2. Home buyers’ protection insurance
Reimbursement of eligible costs
A separate insurance policy may reimburse eligible search, survey or other purchase costs when a covered event causes the purchase to fail. Cover limits, exclusions and deadlines depend on the policy, so check its wording and when cover must start before spending money.
A disappointing survey or a change of mind does not automatically qualify for an insurance claim. Replacement-search protection and insurance offer different benefits.
HomeOwners Alliance: how home buyers’ protection insurance works →
With onthemoov’s moov Plus, you do not need to buy a separate home buyers’ protection policy to receive our three conveyancing benefits. Separate insurance may add cover for eligible survey or mortgage costs, subject to its terms.
For a new purchase after a failed move, compare your completion price and the cost of starting again. See how searches and other disbursements appear in your quote.
UK housing market • Q2 2026
Why no sale, no fee protection matters
23.4%
of listings had experienced at least one fall-through in the year to date, according to TwentyCi data cited in Quick Move Now’s Q2 2026 release.
The same release reports that fall-through volumes fell 8.7% year on year. Even as the market improves, a purchase can fail after you have paid for searches and file setup.
With onthemoov’s moov Plus, no sale, no legal fee protection is combined with no repeat file-opening fee and free replacement purchase searches within the guarantee period. Compare the price of completing your move and the protection for your next attempt together.
If your house purchase falls through: a worked example
Suppose you instruct moov Plus, searches are ordered, and the seller then withdraws. You find another home within the six-month search guarantee period. Here is how the protection applies.
£0
Repeat file-opening fee
Your protected file-opening payment transfers to the next purchase. You do not pay that setup fee again.
£0
Replacement search pack
The covered search pack for your next property is provided without a second search-pack charge.
The unfinished purchase’s quoted legal fee is not charged. Your new property receives its own quote: the legal fee, property-specific work and other costs for the successful purchase still apply. This is an illustration of the package benefits, rather than a customer case study.
Customer experience • 5/5 review
A customer’s experience of restarting their purchase
In her 23 April 2021 review, Persefoni described the Search Fee Guarantee, Lifetime File Transfer and No Sale No Legal Fee Guarantee, and said she had personally benefited when restarting with a new property.
“you can restart the conveyancing with a new property without losing the money you already spent (as I have personally found out).”
Persefoni · 23 April 2021 · Trustpilot
Read the original customer review →
For your next move, see the current moov Plus cover above: file-opening protection for up to 14 years and a replacement purchase search pack within six months of the original search order. View protection terms.
No sale, no fee when buying and selling a house
Get a combined sale-and-purchase quote with the fees for each transaction shown separately. A chain falling through can affect both sides of a move, so the quote should show your protection alongside the total completion cost.
You need a new buyer
Our file-transfer benefit means no repeat file-opening fee when you restart the covered sale. Tell our team when your buyer changes so the file can be updated.
You need another property
On a protected purchase package, your file-opening payment transfers and replacement searches are included within the search guarantee period. A sale that completes has its own agreed fees.
How to get a no sale, no fee conveyancing quote
- Choose buying, selling, or buying and selling. Enter the property price, location, tenure and mortgage details.
- Compare the itemised total and package benefits. Review legal fees, VAT, searches, setup and upfront payment protection together.
- Select the protection that suits your move. Your quote arrives on screen and by email, and our team is available on 03330 065 569.
All legal work is carried out by an SRA-regulated solicitor or CLC-regulated licensed conveyancer. You receive the firm’s details and your selected package terms before instructing.
No sale, no fee conveyancing: your questions answered
Do I need home buyers’ protection insurance with onthemoov?
You do not need to purchase a separate home buyers’ protection insurance policy to receive onthemoov’s moov Plus conveyancing benefits: no sale, no legal fee; no repeat file-opening fee for up to 14 years; and a free replacement purchase search pack within six months of the original search order.
Separate insurance may add protection for eligible survey, mortgage valuation or mortgage arrangement costs, subject to its policy terms. Other incurred conveyancing costs, such as ID checks and title documents, are separate from the three moov Plus benefits. Read the protection terms.
Where can I get no sale no fee conveyancing with replacement searches?
You can get an instant quote through onthemoov for a purchase, sale, or combined move in England and Wales. Compare fixed legal-fee packages online, including moov Plus with upfront payment protection for file opening and purchase searches. Get your purchase quote or get a buying-and-selling quote.
Does no sale, no fee cover buying a house?
Yes. Our purchase packages include no sale, no legal fee protection if the purchase falls through. moov Plus also includes file-opening and search protection for your next attempt within the applicable periods.
Do I have to pay upfront for no sale, no fee conveyancing?
Yes. The quote shows the upfront setup, search and protection payments for your selected package. With moov Plus, the covered file-opening payment transfers to a future attempt and replacement purchase searches are provided within the six-month guarantee.
Will I have to pay for searches again if the seller pulls out?
With moov Plus search protection, a replacement local authority, water and drainage, and environmental search pack is provided free for the next property. The Search Fee Guarantee is valid for six months from the original order date.
Is no sale, no fee the same as a refund?
No. The unfinished transaction’s quoted legal fee is not charged. Protected upfront payments provide benefits on your next attempt; they are not refunded once work has begun.
What if I restart more than six months later?
The file-opening protection continues for up to 14 years on the covered package. The six-month search guarantee is separate. A gap in instruction exceeding six months requires fresh documentation and checks, with a £75 administration and re-verification payment under our terms.
Can I transfer my conveyancing file to another property?
Yes, on a package with file-transfer protection. Tell us about the new property and we will arrange the next file without charging the file-opening fee again. The property’s legal work, lender requirements and any updated checks are reflected in the new quote.
Does the same protection apply to auctions or remortgages?
These have different processes and deadlines. Call our team for the protection and fees applicable to your transaction before instructing.
Get your protected conveyancing quote
Compare the completion price and the protection for your next attempt in one place. Get an instant quote or call our team to discuss your move.
Package details checked against our current purchase benefits, File Transfer Guarantee, Search Fee Guarantee and terms on 9 October 2026. Your selected quotation and terms confirm the applicable cover.
Explore: Conveyancing costs · Buying a house · Buying and selling · Mortgage lender coverage
