Daily Junction.mobi portalPersonal Finance · June 20, 2026 · Rachel Stone · 4 min
Moving house in the UK now costs an average of £12,400 when you add stamp duty, legal fees, surveys, removals and estate-agent commission. Here is every line item, with 2026 figures.
Moving house is one of the most expensive transactions most people will ever make — and the costs extend well beyond the deposit and mortgage. For a typical home-mover buying at the UK average house price of £285,000 (ONS, March 2026) and simultaneously selling a similarly priced property, the total cost of the move — stamp duty, legal fees, surveys, removals, estate-agent commission and incidentals — now sits at approximately £12,400.
That figure has risen sharply from the pre-2022 norm, driven by stamp-duty threshold changes, higher conveyancing fees and inflation in the removals and surveying sectors. This guide breaks down every line item so you can budget accurately — and spot where savings are possible.
The table below assumes a home-mover purchasing a £285,000 property while selling a similarly valued home. First-time buyers would pay less stamp duty; buy-to-let purchasers and second-home buyers would pay the 3% surcharge on top of standard rates.
| Cost category | Who pays | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (England) | Buyer | £4,250 |
| Conveyancing solicitor (purchase) | Buyer | £1,200 |
| Conveyancing solicitor (sale) | Seller | £700 |
| Homebuyer survey (Level 2 RICS) | Buyer | £500 |
| Mortgage arrangement / valuation fee | Buyer | £300 |
| Estate-agent commission (1.2% + VAT) | Seller | £4,104 |
| Removals (3-bed house, local) | Both | £1,000 |
| Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) | Seller | £75 |
| Mail redirection (12 months) | Both | £85 |
| Miscellaneous (packing, cleaning, storage) | Both | £200 |
| Total | ~£12,414 |
Figures are mid-range estimates for England in 2026. Costs in London and the South East are typically 20–40% higher for removals, surveying and conveyancing.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is the biggest cost for most home-movers. The standard residential rates in England and Northern Ireland, applicable from April 2025 onwards following the expiry of the temporary threshold increase, are:
| Portion of purchase price | SDLT rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £125,000 | 0% |
| £125,001 – £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 – £925,000 | 5% |
| £925,001 – £1,500,000 | 10% |
| Above £1,500,000 | 12% |
On a £285,000 purchase: £0 on the first £125k, £2,500 on the next £125k, and £1,750 on the final £35k = £4,250 total.
First-time buyers pay no stamp duty on purchases up to £425,000 (with relief tapering up to £625,000). Buy-to-let purchasers and second-home buyers pay a 3% surcharge on top of the standard rates at every band — adding £8,550 to the bill on a £285,000 purchase. Scotland's Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Wales's Land Transaction Tax (LTT) use different thresholds and rates, though the principles are similar.
Conveyancing covers the legal work of transferring property ownership: searches, contract drafting, handling the mortgage lender's requirements, transferring funds and registering the change of title with HM Land Registry. A typical purchase-side conveyancing fee is £900–£1,500 for a freehold house, rising to £1,200–£2,000 for a leasehold flat (where the solicitor must also examine the lease, service-charge accounts and management-company arrangements).
Online and fixed-fee conveyancers have driven prices down at the budget end, with some offering purchase conveyancing for £500–£800. The trade-off is typically less personal contact and a more process-driven approach — fine for a straightforward freehold purchase, less ideal for a complex leasehold or a purchase involving a Help to Buy loan or shared ownership.
Estate-agent commission is the largest single cost on the selling side, and it is almost always calculated as a percentage of the achieved sale price plus VAT. The traditional high-street rate is 1.0–1.5% plus VAT, meaning £3,420–£5,130 on a £285,000 sale.
Online and hybrid agents — Purplebricks, Strike, Yopa — charge a fixed fee (typically £1,000–£2,000) regardless of the sale price, which can save thousands on higher-value properties. The trade-off is that you typically conduct your own viewings and handle more of the process yourself. Strike offers a genuinely free package (no sale-no-fee model funded by referral commissions from mortgage and conveyancing partners), though availability is not universal.
Removals for a three-bedroom house moving locally (within the same town or city) typically cost £800–£1,400, depending on the volume of possessions, whether packing services are included, and the time of year. Summer weekends and month-ends command premium rates; a midweek move in January or February can be 20–30% cheaper. Long-distance moves (over 100 miles) cost £1,800–£3,500.
A RICS Home Survey Level 2 (formerly the HomeBuyer Report) costs £400–£600 for a typical house and is strongly recommended — it identifies structural issues, damp, roof condition and any major defects that a basic mortgage valuation will not catch. A Level 3 Building Survey (full structural survey) costs £600–£1,200 and is appropriate for older properties, listed buildings or any property in visibly poor condition.
Every move uncovers costs that were not in the initial budget: a last-minute storage unit (£30–£60 per week), professional cleaning of the old property (£150–£300), new furniture or white goods for the new place, emergency repairs, or a bridging loan if completion dates do not align. A contingency of £1,000–£2,000 — on top of the itemised costs above — is realistic and prevents a stressful process from becoming a financially damaging one.
The cost of moving house is high, but it is not a mystery. Understanding the breakdown — and treating estate-agent fees, conveyancing quotes and removal dates as negotiable rather than fixed — can save £2,000–£5,000 on a typical move.
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