Cost of Moving House Calculator

How much does it cost to move house in the UK?

Most people budget for the deposit and the asking price, then get caught out by the cost of moving house on top. Across the whole move — buying, selling, or both — the extras typically add up to 2% to 5% of the property price once Stamp Duty is included. On a £350,000 home that is often somewhere between £8,000 and £18,000, depending on the price, which UK nation you're in, whether you're also selling, and whether you're a first-time buyer.

This calculator brings every charge together into a single, editable budget. Enter your prices, choose what applies to you, and you get an itemised total you can trust — plus a breakdown showing exactly where the money goes. Every estimate can be overwritten with a real quote as it comes in.

What's included in the cost of moving

The calculator combines the costs that catch movers out. Here's what each one is and a typical UK range:

Costs when buying vs selling vs both

Not every cost applies to every move, and the calculator only counts what's relevant to you:

• Buying only (e.g. first-time buyers): stamp duty, conveyancing for the purchase, survey, mortgage fees and removals. No estate agent fee.
• Selling only: estate agent fee plus VAT, conveyancing for the sale, an EPC and removals. No stamp duty.
• Buying and selling (most home-movers): you pay both legal legs, stamp duty on the purchase, the estate agent on the sale, plus survey, mortgage and removals — this is usually the most expensive scenario.

Stamp duty — usually the biggest single cost

For most purchases above the nil-rate band, Stamp Duty is the largest line in the whole move. It's tiered, so each slice of the price is taxed at its own rate, and the rules differ by nation:

• England & Northern Ireland — SDLT: nothing on the first £125,000, then 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5m and 12% above.
• Scotland — LBTT and Wales — LTT use their own bands and thresholds.
• First-time buyers in England, N. Ireland and Scotland pay reduced or no stamp duty up to a cap.
• Second homes and buy-to-let carry an additional-property surcharge on top.

The calculator applies the correct nation and buyer rates automatically. For the full band-by-band breakdown, use our dedicated Stamp Duty Calculator.

Conveyancing and solicitors' fees

Conveyancing is the legal work that transfers ownership. Your bill has two parts: the solicitor's legal fee (plus VAT), and disbursements — third-party costs they pay on your behalf, such as local authority searches, Land Registry fees and bank transfer fees. Buying usually costs more than selling because of the searches involved, and leasehold properties add a management-pack fee. If you're both buying and selling, you'll pay for two transactions. See our Conveyancing Fees Calculator for an itemised quote.

The costs people forget

The surprises that blow a moving budget are nearly always the same ones:

• Estate agent fee + VAT when selling — on a £300,000 sale at 1.2%, that's £3,600 plus £720 VAT.
• Mortgage product/arrangement fees, which can reach around £2,000 on some deals.
• Leasehold management packs and freeholder fees.
• Removals, especially for a larger home or a long-distance move.
• Smaller extras: an EPC, postal redirection, and overlap on bills or rent.

Worked example: moving from a £300,000 home to a £350,000 home

A typical home-mover with a mortgage in England, buying a freehold:

• Stamp duty on £350,000: £5,000
• Conveyancing (buy + sell, incl. VAT and disbursements): ~£2,400
• HomeBuyer survey: £500
• Mortgage arrangement & valuation: £1,000
• Estate agent at 1.2% + VAT on the £300,000 sale: £4,320
• Removals: £600 · EPC: £60

Total to budget: roughly £13,880 — about 4% of the purchase price. Change any figure in the calculator to match your own situation and quotes.

How to reduce the cost of moving

The single biggest saving comes from comparing quotes rather than accepting the first one — most people overpay because they don't shop around. Specifically:

• Get three conveyancing quotes and compare the all-in figure (legal fee + VAT + disbursements), not just the headline.
• Negotiate the estate agent's percentage, or use a fixed-fee online agent for a straightforward sale.
• Check whether your mortgage deal's fee is worth it — a fee-free product is sometimes cheaper overall.
• Book removals mid-week and outside month-end, and declutter first.
• Confirm your stamp duty band and any first-time buyer relief before you offer.

Regional differences across the UK

The two costs that vary most by nation are the property tax and, to a lesser extent, conveyancing searches. England and Northern Ireland pay SDLT, Scotland pays LBTT (with the Additional Dwelling Supplement on second homes applied to the whole price), and Wales pays LTT (which has no first-time buyer relief). The calculator switches to the right rules when you pick your nation.