By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
When it comes to buying a house or flat, there are more costs to save for than you might imagine – and budgeting properly will help you avoid nasty surprises further down the line.
The cost of moving home varies significantly depending on whether you're a first-time buyer or are selling a home at the same time.
The tables give a rough guide of the extra costs that can come with buying a property.
| First-time buyers | Average cost |
| Stamp duty | None |
| Estate agent | None |
| Conveyancing | £1,316 |
| House survey | £425 |
| Removals | £445 |
| Energy Performance Certificate | None |
| Total | £2,186 |
| Home movers | Average cost |
| Stamp duty | £6,250 |
| Estate agent | £4,544 |
| Conveyancing | £2,002 |
| House survey | £425 |
| Removals | £697 |
| Energy Performance Certificate | £60 |
| Total | £13,978 |
Data is provided by the price comparison website Reallymoving, and is based on the cost of an average home in England as of November 2024.
Find the right mortgage using the fee-free service provided by L&C Mortgages
Compare mortgagesIf you click on the link and complete a mortgage with L&C Mortgages, L&C is paid a commission by the lender and will share part of this fee with Which? Ltd helping fund our not-for-profit mission. We do not allow this relationship to affect our editorial independence. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
The majority of mortgages come with up-front fees. These are sometimes called arrangement fees, booking fees or completion fees.
Fees commonly range from £999 to £1,999. Some deals are available fee-free, but these often carry higher interest rates.
Whether you'll be better off paying a fee or choosing a fee-free deal with a higher rate will depend on your own financial circumstances. If you're unsure of the right option, it's worth taking advice from a whole-of-market mortgage broker.
If you choose a mortgage that carries a fee but you can't afford to pay it upfront, you can usually add it to your loan. This will end up costing you more, however, as you'll have to pay interest on it.
You can check the true cost of mortgage deals using our mortgage repayment calculator.
Most mortgage lenders also require buildings insurance to be taken out and to cover your home for the outstanding period of the mortgage.
When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will carry out a valuation to check the home is worth roughly what you're planning to pay for it.
Valuations aren't exhaustive - some lenders will conduct a 'drive-by' valuation, or even do their research online rather than visit the property themselves.
Valuation fees were once very common, but the vast majority of mortgages now come fee-free.
Your lender's valuation only looks at how much the property is worth - it doesn't check for structural issues, and won't unearth any problems with the property.
To protect yourself from buying a house with defects, you should always have an independent property survey done, too.
The type of house survey you'll require depends on the age and condition of the property you're buying. Most people buying a property in a reasonable condition choose a Level 2 survey, but you may wish to pay for a Level 3 survey if you're buying a property that's older or in poor condition.
You can expect to pay from a few hundred pounds for a Level 1 report to over £1000 for more bespoke services.
If you're buying a new-build property, you should consider having a professional snagging survey done.
You'll need to hire a property solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal aspects of buying a property. This process is called conveyancing.
There are various contributing factors to how much you'll pay, including whether you're selling a home at the same time and the value of the property you're buying.
Some of the key fees to look out for are as follows:
Your solicitor will either charge you a flat fee or a percentage of the value of the property. You can expect to pay between £500 and £1,500 depending on the type of property, its location and how complex the transaction is.
This covers transferring cash between mortgage lenders, conveyancers, buyers and sellers.
The Land Registry is a government department that keeps records of all registered properties in England and Wales.
It charges a fee for registering a property with a new owner. This fee will also vary depending on the property price.
Searches are carried out by your solicitor and are required to identify anything that might negatively affect the home you're buying (eg flooding issues).
If you're buying a leasehold property, you'll need to pay a fee, which usually remains the same whatever the price of the property.
Stamp duty is a tiered tax on land and property transactions, but not everyone has to pay it.
This section offers an outline of how the system currently works.
To find out exactly how much stamp duty you'll pay currently, use our stamp duty calculator.
First-time buyers purchasing properties costing up to £300,000 don't need to pay any stamp duty.
If it costs between £300,001 and £500,000, you'll pay 5% on the amount above £300,000.
If, however, the home costs more than £500,000, you'll need to pay stamp duty at the standard home mover rates.
If this isn't the first property you've ever bought but it is going to be your main residence (e.g. you're selling your old house and moving to a new one), you'll pay standard stamp duty rates on any property that costs more than £125,000.
The amount of stamp duty you'll pay depends on the value of the property you're buying. Stamp duty is tiered like income tax, so you'll pay different rates on different portions of the property price.
When buying a property in Scotland, you'll usually have to pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT). Like stamp duty, it's a tiered system where you pay different rates of tax on different portions of the property price.
First-time buyers don't have to pay any LBTT on the first £175,000 of the property price, while for home movers, a 2% rate of LBTT kicks in from £145,001.
If you buy a property in Wales that costs more than £225,000, you'll have to pay Land Transaction Tax (LTT). Like stamp duty, LTT is tiered, meaning you pay different rates on different portions of the property price.
First-time buyers don't get an exemption under the Welsh LTT system.
Moving costs will vary depending on how much furniture and belongings you have, how far you're moving, and whether you opt for extras such as professional packing.
The table estimates the cost of hiring a van - which you should only consider if you have a relatively small amount of stuff – or using a removals company for different sizes of house, as well as getting them to pack for you.
| Service | One bedroom | Two bedrooms | Three bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiring a van | £65 | £125 | Not recommended |
| Removals company | £240 | £410 | £650 |
| Removals company plus insurance, professional packing and materials | £680 | £1,000 | £1,500 |
Prices for van hire are based on quotes from Hertz. Removals company quotes sourced from AnyVan.com in May 2022 for a move to an equal-sized property within 10 miles.
Once you've moved into your new home, there are regular costs you'll have to cover, too.
We've explained these in our guide to the household bills you'll pay as a homeowner.
Find the right mortgage product using the service provided by L&C Mortgages
Find the best mortgage for you, with expert help provided by L&C Mortgages
Get advice now