Save Money When Moving House
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Thinking of moving house but not sure where to start? It can be a pretty daunting prospect, and it can cost a lot of money, too. Wether you are looking for removals in London, Manchester or Bristol don't let the moving costs mount up - use our handy Cost of Moving House Calculator to work out exactly how much your next home move is going to cost. You might even find a few ways to save money.
How much does it cost to move house?
We've got all the information you need to work out costs for your next home move.
Whether you're a first time buyer or a long-time homeowner, use this tool to get an estimate of your true moving house costs. The calculator includes estate agent fees, stamp duty, conveyancing quotes, house survey costs and the cost of hiring a removal company, and also includes Land Transaction Tax rates in Wales.
You might be surprised to find out that the estimated cost of moving house in 2021 in the UK is £8,951. This figure is based on the average UK property price in 2021 and includes all the necessary fees you will need to pay for a successful move. And let's face it - it starts to mount up pretty quickly.
The moving house costs below are based on buying and selling the average UK property, at a price of £234,370 as of January 2020 (UK House Price Index).
| The Cost of Buying a House | |
|---|---|
| Stamp Duty | £2,115 |
| Property Surveyors | £500 |
| Conveyancing | £1,040 |
| Valuation Fee | £227 |
| Buying Total: | £3,882 |
| The Cost of Selling a House | |
|---|---|
| Estate Agents | £2,765 |
| Conveyancing | £1,000 |
| EPC | £80 |
| Selling Total: | £3,845 |
| General Moving House Costs | |
|---|---|
| Removal Company | £1,181 |
| Postal Redirection | £43.99 |
| Moving Total: | £1,224.99 |
The above includes the cost of buying, selling and moving house. Some of these costs, such as postal redirection, are charged at fixed fees. However, most of these costs, such as estate agents and house removals, will vary depending on your requirements and size or value of your property.
For a more detailed and thorough breakdown, read our helpful guide on the cost of buying a house. Here are the typical costs you'll need to keep in mind:
Stamp duty (SDLT) is a land tax in England and Northern Ireland that must be paid when purchasing a house priced above £125,000.
SDLT must be paid to HMRC within 30 days of completion of contracts, and will usually be fulfilled by your solicitor. There are five tax bands for SDLT which correspond with the purchase price of your property. The Land Transaction Tax has replaced Stamp Duty in Wales.
Stamp Duty has been scrapped on all homes in England under £500,000 with immediate effect. As part of the chancellor’s emergency mini-budget, Rishi Sunak announced on July 8th 2020 that by increasing the Stamp Duty threshold from £125,000 to £500,000, the average home buyer can save £4,500. The move to get rid of Stamp Duty charges in England will help the housing market during the Covid-19 outbreak and is expected to be in place until March 2021. There has been no change to Stamp Duty or Land Transaction Tax in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland yet.
| Property Purchase Price | Stamp Duty Rate | Payable Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £125,000 | 0% | £0 |
| £125,000 - £250,000 | 2% | £0-£2,500 |
| £250,000 - £925,000 | 5% | £2,500-£36,250 |
| £925,000 - £1,500,000 | 10% | £36,250-£93,750 |
| £1,500,000 | 12% | £93,750+ |
A homebuyer will only pay the rate that corresponds with that segment of the purchase price. For example, if you buy a house for £275,000, the SDLT you owe is calculated as:
Homebuyers in Scotland do not pay SDLT, but instead will be subject to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax which is applicable on all properties over £145,000. For comparison, you would have to pay £3,350 in taxes for a property in Scotland worth £275,000. Use our stamp duty calculator for a more accurate estimate.
The price of a property survey ranges from £300 to £1,300 depending on the type of survey you choose and the size and value of your property. Compare surveyors for the best price on your survey. Based on the average property price for flats and houses in the UK of between £100,000 and £250,000 we've created a table to show the cost of the most 3 popular surveys.
| Type of Survey | Avg. Cost of Survey* |
|---|---|
| HomeBuyer Report | £500 |
| Building Survey | £700 |
| Valuation Survey | £300-£400 |
| Scottish Home Report | £350-£400 |
There are four types of home surveys from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS):
Property surveys are useful for finding any issues in a prospective house, and are usually necessary if you are buying with a mortgage. Most mortgage providers will require a HomeBuyers Survey to be conducted at the very least.
If you are unsure about which property survey to use, take a look at our guide on property surveys.
You will need to pay the deposit to your solicitor on the same day you exchange contracts. Once you do this, you are committed to purchasing the property and it is extremely difficult to break out of the contract.
Deposit amounts are generally 10%, but can sometimes be as little as 5% and as much as 65%. Your mortgage provider is likely to offer you better mortgage rates if you have a larger deposit.
For example, a deposit for the average UK property, priced at £218,225, would be £21,822.50.
If you are buying with a mortgage, you will need to have a house valuation. A house valuation is required by your mortgage provider to confirm that you are paying the right amount for the property. You will not need a valuation if one is provided as part of your home survey.
Some providers will offer a free valuation as part of your package, while others will require you to pay a fee. Providers that require you to pay will base their fees off the value of the property. The table below reveals what you will typically have to pay for a house valuation:
| Purchase Price | Valuation Fee |
|---|---|
| Under £75,000 | £125 |
| £75,001-£100,000 | £137 |
| £100,001-£150,000 | £149 |
| £150,001-£200,000 | £173 |
| £200,001-£250,000 | £197 |
| £250,001-£300,000 | £227 |
| £300,001-£400,000 | £263 |
| £4001,000-£500,000 | £281 |
| £500,001-£600,000 | £365 |
When buying a house in 2020 you can expect to pay around £1,040 in solicitors fees when purchasing an average freehold house in the UK. This is a guidance amount that doesn't include the disbursements that are listed below. Conveyancing solicitors usually charge a set fee based on the value of the house you are buying or selling, so the conveyancing quotes will vary.
Homebuyers should expect to pay more if they buy a leasehold property. This is because the paperwork involved with a lease can often be extensive and will need additional time to check.
While conveyancing costs vary between solicitors, the table below reveals the costs you can expect to pay based on the value of the property. The solicitor's job is to liaise with mortgage lenders, the seller's solicitors, advise you when needed, search land registry and utilities, and pay the fees and sale price. Here are the typical conveyancing cost:
Solicitor Fees for Buying a House (VAT included)
| Property Value | Avg Freehold Cost* | Avg Leasehold Cost* |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £100,000 | £860 | £1,030 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £930 | £1,110 |
| £200,001 to £300,000 | £1,040 | £1,230 |
| £300,001 to £400,000 | £1,120 | £1,310 |
| £400,001 to £500,000 | £1,200 | £1,390 |
| £500,001 to £600,000 | £1,410 | £1,560 |
| £600,001 to £700,000 | £1,440 | £1,630 |
| £700,001 to £800,000 | £1,670 | £1,850 |
| £800,001 to £900,000 | £1,810 | £2,010 |
| £900,001 to £1,000,000 | £1,900 | £2,100 |
*We took a sample of fees from 50 licensed conveyancers across the UK to find these averages, but this is just an indication of costs. Fees will greatly vary depending on your situation and conveyancer.
On top of conveyancing legal fees, homebuyers will also have to pay two additional fees:
For a more detailed and thorough breakdown, read our helpful guide on the cost of selling a house. Here are the typical costs you'll need to keep in mind:
High-street estate agents will generally charge between 1% and 2.5% of the final property price on average, although some may still differ depending on your chosen estate agent. Read our handy guide on estate agent fees when selling a house.
An estate agent’s primary job is to market your property to potential buyers. Most estate agents will also provide guided viewings of your property, and mediate between you and the buyers to ensure you get the right price.
Online estate agents work on a fixed rate basis and are suitable for selling any type of property. Online agency rates start at around £300, but you will likely have to conduct viewings yourself.
The table below reveals what you will pay for a high-street estate agent depending on the value of your home.
| Property Value | 1% Agency Fee | 1.5% Agency Fee | 2% Agency Fee | 2.5% Agency Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £100,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,500 |
| £125,000 | £1,250 | £1,875 | £2,500 | £3,125 |
| £150,000 | £1,500 | £2,250 | £3,000 | £3,750 |
| £200,000 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £4,000 | £5,000 |
| £300,000 | £3,000 | £4,500 | £6,000 | £7,500 |
| £400,000 | £4,000 | £6,000 | £8,000 | £10,000 |
| £500,000 | £5,000 | £7,500 | £10,000 | £12,500 |
| £750,000 | £7,500 | £11,250 | £15,000 | £18,750 |
| £1,000,000 | £10,000 | £15,000 | £20,000 | £25,000 |
Energy Performance Certificates cost between £60 and £120 depending on your local assessor's prices. Every house on the property market needs to be on the EPC register.
Your EPC reveals your property’s energy efficiency rating and whether it can be improved, based on the property type and the local area. For more information check out our guide to the Energy Performance Certificate.
While home surveys are the responsibility of the buyer in the rest of the UK, it is up to the seller to produce a home report in Scotland. Read our detailed guide on The Home Report for more information.
Producing a home report will cost an average of between £350 and £400 for a commonly priced house of between £100,000 and £200,000 according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Your home report will reveal any issues with the property on a 1-3 category basis:
You will only need to worry about capital gains tax if you are selling a property that is not your main home (e.g. a rental property or holiday home).
Capital gains tax applies when you sell a property or land that makes a profit of more than £11,100 after selling fees. The profits from the sale of your property will range between 18% and 28% depending on the council tax band of your property.
Profit is measured based on the price of the property when you first bought it. The first £11,100 in profit will not be taxed.
When selling a house in 2020 you can expect to pay around £1,000 in solicitor fees, based on the average house price in the UK for a freehold property. A selling solicitor's main task is to check contracts and ensure you understand everything that needs to be included in the sale of your home.
The selling process for solicitors or licensed conveyancers is similar to the buying process, although they will not have to complete any searches or land registrations. Offering advice through the entire process, your solicitor will also deal with the buyer's solicitors and be in charge of payments and fees.
Homeowners who are buying a new home often use the same solicitor to sell their property. The prices below reveal what you might expect to pay for a solicitor when selling your property.
Solicitor Fees for Selling a House (VAT included)
| Property Value | Avg Freehold Cost* | Avg Leasehold Cost* |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £100,000 | £820 | £990 |
| £100,001 to £200,000 | £880 | £1,050 |
| £200,001 to £300,000 | £1,000 | £1,170 |
| £300,001 to £400,000 | £1,090 | £1,260 |
| £400,001 to £500,000 | £1,160 | £1,340 |
| £500,001 to £600,000 | £1,330 | £1,490 |
| £600,001 to £700,000 | £1,390 | £1,550 |
| £700,001 to £800,000 | £1,600 | £1,770 |
| £800,001 to £900,000 | £1,730 | £1,880 |
| £900,001 to £1,000,000 | £1,840 | £2,000 |
*We took a sample of fees from 50 licensed conveyancers across the UK to find these averages, but this is just an indication of costs. Fees will greatly vary depending on your situation and conveyancer.
While these prices give a good indication of the costs you may have to pay, prices do vary between solicitors.
Similar to online estate agents, online conveyancers offer a fixed rate and will do much of the same work as a regular conveyancer. However, the selling process may take longer as your conveyancer will most likely have dozens of cases to cover at the same time and may not always be contactable.
The cost of moving companies will range between £264 and £1,680 depending on the volume of the belongings that will need moving. On top of that, you will have to pay around £1 per mile that you are travelling.
For example, a three-bed house (est. 875 cubic feet of movable items) moving 52 miles away will cost roughly £1,192.67. This cost includes dismantling and reassembling furniture, as well as packing services and materials.
These costs are only estimates and prices provided by our partners may vary. For more information, visit our guide on removal company costs and check out our free moving house checklist. You can also get removal quotes from up to 6 local removal companies.
Mail redirection within the UK costs between £31.99 and £62.99 depending on the length of time you require. This ensures that any mail sent to your old address is diverted to your new address.
Postal redirection is based on the resident’s surname; redirection applies to as many people that have the same surname as you in the property. If you are moving with someone that has a different surname, they will also have to pay for redirection.
| Length of Redirection | Redirection Cost |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 months | £31.99 |
| Up to 6 months | £43.99 |
| Up to 12 months | £62.99 |
While some of the prices included in this guide are fixed, most vary and can be negotiated with the provider.
The best way to save money on your move is to compare providers. With each of these service providers, aim to get quotes from at least three separate companies to find the best price. While price is important, keep an eye on the services being offered and remember to check third-party reviews from previous customers before signing any contracts.
If you cant save money during the move itself you could recoup some of the costs by saving money on your utilities. Our partner Just Move In can help you save time and money by arranging all your utilities on your behalf. Get in touch with them today!