Total Cost of Moving House in the UK: Stamp Duty Legal Fees and Removals Broken Down
Moving a typical three bedroom home in the UK costs most families between £6,000 and £14,000 once stamp duty is included and between £3,000 and £5,500 without it. The figure swings so widely because three of the biggest lines are percentage based: stamp duty, estate agent commission and mortgage fees.
The short answer
- Selling and buying a three bed home typically costs £6,000 to £14,000 all in
- Estate agent commission is usually the largest cost after stamp duty
- Conveyancing on both sale and purchase runs £1,800 to £3,400
- Removals for a three bed house sit around £700 to £1,400 locally
- Add a contingency of at least £1,000 for the first month
The full cost table
This covers a freehold sale and purchase in England. Leasehold adds management pack and notice fees and Scotland and Wales use their own property taxes.
| Cost | Typical range | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Estate agent commission | 1 to 2 per cent plus VAT | Seller |
| EPC | £60 to £120 | Seller |
| Conveyancing on the sale | £800 to £1,500 | Seller |
| Conveyancing on the purchase | £1,000 to £1,900 | Buyer |
| Local searches | £250 to £600 | Buyer |
| Land registry fee | £20 to £500 | Buyer |
| Mortgage arrangement fee | £0 to £1,500 | Buyer |
| Mortgage valuation | £0 to £400 | Buyer |
| Homebuyer survey | £400 to £900 | Buyer |
| Building survey | £700 to £1,500 | Buyer |
| Stamp duty | Banded by price and buyer status | Buyer |
| Removals three bed local | £700 to £1,400 | Mover |
| Packing service | £250 to £600 | Mover |
| Storage if dates slip | £85 to £180 per week | Mover |
| Mail redirection | £36 to £85 | Mover |
| First month setup | £500 to £1,500 | Mover |
Stamp duty in plain terms
Stamp duty land tax is charged in bands on the purchase price and the rate depends on whether you are a first time buyer and whether you will own more than one property. Additional property purchases carry a surcharge.
Rates change in budgets so always use the current HMRC calculator rather than an old article. Payment is due within fourteen days of completion and the solicitor normally files the return. Scotland charges LBTT and Wales charges LTT with different thresholds.
Legal fees and what is inside them
A conveyancing quote should separate the firm's fee from disbursements which are third party costs passed straight through. Ask for a fixed fee including disbursements so nothing lands late.
- The solicitor or licensed conveyancer's own fee
- Local authority water and environmental searches
- Land registry fee based on the purchase price
- Bank transfer fee of around £20 to £40 per transfer
- Identity and anti money laundering checks
- Leasehold extras such as the management pack and notice of transfer
- Stamp duty return filing
Removals and what changes the price
Removal pricing comes down to volume, distance, access and how much of the work the crew does. Our full breakdown sits on the how much do removals cost guide but the short version is that a three bedroom local move lands around £700 to £1,400 and packing adds £250 to £600.
Fridays and the last working day of the month carry a peak rate of ten to twenty five per cent. Moving on a Tuesday is the single easiest saving available.
Two worked examples
Real budgets make the abstract numbers usable. Both exclude stamp duty which varies too widely to average.
| Line | Two bed flat £280,000 | Four bed house £650,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Agent commission | £4,200 | £11,700 |
| Conveyancing both sides | £1,900 | £2,900 |
| Searches and land registry | £450 | £800 |
| Survey | £450 | £1,100 |
| Mortgage fees | £600 | £1,200 |
| Removals and packing | £750 | £2,100 |
| Redirection and setup | £600 | £1,200 |
| Total before stamp duty | £8,950 | £21,000 |
Where you can genuinely save
Some savings are real and some cost far more later. Skipping a survey is the classic false economy on an older property.
- Negotiate the estate agent rate before signing which is normal practice
- Get three itemised conveyancing quotes not three round figures
- Move midweek and away from month end
- Declutter before the removal survey so the volume is honest
- Pack non fragile items yourself and let the crew do glass and art
- Compare mortgage products on total cost over the fixed period
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to move house in the UK?
Between £6,000 and £14,000 for a typical three bedroom home including stamp duty and roughly £3,000 to £5,500 without it.
What is the biggest cost when moving house?
Stamp duty on higher value purchases and estate agent commission on the sale. Removals are usually a small share of the total.
Do first time buyers pay stamp duty?
First time buyers get relief up to a threshold set by HMRC. Above that the standard bands apply so check the current calculator.
When do I need the money for each cost?
Searches and surveys are paid early, the deposit at exchange and legal fees stamp duty and removals around completion.
Planning a move?
BlueSky Removals gives fixed written prices after a free video or home survey. Call 0800 090 3125 or request a quote online.