Moving home is exciting, but it can also be stressful and costly.
The housing market typically slows down in November and December in the run up to Christmas as buyers shutter down for the festive period.
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Stamp duty thresholds dropped from £425,000 to £300,000 for first-time buyers and from £250,000 to £125,000 for home movers, in April this year. This was expected to add an extra £2,000 on average to a homemover’s property tax bill.
The total cost of moving home
As of 2025, Reallymoving estimated that the cost of moving – selling a property and buying a new one – was £17,831.
This includes:
- Conveyancing – £2,182
- Survey – £510
- Removals – £709
- Stamp duty – £9,750
- Estate agent – £4,615
- EPC– £65
One of the biggest drivers in the increase is lower stamp duty thresholds which kicked in at the start of April.
Toby Leek, president of estate agency trade body NAEA Propertymark, said higher house prices meant deposit amounts needed for many were “too far out of reach”.
“The UK government needs to urgently review the stamp duty value bands to reflect average property prices and ensure any current or future measures to help first time buyers including saving ISAs are available, fit for purpose and consider house price inflation."
Moving costs: region by region
The average moving cost in England is £17,831, according to Reallymoving. Wales is not far behind, at £11,677. But those in Northern Ireland and Scotland pay slightly less, with average fees coming in at £10,008 and £9,585 respectively.
Londoners pay the most out of everyone, reflecting the higher house prices and therefore fatter stamp duty bills. The average cost of buying and selling in the capital is a staggering £32,786. Conveyancing is also well above the UK average, costing £2,859 compared to £2,182.
The cheapest UK region to move house is the North-East. Homeowners fork out £8,010 on average.
The second cheapest is Scotland, which is £9,585.
Reallymoving said there continues to be a sharp north/south divide when it comes to moving home.
Rob Houghton, founder and chief executive officer of Reallymoving, said: “The overwhelming cost of moving home now swallows up 46% of the median annual salary in England – a stark reminder of how transaction costs are acting as a significant barrier to mobility, market fluidity and broader economic growth.
“In years gone by, house price growth would enable people to build up significant equity which would then help fund the next move, but that can no longer be relied upon.”
How to reduce the cost of moving house
Stamp duty costs
There are some moving costs you can’t do much about. You can’t shop around or avoid stamp duty, for example.
You must now pay stamp duty on properties in England and Northern Ireland costing more than £125,000 (£300,000 for first-time buyers).
In Scotland, home buyers pay Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. The tax kicks in on properties worth more than £145,000 (£175,000 if you’re a first-time buyer).
In Wales, you pay Land Transaction Tax on properties bought for more than £225,000.
The only thing you can do is haggle the property purchase price down as much as you can: if you get a good deal, you’ll reduce your tax bill as well as saving on the property price itself.
Alistair Singer, director of My Home Move Conveyancing, comments: “Home ownership doesn’t come cheap, and unfortunately, some of the biggest costs involved with moving home are unavoidable, such as mortgage deposit and stamp duty.
“However, with a bit of effort, you can shop around to streamline other costs such as estate agency, removals and conveyancing fees. It’s always worth getting additional quotes from a range of reputable firms.”
How much are estate agent fees?
After stamp duty, the next biggest cost is often the estate agent fees. According to HomeOwners Alliance, the average charge is 1.42% of the selling price including VAT.
Ask several estate agents to value your home and discuss fees. Bear in mind that if you want a quick sale, the cheapest estate agent may not be the best. Choosing two or even three estate agents to market your home could be the fastest way to sell, but beware that this will be more expensive than going with a sole agent.
You may be able to haggle over the estate agent fee – it’s always worth asking. Some agents may offer a flat fee, such as £5,000, which could be cheaper than a percentage fee. But consider whether a fixed fee will incentivise the estate agent to get the best price for you. For example, if they are being paid 1.5% they will aim to get the highest price, as that will mean more commission for them.
To save the most money on estate agent fees, you could use an online agent such as PurpleBricks, Yopa or emoov. The drawback is that you may have to take the property photos yourself, create the listing and manage viewings as well as price negotiations.
Conveyancing costs when moving
Legal costs can also take a big chunk out of your moving home budget. Fees vary widely by region, but you don’t have to use a conveyancer in your area. So, Londoners could save more than £1,000 on average by using a conveyancer in the Midlands or north of England.
This can work fine as most conveyancing is done online (check that the conveyancer can accept proof of identity online, and you don’t need to visit their office in person). However, some people prefer working with a local law firm. If, say, you’re selling a leasehold flat in London, it could be easier to use a London conveyancer familiar with leasehold properties than a Yorkshire law firm that has little experience of leasehold flats.
As well as comparing costs (use comparison tools like Reallymoving and HomeOwners Alliance), ask friends for recommendations. Moving house is stressful, but a good conveyancer can make the process smoother.
Jonathan Stinton, head of mortgage relations at Coventry Building Society, says: “When it comes to things like conveyancing, it's not necessarily the lowest price that gets the best word-of-mouth recommendations. A quick and efficient conveyancing process can be worth its weight in gold when your dream home is tantalisingly close to completion.”
Removals
The next biggest cost is likely to be the removals. The UK average is around £709, according to Reallymoving. Of course, you could pay more or less than this depending on the size of your home.
To cut costs, get a number of quotes: compare prices (you can use comparison sites like ComparemyMove and Reallymoving) and ask friends for recommendations. Remember to check reviews on Google and Trustpilot.
If you can, moving during quieter times of the year when there is less competition for services, like pre-Christmas, and avoiding busier periods can also help cut costs.
Houghton adds: “It’s sensible to book your removals firm in advance, which will help you budget costs – then firm up arrangements at the point of exchange to ensure they can move you on your completion date. Most people want to move on a Friday, so some firms will offer mid-week deals that can help keep costs down.”
Survey
The average cost of a survey in the UK is £510.
“Buying a home is probably the largest and most important financial decision you’ll ever make, so don’t be tempted to cut corners when it comes to a survey,” says Houghton.
However, you can reduce costs by using a comparison site and shopping around, checking reviews as well as price.
Houghton adds: “Surveys can uncover major issues such as subsidence, damp, woodworm, Japanese knotweed or problems with the roof, which may be costly to fix and could deter you from buying the property or give you grounds to renegotiate the price.”
EPC
Finally, the Energy Performance Certificate, which you must have when selling a property. This usually costs between £60 and £120 (including VAT), depending on the assessor and size of property. You can search for one near you and compare quotes on Gov.uk.
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