Moving house guide

Cost of Buying a House

Understand the buyer-side costs that sit around a property purchase, including Stamp Duty (SDLT), legal fees, surveys, searches, mortgage fees, and insurance.

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The main costs to budget for when buying

Stamp Duty (SDLT)

Often the largest buyer-side cost in England. The amount depends on purchase price and buyer status.

Conveyancing and searches

Your solicitor handles the legal transfer, local authority searches, and completion statements.

Survey costs

A survey can help you understand the property condition before you commit fully.

Mortgage fees

Arrangement, valuation, and broker fees can be paid upfront or sometimes added to the loan.

Insurance

Buildings insurance is usually needed from exchange if you are buying a freehold house.

Moving setup

Removals, locks, cleaning, furniture, and first-week costs are separate from the purchase price.

Stamp Duty is usually the first number to check

In England, Stamp Duty Land Tax is calculated on portions of the purchase price. First-time buyer relief, additional-property rules, replacement of a main residence, and non-standard transactions can change the result.

Because Stamp Duty can change the cash needed by thousands of pounds, check your calculator result against the official GOV.UK Stamp Duty guidance before acting.

If you are buying in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, the property tax rules are different, so an England SDLT estimate is not enough.

Sources and review note

This guide was last reviewed on 7 May 2026. It is for planning only and does not replace advice from a solicitor, broker, lender, or tax adviser.

Check official GOV.UK Stamp Duty Land Tax residential rates before relying on a Stamp Duty figure.

Ready to use your own figures?

Estimate your moving costs with the calculator

The guide gives the context. The calculator brings your sale price, purchase price, mortgage, fees, removals, and contingency together in one place.

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Moving house guides

Want the detail behind the calculator?

Use the calculator for the numbers, or open one of these guides for the extra context, assumptions, and planning checks behind each part of a move.