Stamp Duty CalculatorThe True Cost of Buying a House in the UK
Every upfront cost walked through, with worked totals for first-time buyers and home movers.
The deposit is the headline number. Everything else — stamp duty, conveyancing, survey, fees, removals, insurance — adds up to between £3,000 and £15,000 on a typical UK purchase. This guide walks through every line item with real 2026 numbers, plus full worked totals for two common scenarios: a first-time buyer and a home mover.
The full list of UK house-buying costs
Twelve line items typically appear on a UK residential purchase. Use the home buying cost calculator to apply them all to your specific scenario.
1. Stamp duty (SDLT)
The big variable. Paid within 14 days of completion. Three relevant rules:
- Standard residential rates. 0% up to £125k, 2% to £250k, 5% to £925k, 10% to £1.5m, 12% above.
- First-time buyer relief. 0% up to £300k, 5% on £300k–£500k. No relief above £500k.
- Additional property surcharge. +5% across all bands for second homes and buy-to-let (above £40k threshold).
Run your own scenario on the main SDLT calculator.
2. Deposit
Typically 5% to 25% of the property price. Released to the seller's solicitor on exchange (usually 10% of price), with any balance following at completion. See how much deposit do I need for the LTV breakdown.
3. Conveyancing legal fees
Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer's fee for handling the legal side. Typical UK 2026 ranges:
- Up to £250,000: £950–£1,400
- £250,000–£500,000: £1,300–£1,800
- £500,000–£1m: £1,750–£2,500
- Above £1m: £2,500–£4,000+
Leasehold, new build, shared ownership and complex chains typically add 20–30% to the fee. Get firm quotes via the conveyancing fees calculator.
4. Local-authority searches
Standard pack of council, environmental and water-and-drainage searches. Around £320. Mostly fixed regardless of price.
5. Survey
- RICS Level 1 (Condition Report): £250–£400. Light touch, OK for newer homes.
- RICS Level 2 (HomeBuyer): £500–£900. The default choice for most modern homes.
- RICS Level 3 (Building Survey): £900–£1,500+. For older, larger or unusual properties.
6. Mortgage valuation fee
The lender's own valuation. Around £300 on a typical purchase, though some lenders waive it entirely or include it in the product. Distinct from your buyer's survey.
7. Mortgage product / arrangement fee
Charged by the lender for setting up the mortgage. Typical range £0 to £2,000. Often £999 on standard mainstream products. Can usually be added to the loan; doing so spreads it across the term but adds interest cost.
8. Land Registry registration fee
Statutory fee paid to HM Land Registry, calculated by price (Scale 1 electronic):
- Up to £80,000 — £20
- £80,001 to £100,000 — £40
- £100,001 to £200,000 — £100
- £200,001 to £500,000 — £150
- £500,001 to £1m — £295
- £1m+ — £500
9. Removals
Varies most by distance and house size:
| Bedrooms | Local (≤25mi) | Regional (25–150mi) | Long (150mi+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £300–500 | £500–800 | £800–1,200 |
| 2 | £500–800 | £800–1,300 | £1,400–2,000 |
| 3 | £700–1,000 | £1,200–1,800 | £1,800–2,800 |
| 4 | £1,000–1,500 | £1,800–2,500 | £2,800–4,000 |
Get a precise figure on the moving costs calculator.
10. Buildings insurance
Required from exchange (not completion) — lenders insist. Mid-range UK cover is around £280/year for a typical 3-bed semi.
11. Bank transfer (CHAPS) fee
Same-day funds transfer to the seller's solicitor. Typically £35.
12. Immediate post-completion costs
Locks (£100–£200), basic furnishings if any, council tax registration, utility set-up, broadband install. Budget £500–£2,000.
Worked total — first-time buyer, £350,000 home, 10% deposit
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit (10%) | £35,000 | Released exchange + completion |
| Stamp duty | £2,500 | FTB relief — 5% on £50k |
| Conveyancing | £1,500 | Standard, freehold |
| Local searches | £320 | Council + environmental + water |
| HomeBuyer survey (L2) | £700 | £250k–£500k price band |
| Mortgage valuation | £300 | Some lenders waive |
| Mortgage product fee | £999 | Typical mid-range |
| Land Registry | £150 | Scale 1 online |
| Removals (3-bed, local) | £850 | Within 25 miles |
| CHAPS transfer | £35 | Same-day funds |
| Total upfront cash | £42,354 | Excludes contingency |
Add £3,500 of 1% contingency for surprises → planning total around £45,800.
Worked total — home mover, £450,000 purchase, 20% deposit
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit (20%) | £90,000 | Released exchange + completion |
| Stamp duty | £12,500 | Standard rates, no FTB relief |
| Purchase-side conveyancing | £1,500 | Standard freehold |
| Sale-side conveyancing | £1,275 | ~85% of purchase fee |
| Local searches | £320 | Purchase only |
| HomeBuyer survey (L2) | £700 | £250k–£500k price band |
| Mortgage valuation | £300 | Some lenders waive |
| Mortgage product fee | £999 | Typical mid-range |
| Land Registry | £150 | Scale 1 online |
| Removals (3-bed, regional) | £1,500 | 25–150 miles |
| CHAPS transfer | £35 | Same-day funds |
| Total upfront cash | £109,279 | Excludes contingency |
A mover typically uses sale proceeds to fund the deposit, so the actual cash gap is smaller than the £109k figure suggests — once the sale completes on the same day, the deposit largely recycles. The non-deposit costs of about £19k are the meaningful out-of-pocket figure.
Cash-flow timeline — when does each cost actually leave your account?
| When | Costs |
|---|---|
| At offer / instruction | Survey fee, conveyancing retainer (£200–£300) |
| Mortgage application | Valuation fee, product fee (if paid up front) |
| Before exchange | Local-authority searches paid by your solicitor |
| On exchange | 10% deposit released to seller's solicitor. Buildings insurance starts. |
| At completion | Balance of deposit, SDLT, conveyancing balance, Land Registry, CHAPS transfer |
| After completion | Removals, council tax registration, utility set-up, immediate post-move costs |
| Month after completion | First mortgage payment |
Where the money typically goes wrong
Three patterns we see most often in reader questions:
- Underestimating the non-deposit costs. Buyers often plan for the deposit and SDLT but get caught short by the £4,000–£6,000 of fees and survey. Build them in from day one.
- Cash trapped in pension or ISA. Your LISA bonus only triggers under specific conditions. Stocks-and-shares ISAs can take 5–10 working days to liquidate. Plan the timing.
- Counting on sale completion. Movers occasionally exchange and complete on different days for the sale vs purchase. If your sale completes a day after your purchase, you're temporarily owning two properties — and the SDLT additional-property surcharge kicks in (reclaimable later, but the cash hit lands first).
Cash vs mortgaged — quick comparison
Cash buyers skip the mortgage valuation (£300), product fee (£999) and generally have lower conveyancing fees (often £200 less because there's no lender to handle). Buildings insurance is still required at exchange but not mandated by a lender. Total non-property costs are typically £1,500–£2,500 lower for cash buyers on the same price point. The trade-off is opportunity cost on the capital that's now tied up in property rather than invested.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to buy a house in the UK?
On top of the deposit, plan for stamp duty (varies by buyer type), conveyancing (£950–£3,000), survey (£250–£1,500), local-authority searches (~£320), Land Registry registration (£20–£500 by price), mortgage product fees (often £0–£2,000), valuation (~£300), removals (£500–£4,000), and buildings insurance from exchange (£220–£400/year). For a first-time buyer on a £350,000 home with FTB SDLT relief and a 10% deposit, total upfront cash is typically £40,000–£42,000.
What are the upfront costs of buying a house?
The deposit is by far the biggest. Then stamp duty (paid within 14 days of completion), conveyancing fees and disbursements, survey, Land Registry registration and mortgage product/arrangement fees if paid up front. Removals are usually a smaller item. Buildings insurance starts at exchange. Allow a 1–2% contingency of the property price for unexpected items.
What's the difference between FTB and mover costs?
Two main differences. First-time buyers get SDLT relief — no stamp duty up to £300,000 and reduced rates to £500,000. Movers pay standard SDLT plus the cost of sale-side conveyancing on the property they're leaving (typically 70–85% of purchase-side fees). FTBs typically have a slightly higher total upfront cash requirement when the SDLT bill is small, because the savings don't offset the deposit.
Can mortgage fees be added to the loan?
Yes — most lenders let you add the product/arrangement fee to the loan amount instead of paying it up front. This reduces upfront cash but means you pay interest on the fee for the term of the loan. On a £1,500 fee at 4.5% over 25 years, that's roughly £830 of extra interest. Useful for tight upfront budgets; expensive if you'd otherwise have the cash.
Do I need to pay stamp duty on the deposit?
No — stamp duty is calculated on the property price, not the loan or deposit amount. A £400,000 house attracts the same SDLT whether you put down £40,000 or £100,000.
When are conveyancing fees paid?
Usually in two stages. A small upfront retainer (often £200–£300) at instruction, covering initial searches. The balance, including disbursements and Land Registry registration, is paid at completion — typically taken from the mortgage funds before they're sent to the seller.
How much contingency should I budget?
1–2% of the property price for typical scenarios. £3,000–£8,000 on a £300,000–£400,000 home covers immediate post-completion costs (locks, basic furnishings, council tax registration, utility set-up) plus a buffer for surprises like a survey-triggered renegotiation or short-notice indemnity insurance.
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Last reviewed: 24 May 2026.