On a £250,000 home purchase in England or Northern Ireland in 2026, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) ranges from £0 (first-time buyer) through £2,500 (standard home mover) to £15,000 (additional property / buy-to-let). The exact figure depends on who you are and what you're buying.

The headline numbers at £250,000

Buyer type	SDLT	Effective rate
First-time buyer	£0	0.00%
Standard home mover	£2,500	1.00%
Additional property (2nd home / BTL)	£15,000	6.00%

Non-UK residents add 2% to every band in any of the categories above.

First-time buyer at £250,000

First-time buyers pay nothing on a £250,000 home. The FTB nil-rate band runs up to £300,000.

Band-by-band: 0% on the first £250,000 (band £0–£250,000) = £0. Total: £0.

Standard home mover at £250,000

For a home mover replacing their only or main residence:

Band-by-band: 0% on the first £125,000 (band £0–£125,000) = £0 · 2% on the next £125,000 (band £125,000–£250,000) = £2,500. Total: £2,500.

Additional property at £250,000

For a buy-to-let, second home, or any purchase where the buyer will own another residential property at the end of the day of completion:

Band-by-band: 5% on the first £125,000 (band £0–£125,000) = £6,250 · 7.000000000000001% on the next £125,000 (band £125,000–£250,000) = £8,750. Total: £15,000.

That's £12,500 more than the standard rate. The 5% additional-property surcharge stacks on every band above the £40,000 entry threshold.

Who typically buys at £250,000?

First-time buyers in most regions outside London and the South East, young couples buying their first home, or buy-to-let investors targeting mid-yield areas.

Buyer profile at £250,000

£250,000 is a common purchase price for first-time buyers in higher-cost regions, and standard home movers relocating from more expensive areas, particularly in Newcastle metro, Portsmouth, much of Devon and Cornwall outside prime coastal areas. Typical property stock at this price includes three-bed semis, small four-bed detached in outer suburbs, two-bed flats in central city developments. On the financing side, a 85% LTV mortgage of £212,500 at 5.0% over 25 years costs about £1,241/month, and a 10% deposit is £25,000; higher-earner couples may prefer a 15-20% deposit to access sub-5% mortgage rates.

Practical wisdom at this price point: £250,000 is a critical SDLT threshold — the boundary between the 2% and 5% bands for standard buyers. Every pound above £250,000 triggers 5% SDLT (£5 per £100), which is why the "next £100k" of price (£250k to £350k) costs £5,000 in SDLT on its own. This is the price point where buyers most often benefit from negotiating a purchase price down to £249,999.

Threshold context at this price

• At this price point you're already past the main SDLT step changes; the marginal rate is stable for most of the typical price-negotiation range.

Beyond SDLT: the total cost to complete

SDLT is the biggest single tax but not the only cost. At £250,000, budget for:

• Conveyancing legal fees: £1,400–£1,800.
• Local-authority searches: ~£320.
• Survey (RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer): £700–£900.
• Mortgage product/arrangement fee: £0–£2,000 (often ~£999).
• Mortgage valuation: ~£300 (sometimes waived).
• Removals: £1,500–£2,200.
• Land Registry registration: £150.
• Buildings insurance from exchange: ~£280/year.

Use the home buying cost calculator for an itemised total at this price.

Calculate variations

To model a different price, buyer type or scenario:

• Main SDLT calculator — any price, any buyer type
• First-time buyer calculator — FTB-specific with relief logic
• Buy-to-let calculator — includes the 5% surcharge
• Second home calculator — additional-property treatment
• Non-UK resident calculator — additional 2% surcharge
• Home buying cost calculator — SDLT plus all other fees

Nearby price bands

Popular calculators

Related reading

Rates last verified against HMRC: 25 May 2026.