On a £600,000 home purchase in England or Northern Ireland in 2026, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) ranges from £20,000 (first-time buyer) through £20,000 (standard home mover) to £50,000 (additional property / buy-to-let). The exact figure depends on who you are and what you're buying.

At £600,000, first-time buyer relief is gone and the second-home surcharge is more material than the SDLT itself. This price often comes up for buyers moving from a flat to a family home in the South East, or for first BTL investments in higher-demand areas.

The headline numbers at £600,000

Buyer type	SDLT	Effective rate
First-time buyer	£20,000	3.33%
Standard home mover	£20,000	3.33%
Additional property (2nd home / BTL)	£50,000	8.33%

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

First-time buyer at £600,000

First-time buyer relief does not apply above £500,000. At £600,000 the FTB pays the standard £20,000.

Band-by-band: Same as standard rates — FTB relief is unavailable above £500,000. Total: £20,000.

Standard home mover at £600,000

For a home mover replacing their only or main residence:

Band-by-band: 0% on the first £125,000 = £0 · 2% on the next £125,000 = £2,500 · 5% on the remaining £350,000 = £17,500. Total: £20,000.

Additional property at £600,000

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 = £6,250 · 7% on the next £125,000 = £8,750 · 10% on the remaining £350,000 = £35,000. Total: £50,000.

That is £50,000 — note how much larger the additional-property SDLT is than the standard figure. The 5% surcharge applies to every band of the purchase from £40,000 upwards.

Who typically buys at £600,000?

Family upsizers moving from a flat to a 4-bed house in the South East, mid-tier BTL investors buying a second home in commuter towns.

Buyer profile at £600,000

£600,000 is a common purchase price for senior families in prime commuter regions, and downsizers from prime central London, particularly in Prime London Zone 2, senior Home Counties towns, prime Bath, prime Cambridge. Typical property stock at this price includes five-bed detached, prime London three-bed flats, Georgian Bath townhouses. On the financing side, a 70% LTV mortgage of £420,000 at 4.5% over 25 years costs about £2,335/month, and a 30% deposit is £180,000 — universally equity-funded.

Practical wisdom at this price point: The £600k mark is where the mortgage arrangement fee starts to feel small vs the property value — most lenders charge £999-£1,499 which is 0.2% of the loan. Focus negotiation energy on the mortgage rate itself: a 0.2pp rate reduction saves £4-6k over a 5-year fix, materially more than any arrangement fee negotiation.

Beyond SDLT: the total cost to complete

SDLT is the biggest single cost but not the only one. At £600,000, you should also budget for:

• Solicitor / conveyancer: £1,500–£2,000 fixed fee.
• Local authority and environmental searches: around £350.
• Survey (Level 2 HomeBuyer): £700–£900.
• Mortgage product/arrangement fee: £500–£1,500.
• Removals: £1,500–£2,200 for a typical move.
• Land Registry registration: £150–£295 depending on price.

Use the moving costs calculator for an itemised total.

How to negotiate around the bands

Because SDLT is banded, small price differences near a threshold matter — particularly the £500,000 first-time buyer cliff edge where the relief is lost entirely. Other notable thresholds at this price:

• £250,000: standard rate moves from 2% to 5%.
• £500,000: first-time buyer relief disappears (cliff edge).
• £925,000: standard rate moves from 5% to 10%.

Calculate your exact figure

The numbers above are exact for £600,000 — but if you want to model a different price, run a comparison, or get the total cost to complete including all fees, use the calculators:

• Main SDLT calculator
• First-time buyer calculator
• Buy-to-let calculator
• Moving costs calculator
• Affordability calculator

Rates last verified against HMRC: 16 May 2026.