The combined cost of buying and selling a house in 2026

Most moves are two transactions at once: you sell one home and buy the next, usually in the same chain, completing on the same day. That means two sets of legal fees, a Stamp Duty bill, a survey, removals, and the estate agent commission on the sale. This guide sets out every cost, with a realistic worked example for selling at £300,000 and buying at £350,000. Only the Stamp Duty figure below is hard and officially calculable; the other costs are market ranges from RICS and common practice, not government-set prices.

The only number that is fixed: Stamp Duty

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is paid by the buyer, in England and Northern Ireland, and it is banded: you only pay the higher rate on the portion of the price above each threshold. For a single residential property the 2026 rates are 0% up to £125,000, 2% on £125,001 to £250,000, 5% on £250,001 to £925,000, then 10% and 12% higher up.

So in our worked example a home mover buying at £350,000 pays £7,500 SDLT: 0% on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500) and 5% on the final £100,000 (£5,000). A first-time buyer buying the same £350,000 home pays £2,500, because the £300,000 nil-rate band covers the first £300,000. Above £500,000, first-time buyer relief is lost entirely.

The selling costs

Selling a home in England and Wales takes about five months on average, and longer if you are in a chain. The costs you will pay as a seller are:

• Estate agent fee - a percentage of the sale price plus VAT, set by contract. No official figure exists; 1% to 3% plus VAT is the common market range. On a £300,000 sale at 1.5% plus VAT, that is about £5,400.
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - you legally must have one before you market the property, and can be fined if you do not. No official price; a few hundred pounds is typical.
• Selling conveyancing - your solicitor or conveyancer prepares the contract, handles enquiries and proves title. No official figure; commonly a few hundred to over £1,000.
• Early repayment charge (ERC) - if you repay your mortgage before the deal term ends, the lender may charge 1% to 5% of the balance. Many lenders will port the mortgage to your next home instead, so check before you budget.

The buying costs

On top of Stamp Duty, the buying side usually includes:

• Buying conveyancing and searches - the legal work plus local authority, drainage and environmental searches. No official figure; the largest legal line of the move.
• A survey - not legally required in England and Wales, but strongly recommended. RICS Home Survey Level 1 starts at a few hundred pounds and Level 3 can exceed £1,000; typical 2026 ranges are roughly £300 to £1,500. A survey can let you renegotiate on defects found.
• Mortgage arrangement and valuation fees - some lenders charge a product fee (often £999 to £1,999 or a percentage), others bundle it; the valuation is sometimes free or folded in. No official figure.
• Removals - no official figure; typically a few hundred to over £1,000 depending on distance and volume.

Your combined budget: a worked example

Putting it together for a home mover selling at £300,000 and buying at £350,000:

That lands at roughly £15,000 to £21,000 for the whole move. The range is wide because the legal, agent and mortgage fees are set by individual firms and lenders, not by government. The only figure that is fixed is the £7,500 Stamp Duty. Most of the cost lands at or around completion, because the sale proceeds fund the purchase and the fees are deducted at the same time.

Frequently asked questions

Source: GOV.UK - Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates — Rates and SDLT calculations verified 20 August 2026

Source: GOV.UK - Selling a home — Sale timeline, EPC requirement and costs checked 20 August 2026

Source: RICS - House surveys: costs, types and benefits — Survey levels and cost guidance checked 20 August 2026