The combined cost of buying and selling a house in 2026
Sell at £300,000 and buy at £350,000? Here is what that move actually costs - the verified Stamp Duty, the agent and legal fees, the survey, and the costs people forget.
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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.
| Purchase price | SDLT if it is your only home | SDLT if a first-time buyer |
|---|---|---|
| £200,000 | £1,500 | £0 |
| £300,000 | £5,000 | £0 |
| £350,000 | £7,500 | £2,500 |
| £500,000 | £15,000 | £10,000 |
| £600,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 (no relief above £500k) |
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:
| Cost | Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Estate agent (sale) | £5,400 | 1.5% + VAT, negotiable |
| EPC (sale) | £60 - £120 | Legally required before marketing |
| Selling conveyancing | £700 - £1,500 | No official figure |
| Stamp Duty (purchase) | £7,500 | Fixed, verified (mover at £350k) |
| Buying conveyancing + searches | £1,000 - £2,000 | No official figure |
| Survey | £300 - £1,500 | RICS Level 1-3, recommended |
| Mortgage fees | £0 - £1,999 | Lender-dependent |
| Removals | £300 - £1,500 | No official figure |
| Total | £15,260 - £21,519 | Illustrative range, no official aggregate |
That lands at roughly £15,000 to £21,500 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.
Estimate your own move
Buying and selling cost calculator
Full page ↗Your details
Your estimate
Lower estimate
£13,460
Likely total
£18,389
Upper estimate
£26,919
| Cost | Lower | Likely | Upper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent fee1.5% + VAT (assumed). Negotiable; 1–3% + VAT typical. | £3,600 | £5,400 | £10,800 |
| Selling conveyancingSolicitor or licensed conveyancer for the sale. No official figure. | £700 | £1,100 | £1,500 |
| Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)Legally required before you market the property. | £60 | £90 | £120 |
| RemovalsDepends on distance, volume and whether you self-pack. | £300 | £900 | £1,500 |
| Buying conveyancing + searchesLegal work plus local authority, drainage and environmental searches. | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 |
| SurveyRICS Home Survey Level 1–3. Recommended, not legally required. | £300 | £900 | £1,500 |
| Mortgage arrangement / valuation feesLender-dependent; sometimes free or bundled into the rate. | £0 | £999 | £1,999 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax(exact)Standard residential rates. | £7,500 | £7,500 | £7,500 |
| Total move cost | £13,460 | £18,389 | £26,919 |
Of that, about £7,490 is selling costs and £10,899 is buying costs (including SDLT).
Only Stamp Duty is an official, calculable figure. Every other line is a market range from RICS guidance and common practice (checked 2026-08-20): there is no government price list for agent fees, conveyancing, removals or mortgage fees. Use the range, not the mid-point, as your working budget.
Estimate the full cost of moving home in one place: Stamp Duty (exact), plus market ranges for estate agent fees, conveyancing, surveys, EPC and removals. Use the lower-to-upper span as your working budget, not the mid-point.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to sell a house?
On a typical £300,000 home, selling costs between £4,500 and £10,500. The main costs are estate agent fees (1 to 2% plus VAT), an EPC (£60 to £120), conveyancing (£700 to £1,200), and removals (£300 to £1,500). You may also have an early repayment charge on your mortgage if you are leaving your current deal early.
What costs are included in buying a house?
Beyond the purchase price, buying a house includes Stamp Duty Land Tax, buying conveyancing and searches, a survey (recommended, not legally required), mortgage arrangement and valuation fees, and removals. On a £350,000 home the Stamp Duty for a home mover is £7,500, and the total buying costs beyond the price are typically several thousand pounds more.
Do you pay Stamp Duty when selling a house?
No. Stamp Duty Land Tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller. However, if you are selling and buying another home, you will pay SDLT on your purchase. If you are buying an additional property (not replacing your main residence), the 5% surcharge applies but can be refunded if your old home sells within 36 months.
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
Stamp Duty calculatorWork out your exact bill on the purchase.How much does it cost to sell?The selling side of the move, in detail.
Sources
- GOV.UK - Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates - Rates and SDLT calculations verified 20 August 2026
- GOV.UK - Selling a home - Sale timeline, EPC requirement and costs checked 20 August 2026
- RICS - House surveys: costs, types and benefits - Survey levels and cost guidance checked 20 August 2026
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