How much does it cost to sell a house in the UK?
Agent fees, EPC, conveyancing, removals - and the taxes people forget. The full cost of selling your home in 2026, with a realistic budget table.
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Selling a home typically costs 1.5–3.5% of the sale price all-in - on a £300,000 house, that’s £4,500–£10,500 before you’ve paid a penny towards your next home. The biggest line is almost always the estate agent fee; the one most people forget is that if you’re also buying, you’ll pay Stamp Duty on your next home. For the full step-by-step process, see how to sell your house.
The cost breakdown
| Cost | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Estate agent fee | 1 – 2% + VAT | Negotiable - 1% + VAT is achievable in a busy market |
| EPC | £60 – £120 | Required before marketing |
| Conveyancing (selling) | £700 – £1,200 | Plus disbursements ~£100–£300 |
| Removals | £300 – £1,500 | More for a full house, long distance |
| Early repayment charge | 1 – 5% of balance | If you leave your mortgage deal early |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0 – 24% of gain | Only if it’s not your main residence |
Estate agent - 1–2% + VAT
On a £300,000 sale, 1.5% + VAT is £5,400. The fee is negotiable, and it’s worth comparing: a good agent who gets you 2% more on the price pays for themselves twice over. Ask what’s included - photos, floor plan, portal listings, viewings.
Online (fixed-fee) agents charge differently to high-street agents. An online agent typically charges a flat £1,000–£2,000 regardless of price and lists you on the same portals, but you do your own viewings and negotiation. A high-street agent charges 1–2% + VAT but manages viewings and negotiates. Online is cheaper on paper; the trade-off is that you negotiate the price yourself. On a £500,000 home the saving is material - but only if you achieve the same sale price, which is not guaranteed.
Capital Gains Tax - the forgotten one
If the home is your main residence, you pay no Capital Gains Tax (CGT) - that’s Private Residence Relief. But if you’re selling a second home, an inherited property, or a home you haven’t lived in for a while, CGT applies: 18% for basic-rate taxpayers and 24% for higher-rate taxpayers on the gain above your annual allowance (£3,000 in 2026/27). Get professional advice before exchanging if this could apply.
Early repayment charge
Moving doesn’t automatically break your mortgage deal - most lenders port it to your next home. But if you’re switching lenders or reducing the balance significantly, an ERC of 1–5% can apply. Check your mortgage statement before you budget.
Your realistic budget
Work on 2.5% of the sale price plus £1,500 as your selling budget, then trim: negotiate the agent down to 1% + VAT, use a local mover, and do the decluttering yourself. On a £300,000 home that lands around £9,000, which is about what most people actually spend.
| Cost | £200,000 home | £300,000 home | £500,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent (1.5% + VAT) | £3,600 | £5,400 | £9,000 |
| EPC | £90 | £90 | £90 |
| Conveyancing (selling) | £950 | £950 | £1,100 |
| Removals | £700 | £900 | £1,200 |
| Typical total | £5,340 | £7,340 | £11,390 |
These are mid-range figures. The survey and conveyancing fees benchmark gives the full range for legal and survey costs if you want the detail behind the conveyancing line.
Estimate your full move cost
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.
Buying and selling at the same time
If you are buying your next home at the same time, your total moving cost is the selling costs above plus your purchase costs: Stamp Duty, survey fees, mortgage arrangement fees and your deposit. On a £300,000 sale and a £350,000 purchase, expect roughly £9,000 to sell and £8,000 to £12,000 to buy (including SDLT, survey and mortgage fees), giving a combined moving budget of £17,000 to £21,000. The two transactions happen in parallel but the money flows in sequence: your buyer pays you at completion, and you pay your seller the same day.
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 is the average cost of selling a house in the UK?
Most sellers spend around 2.5% of the sale price plus £1,500. On the UK average house price of roughly £270,000, that works out to about £8,250. Estate agent fees are the largest component, typically 1 to 1.5% plus VAT for a sole-agency instruction.
What costs are involved in selling a house?
The six main costs are: estate agent fees, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC, legally required before marketing), conveyancing or solicitor fees, removal costs, any early repayment charge on your mortgage, and Capital Gains Tax if the property is not your main residence. Stamp Duty is a buying cost, not a selling cost, but most sellers are also buyers so it affects your cashflow.
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 - selling your home — Process and EPC requirements checked August 2026
Source: GOV.UK - Capital Gains Tax on property — Rates and allowances checked August 2026
How to sell your house: the complete guideThe full process, from preparation to completion.Stamp Duty calculatorBudget the tax on your next purchase.
Sources
- GOV.UK - selling your home - Process and EPC requirements checked August 2026
- GOV.UK - Capital Gains Tax on property - Rates and allowances checked August 2026
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