How much does it cost to move home in the UK in 2026?

For a typical buyer-only move (no property to sell), budget £2,500–£5,000 excluding Stamp Duty. For a combined sale-and-purchase, expect £6,000–£12,000 excluding Stamp Duty — most of which is estate-agent commission on the property you're selling. Stamp Duty on the new property is on top and can range from £0 (first-time buyers up to £425,000) to tens of thousands.

What's the cheapest way to move house?

The biggest savings come from (1) using a online conveyancer instead of a high-street firm (saves £200–£500), (2) selling through a fixed-fee online estate agent instead of a percentage-fee high-street one (saves £2,000–£5,000 on a £300k home), and (3) doing a self-drive van move instead of a removals company (saves £300–£800 for a small move). Combine all three and the saving on a typical move can exceed £3,000.

Do you have to pay Stamp Duty every time you move?

In England and Northern Ireland, yes — every property purchase over £125,000 (or £425,000 for first-time buyers) attracts Stamp Duty Land Tax . Scotland and Wales have their own equivalents: Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) and Land Transaction Tax (Wales), each with different thresholds. Use the relevant official calculator before budgeting.

How long does the moving process take?

From accepted offer to completion: 10–16 weeks is typical in 2026, though chains can push this to 6 months. The moving day itself usually takes a half day to a full day for the physical move. Most of the calendar time is conveyancing (3–6 weeks of searches plus enquiries) and the mortgage offer.

Is it cheaper to buy first or sell first?

Cost-wise, selling first is almost always cheaper: you avoid bridging-loan interest (typically 0.5–1% per month) and the 3% Stamp Duty surcharge on second homes. The trade-off is the gap between completing your sale and finding somewhere new — temporary rental or storage. For most movers, selling first and accepting short-term rental costs is the cheaper outcome.

What unexpected costs catch people out?

The four classics: (1) leasehold management packs from the freeholder or managing agent (£200–£400), (2) mortgage exit / discharge fees on your old loan (£50–£300), (3) double council tax if completion dates don't line up, and (4) chain-collapse losses — survey, search and legal fees already incurred if your purchase falls through (£500–£1,200). Budget a 10% contingency on top of your spreadsheet total.

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Cost of moving home in the UK (2026): the complete breakdown

2026 costs · plain-English

Last updated: 2 June 2026

The total cost of moving home in the UK in 2026 sits between £2,500 and £5,000 for buyer-only moves and £6,000 and £12,000 if you're selling and buying together — excluding Stamp Duty. This guide walks every line in the bill, plus the easy-to-forget extras that catch most movers out.

The headline number

Here's a representative 2026 cost picture for a household moving from one £300,000 home to another £375,000 home (the most common "trading up" pattern):

Cost	Typical range	Who pays
Estate-agent fees (selling)	£3,000–£6,000	Seller
Conveyancing — sale	£900–£1,800	Seller
Conveyancing — purchase	£1,200–£2,500	Buyer
House survey	£400–£1,500	Buyer
Mortgage arrangement & valuation	£0–£2,000	Buyer
Removals	£400–£1,500	Mover
End-of-tenancy / move-out cleaning	£150–£400	Mover
Storage (if needed, 1 month)	£100–£300	Mover
Mail redirection (12 months)	£39	Mover
EPC (if selling and don't already have one)	£35–£120	Seller
Energy / broadband re-setup	£0–£100	Mover
Sub-total (excl. Stamp Duty)	£6,200–£15,800	—
Stamp Duty / LBTT / LTT (varies by price + status)	£0–tens of thousands	Buyer

Most movers land in the £8,000–£11,000 range on the sub-total. First-time buyers — who have no property to sell and benefit from generous Stamp Duty relief — typically spend £2,500–£5,000 all-in.

Conveyancing fees

The legal work of transferring ownership. Includes the firm's own fee, local-authority searches, Land Registry charges, AML checks, CHAPS transfer fees and VAT. For a £300k freehold purchase, expect £1,200–£2,500 all-in; sellers pay £900–£1,800. Leasehold adds £200–£400 either side.

→ Read the full conveyancing costs guide

House survey

The buyer commissions an independent inspection after offer acceptance. Levels and 2026 prices:

RICS Level 1 (Condition Report): £300–£500 — modern homes only
RICS Level 2 (Homebuyer Report): £400–£900 — most common choice
RICS Level 3 (Building Survey): £700–£1,500+ — older or unusual property
Snagging survey (new build): £300–£600

→ Read the full survey costs guide

Scotland exception: the seller provides a Home Report up front (£500–£900), so most Scottish buyers don't need to commission their own survey.

Stamp Duty (and its equivalents)

The single biggest variable in moving costs. Three different systems across the UK:

England & Northern Ireland — Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). Nothing on the first £125,000 (£425,000 for first-time buyers, on properties up to £625,000), then banded rates from 2% to 12%. Calculator: tax.service.gov.uk.
Scotland — Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT). Different bands and thresholds; first-time buyer relief up to £175,000. Calculator: revenue.scot.
Wales — Land Transaction Tax (LTT). No first-time buyer relief; nothing on the first £225,000. Calculator: gov.wales.

Buying a second home or buy-to-let adds a 3% surcharge on top of all bands in England and NI (similar in Scotland and Wales).

Mortgage costs

Easy to overlook because they're often rolled into the loan. Typical 2026 line items:

Arrangement / product fee: £0–£2,000 — added to the loan or paid up front
Mortgage broker fee: £0–£500 — many brokers are paid by the lender, not you
Mortgage valuation: £0–£400 — sometimes free with the product
Mortgage exit / discharge fee on your old loan: £50–£300
Early-repayment charge if you exit a fixed deal early: 1–5% of balance

If you're remortgaging at the same time as moving, some of these can be avoided by porting your existing deal — worth asking your broker.

Removals

Three pricing tiers in 2026, all for a typical 2–3 bedroom local move:

Self-drive van hire: £80–£200/day + fuel — cheapest, hardest work
Man-and-van service: £300–£700 — most popular middle option
Full-service removals firm: £700–£1,500 — includes packing and unpacking

Long-distance moves can double or triple these figures. Packing service is typically £150–£400 on top. If your move date isn't urgent, midweek and mid-month bookings are noticeably cheaper than Friday-end-of-month.

Storage (if there's a gap)

Sometimes unavoidable — completion dates rarely line up perfectly. Self-storage in 2026:

25 sq ft (small room): £20–£35/week
50 sq ft (1-bed flat): £35–£60/week
100 sq ft (3-bed): £60–£100/week

Most providers offer a discounted first month or "first 4 weeks free". Worth comparing three before booking — pricing varies wildly between operators on the same street.

Cleaning and the small stuff

End-of-tenancy / move-out clean: £150–£400 depending on property size — see our end-of-tenancy cleaning checklist
Mail redirection (Royal Mail): £39 for 12 months — book a week before move day
EPC if selling in England, Wales or NI: £35–£120 (and 10-year validity)
Council-tax overlap: if your completion dates don't align, expect to pay both for a few days to a few weeks
Buildings insurance: needs to be in place from the day of exchange; transfer or set up new policy ~£200–£500/year
Re-keying locks on arrival: £80–£200 — strongly recommended

If you're selling — estate-agent fees

Usually the single biggest line in a combined move. Two pricing models:

High-street percentage fee: 1.0–1.5% of sale price + VAT. On a £300,000 sale, that's £3,600–£5,400. No sale, no fee.
Online / fixed-fee agents (e.g. Yopa, Purplebricks/Strike): £999–£1,999 paid up front or on completion. Saves typically £2,000–£4,000 on a £300k property, but you do more of the work (photography, viewings) yourself.

Don't sign a sole-agency contract longer than 8 weeks if you can avoid it — and read the fine print on tie-in periods. The first contract you sign is often the most negotiable.

→ Read the full cost-of-selling guide for every fee a seller pays plus how to negotiate the agent's commission.

How to save money on a move

Sell with a fixed-fee agent. Biggest single saving available — often £2,000+. Most viable for well-priced properties in active markets.
Get three quotes for everything. Conveyancing, survey, removals, insurance, broadband. Quote-comparison services do this in minutes.
Use an online conveyancer. Save £200–£500 for the same legal outcome on a standard freehold.
Book removals midweek and mid-month. Avoid Fridays and the last week of the month if you can. 20–30% cheaper.
Port your mortgage instead of redeeming. Avoids exit fees, early-repayment charges and a new arrangement fee.
Decline pure-upsell extras: chancel-repair indemnity if you're not near a medieval church; "premium" damp reports if you've already booked a Level 2 survey; repeat searches your conveyancer already has.
Sell furniture, donate the rest. Removals are priced by volume — less stuff equals less money.
Negotiate the agent's commission if you go high-street. 1.5% is the opening offer; 1.0% is usually achievable on a quick sale.

Buying first vs selling first

A genuinely difficult decision that depends on your finances and the local market:

Sell first: cheaper (no bridging finance, no 3% second-home surcharge), but you may need temporary rental or to live with family during the gap. Best for cost- conscious movers in slower markets.
Buy first: more convenient (one clean move) but adds bridging-loan interest (0.5–1% per month, sometimes higher), and you'll pay the 3% second-home Stamp Duty surcharge on the new property — reclaimable later if you sell the old one within three years. Only worth it in fast markets where the right property is hard to find.
Buy and sell in parallel (most common): the classic chain. Lower cost than buying first, less disruptive than selling first — but most exposed to the chain collapsing.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to move home in the UK in 2026?: For a typical buyer-only move (no property to sell), budget £2,500–£5,000 excluding Stamp Duty. For a combined sale-and-purchase, expect £6,000–£12,000 excluding Stamp Duty — most of which is estate-agent commission on the property you're selling. Stamp Duty on the new property is on top and can range from £0 (first-time buyers up to £425,000) to tens of thousands.
What's the cheapest way to move house?: The biggest savings come from (1) using a online conveyancer instead of a high-street firm (saves £200–£500), (2) selling through a fixed-fee online estate agent instead of a percentage-fee high-street one (saves £2,000–£5,000 on a £300k home), and (3) doing a self-drive van move instead of a removals company (saves £300–£800 for a small move). Combine all three and the saving on a typical move can exceed £3,000.
Do you have to pay Stamp Duty every time you move?: In England and Northern Ireland, yes — every property purchase over £125,000 (or £425,000 for first-time buyers) attracts Stamp Duty Land Tax. Scotland and Wales have their own equivalents: Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) and Land Transaction Tax (Wales), each with different thresholds. Use the relevant official calculator before budgeting.
How long does the moving process take?: From accepted offer to completion: 10–16 weeks is typical in 2026, though chains can push this to 6 months. The moving day itself usually takes a half day to a full day for the physical move. Most of the calendar time is conveyancing (3–6 weeks of searches plus enquiries) and the mortgage offer.
Is it cheaper to buy first or sell first?: Cost-wise, selling first is almost always cheaper: you avoid bridging-loan interest (typically 0.5–1% per month) and the 3% Stamp Duty surcharge on second homes. The trade-off is the gap between completing your sale and finding somewhere new — temporary rental or storage. For most movers, selling first and accepting short-term rental costs is the cheaper outcome.
What unexpected costs catch people out?: The four classics: (1) leasehold management packs from the freeholder or managing agent (£200–£400), (2) mortgage exit / discharge fees on your old loan (£50–£300), (3) double council tax if completion dates don't line up, and (4) chain-collapse losses — survey, search and legal fees already incurred if your purchase falls through (£500–£1,200). Budget a 10% contingency on top of your spreadsheet total.

Sources & further reading

HMRC Stamp Duty Land Tax calculator: tax.service.gov.uk
Revenue Scotland LBTT calculator: revenue.scot
Welsh Revenue Authority LTT calculator: gov.wales
Royal Mail mail redirection: royalmail.com
Our companion guides: cost of selling a house · conveyancing costs · house survey costs · end-of-tenancy cleaning checklist

This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. Moving costs vary by property, region and firm; always get written quotes before instructing. Figures reflect typical 2026 market ranges and are reviewed periodically.