Whether you’re a first-time buyer saving up for a deposit or a homeowner looking to move up the property ladder, one of the most overlooked aspects of purchasing a home is the cost of moving house.
With numerous different taxes, services, and legal requirements needed to facilitate a successful move, the cost of moving house can quickly become a significant expense that puts a dent in your budget.
Thankfully, with a bit of forward planning and some expert advice, you can put the proper steps in place to ensure your house move doesn’t break the bank. That’s why we’ve put together this expert guide on the cost of moving house, covering key expenses and tips to save you money along the way.
How much does it cost to move house in 2024?
According to the HomeOwners Alliance (HOA), the average cost of moving house in 2024 is £10,225. This is based on an existing homeowner buying and selling houses at the average UK price of £292,000. However, these costs can vary considerably depending on:
- The value of your new home (and existing one if you’re a current homeowner)
- The location of the home you’re buying/selling
- Whether you’re a first-time buyer or selling an existing home
- Any modifications you’ve made to your home.
The cost of moving house can be considerably less for a first-time buyer or someone not selling their home. According to the HOA, the average cost for those buying but not selling their home is £4,910 – less than 50% of the costs for selling homeowners.
What are the main costs when buying a house?
Numerous factors contribute to the cost of buying a house, from taxes to service charges and insurance payments.
A breakdown of the various factors making up the total cost of buying a house in 2024
| Requirement | Average cost (based on a home worth £292,000) |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty | £2,100 |
| Building survey | £550 |
| Conveyancing | £1,050 |
| Mortgage fees | £1,000 |
| Mortgage valuation fees | £150 |
| Income protection insurance | £60 |
| Total: | £4,910 |
(Source: HOA)
As of 2024, stamp duty is the biggest contributor to the cost of buying a house in the UK, with an average fee of £2,100 – more than two-fifths (43%) of the total cost of £4,910.
The next most significant outlay is conveyancing fees, with its average rate of £1,050 accounting for just over a fifth (21%) of the overall cost. Mortgage fees were the third highest expenditure, with an average price of £1,000.
What are the main costs of selling a house?
As with buying a new house, selling your existing home involves various outlays that contribute to the overall cost of home moving.
A breakdown of the various factors making up the total cost of selling a house in 2024
| Requirement | Average cost (based on a home worth £292,000) |
|---|---|
| Estate agents | £4,150 |
| Conveyancing | £585 |
| Energy performance certificates | £60 |
| Removals | £550 |
| Selling total | £5,345 |
(Source: HOA)
Estate agent fees were the most expensive aspect of selling a home in the UK in 2024. With an average cost of £4,150, these fees account for more than three-quarters (78%) of the average selling cost of £5,345.
Additionally, this price accounts for over two-fifths (41%) of the average combined cost for buying and selling a home in 2024 (£10,025).
Conveyancing (£585) and removals (£550) are the next most costly services, accounting for 6% and 5% of the overall cost, respectively.
What do I need to know about the various cost factors when moving house?
There are numerous cost factors to consider when moving house, including:
Stamp duty
Stamp duty is a legal tax requirement for home buyers in the UK. Homeowners in England and Northern Ireland don’t have to pay stamp duty on the first £250,000 of their house value, meaning any property below this price will have no stamp duty costs. For first-time buyers, stamp duty fees only come into play once a property exceeds £425,000 in value.
After these rates, the costs of stamp duty are as follows.
A breakdown of the cost of stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland by house price and type of buyer
| Purchase price | Stamp duty rate | Stamp duty rate for additional properties |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £250,000 | 0% (This applies up to £425,000 for first-time buyers) | 3% |
| £250,001 to £925,000 | 5% | 8% |
| £925,001 to £1.5 million | 10% | 13% |
| Over £1.5 million | 12% | 15% |
(Source: HOA)
The stamp duty rates in Scotland and Wales differ from those in England and Northern Ireland. We’ve covered these in the tables below.
A breakdown of the price of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax by house price in Scotland
| Purchase price of property | Stamp duty rate | Stamp duty rate for additional properties |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £145,000 | 0% | 4% |
| £145,001 to £250,000 | 2% | 6% |
| £250,001 to £325,000 | 5% | 9% |
| £325,000 to £750,000 | 10% | 14% |
| Over £750,000 | 12% | 16% |
(Source: HOA)
Stamp duty in Scotland is known as Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT). As house prices in Scotland are generally lower than in England and Northern Ireland, the 0% rate is capped at £145,000 rather than £250,000.
A breakdown of the price of Stamp Duty Land Tax by house price in Wales
| Purchase price of property | Stamp duty rate | Stamp duty rate for additional properties |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £180,000 | 0% | 4% |
| £180,001 to £250,000 | 3.50% | 7.50% |
| £250,001 to £400,000 | 5% | 9% |
| £400,001 to £750,000 | 7.50% | 11.50% |
| £750,000 to £1.5M | 10% | 14% |
| Over £1.5M | 12% | 16% |
(Source: HOA)
The equivalent to stamp duty tax in Wales is known as Land Transaction Tax (LTT). Here, the 0% threshold ends at £180,000, meaning any homes below this value pay no LTT.
Conveyancers
Hiring a conveyancer is an important but potentially costly aspect of moving home. A conveyancer assesses the proposed contract between you and the seller, identifying any potential problems, discrepancies, or areas where you may not be getting value for money.
Conveyancing costs are typically divided into two areas:
- Legal fees: What does the conveyancer charge for doing their job?
- Disbursements: Third-party charges for additional services like searches.
When buying a home, conveyancing fees can typically cost anywhere between £300-£1,500 depending on the property's value, with a further £700 payable in disbursement fees.
Conveyancing fees will also apply if you’re selling your current home, with these fees typically costing between £600-£800. However, you may be able to reduce these costs by shopping around and finding the best conveyancing deals in your area.
Surveyors
Surveyors are professional assessors who review your new home before you move in. They check for any damage, structural problems, or potential issues that could reduce the home’s value or cause unforeseen problems down the road. From here, you can address these problems before moving in and renegotiate elements of your contract if necessary.
As of 2024, the cost of a standard house survey in the UK typically ranges from £300 to £550 depending on the company, the depth of the survey, and the value of the property. As with conveyors, it’s recommended that you shop around and find the best deals on surveyors in your area.
Estate agent (if selling another property)
Estate agents are the companies you employ to market your existing home to potential buyers. While a good estate agent can be instrumental in selling your property, they can also make up a considerable portion of your moving house costs.
On average, estate agent fees equate to around 1.42% of your property's value, according to the HOA. This means that an average home worth £292,000 would have fees of £4,150. For homes worth £500,000, this fee would rise to around £7,100.
However, like with surveyors and conveyancers, you can scan the market and potentially find an estate agent who’ll carry out this work at a more favourable rate.
Mortgage costs
Most mortgages come with upfront fees that increase the cost of moving house. Typically, these fees can range between £1,000 and £2,000 depending on the provider and the value of your home.
Mortgage fees can be broken down into a few sections, such as:
Mortgage valuation fees
When you take out a new mortgage, the lender will typically arrange for a surveyor to come around to assess the property value. This service typically costs from £100-£300 depending on the lender and the value of the home.
Mortgage arrangement fees
If you’re taking out a new mortgage, you’ll probably be liable to pay a mortgage arrangement fee. Lenders charge these fees to cover admin costs, which can cost as much as £1,000 depending on the property value.
Income protection insurance
Income protection insurance is a type of cover that pays your mortgage fees for you in the event of you being unable to work due to illness or injury. Monthly premiums typically cost between £20-£25 per month but can be as high as £40 and as low as £10 depending on the value of your home.
Removals
Removal costs can vary depending on numerous factors, including:
- The size of your current home
- The amount of belongings you’re moving to your new home
- The distance between your current home and your new home
- The amount of friends/family you have helping you with your move.
While it can be tempting to do much of the heavy lifting yourself, hiring a professional company can reduce the time, stress, and effort required on the day.
Zoopla estimated that the average cost of removals for a three-bedroom house in 2024 will be around £880, based on a moving distance of 15 miles. This fee falls to around £420 for a one-bedroom flat but rises to approximately £1,800 for a four-bedroom house.
Removals is another area worth sorting out in advance, as this gives you ample time to shop around and find the best deal.
Other considerations
While the main costs have been covered, there are other considerations worth factoring into your budget to help reduce the stress of moving house.
Redirecting your post can help avoid misplaced mail while you’re still updating friends, family, and relevant companies with your new address. As of 2024, the cost of redirecting post is £48 for six months.
Another factor that may come into play when moving home is storage costs. In the event that you can't move all of your belongings right away, you may need to pay for a designated storage space. These spaces typically cost between £25-£100 per week, depending on the amount of storage.
How can you save money when moving house?
With so many different costs to consider, preparation is key if you want to save money when moving house. By setting aside enough time, you give yourself ample scope to shop around for many key services relating to your move, like mortgage providers, conveyancers, and estate agents, to name a few.
While certain factors like Stamp Duty cannot be altered, you can cut numerous costs by shopping around and finding the right companies.
As a trusted comparison site, Uswitch can help you find the best deals in many key areas related to your move. Whether you want to compare mortgage deals, review broadband offers, or find the best home insurance prices, we have you covered.
FAQs
How to cancel council tax when moving house?
To cancel your council tax for the home you’re leaving, you must inform your local council beforehand. You should contact the council as soon as you have the moving date for your new house, either via telephone or by filling out a form online. Once you’ve done this, they will automatically cancel your council tax bills from your moving-out date.
However, you may be contacted with requests for payments if any outstanding balance remains from your time at the property.
What are the best options for temporary internet when moving house?
If you’ve moved into your new house but have not yet sorted out the internet, there are a few easy options you can use as temporary measures.
5G from your mobile phone or tablet can be an excellent temporary measure while your broadband plan is being finalised. If you need to use larger devices like laptops or tablets during this time, you can set up your phone as a hotspot and tether the data from these devices.
Alternatively, if your 5G needs a stronger connection, you could invest in a mobile broadband dongle to provide your home with online access. These dongles are typically sold via monthly contracts or rolling agreements and offer convenient, reliable access to the internet at home.
You can compare the best deals on mobile broadband packages today.
Should I clean a house when moving in?
Yes. An uninhabited house will quickly gather dust so it’s likely you’ll need to clean when you first move in. The level of cleaning you’ll need to do will depend on:
- How long the house has been left unattended
- Whether the previous occupants cleaned or hired a cleaner before moving
- The airflow/ventilation in the property.
It’s best to do the bulk of the cleaning before you move your belongings. This will ensure that you bring your valuables into an already clean space and prevent them from gathering dirt.
Once you have unpacked, it’s likely your home may need another smaller clean to get rid of any rubbish or dust gathered while transporting and unpacking your stuff.
