The Cost of Moving House in 2025
When deciding if it’s time to move home, we recommend budgeting for the costs of the process, making sure you’ve set enough aside. This can also help you determine if it would make sense to spend some more time saving.
We’ve split our guide into three main sections: the costs you may face for your new property; the costs you may face for your current property; and the costs of the move itself.
Costs to consider for your new property
House deposit
Many home movers are able to use the equity gained on the sale of their current home to pay for a larger deposit on their next home. This allows homeowners to climb up a rung (or two) on the property ladder and use the equity to purchase a bigger house.
However, for homeowners who are, for example, in negative equity or wish to purchase a much more expensive house, their current home equity may not cut it. In these cases, you will need to save up a deposit for your new home. Depending on the kind of mortgage you want, this could be 5%, 10% or more of the new property’s value.
Similarly, if you are remortgaging or porting a mortgage, you will only need to worry about a deposit if you’re looking to move into a home that is worth more than the current value of your home.
Stamp duty
While you might not have dealt with this fee yet (if your current home is your first), moving home may come with the costs of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
The table below details the SDLT you can expect based on the value of the home you wish to buy. These rates are for those that own and live in only one home. If you’re looking to sell your second home or a home that isn’t your main place of residence, explore higher SDLT rates on the government website.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) rates 2025
As of April 1 2025, the Stamp Duty rates are changing. For first-time buyers, you’ll now face SDLT on properties £300,000 and over – down from £425,000.
The rates for people already on the property ladder are:
|
Property Price |
SDLT |
|
Up to £125,000 |
0% |
|
The next portion from £125,001 – £250,000 |
2% |
|
The next portion from £250,001 – £925,000 |
5% |
|
The next portion from £925,001 – £1.5m |
10% |
|
The next portion from £1.5m and over |
12% |
So, if you’re not a first-time buyer and you buy a property for £500,000, you’ll pay:
- 0% SDLT on the first £125,000 (£0)
- 2% SDLT on the next £125,001 – £250,000 (£2,500)
- 5% SDLT on the next £250,001 – £500,000 (£12,500)
- Total SDLT: £15,000
Valuation fee
A valuation is a necessary part of the moving process. During a valuation, your mortgage lender will check that the property you are purchasing is worth what you are paying for it.
If you are also selling a home, a property valuation of your new home may be included in your estate agency fees – check this with them in advance. If not, it may cost up to £600.
Property survey
Separate to the valuation your mortgage lender will conduct, a property survey is an inspection of your new home.
There are three levels of property surveys, with increasing fees from Level 1 to 3. The fee may also increase depending on the property’s value, as well as if it is old or unusual. Overall, a survey will assess any problems with the building’s structure.
Property surveys aren’t compulsory, but if you don’t get one and uncover a large structural issue in the future, you could be stuck with a big repair bill.
The most basic (Level 1) property surveys cost around £350-£400 for a home up to £250,000. For a Level 3 survey on a home over £500,000, you can expect fees of up to £1,500.
Legal fees
Legal fees are paid to your solicitor or conveyancer who handles the legalities of the transaction. You don’t need to hire a solicitor or conveyancer, but it’s always recommended you do. Your legal fees for buying a home may be around £1,000-£2,000, based on UK averages.
The North East has some of the lowest legal fees of anywhere in the UK – just one of the many reasons it’s a great place to live.
The fees will include the solicitor/conveyancer’s service costs, as well as things like:
- Land registration fees
- Searches (these uncover anything you may not know already about the property, such as environmental issues or nearby development plans)
- Drawing up your property contract
- Bank transfers (between yourself and the seller)
They may charge you a set rate, hourly or a fixed % of your property sale price. It’s always best to get a few different quotes before choosing a firm.
Insurance
The only insurance you need to move house is buildings insurance. Your lender will want to make sure you have this in order to approve the mortgage.
Buildings insurance covers the costs for repairs if your home suffers damages and includes external parts of your home such as fences, garages and sheds. According to the AA, average buildings insurance costs are around £120.
Although contents and life insurance aren’t necessary, they are recommended to keep you and your loved ones protected.
Contents insurance covers the interiors (or contents) of your home, like furniture or your TV. Life insurance offers a payout if the worst should happen to you, and can cover the cost of the mortgage repayments. You may be able to get buildings and contents insurance together for a more competitive package deal.
For a step-by-step breakdown of the whole property purchase process, our guide to buying a house offers everything you need.
Costs to consider for your current property
If you’re selling the home you are moving from, these next costs may be important for you to consider.
Estate agent fees
Hiring an estate agent to take care of the sale of your property is an important part of a smooth sales process. In the UK, estate agent fees average 0.9% to 3.6% of the property’s value.
Your estate agent’s services may include:
- Photography of your home
- Listing of your property on websites such as Rightmove
- Hosting viewings of your property
- Negotiating with buyers
Learn more about the services we offer when you sell your property with us.
Legal fees
Just as when you’re buying a home, it’s recommended you hire a conveyancer or solicitor to take care of the legal side of the selling a property. If you use the same solicitor for buying and selling your home you may get a cheaper quote.
Other costs
Other costs of a home sale include mortgage exit fees, EPC costs and Capital Gains Tax. In our guide, we go into detail about the different costs of selling a house.
Costs to consider for the move
Once the home-buying and house-selling processes are underway, you can start planning what’s needed for the move.
Cleaning and repairs
Before holding property viewings, it’s important to get your home ready for sale. This might include a new lick of paint, decluttering and a deep clean of your home. You may want to do a deep clean yourself, however many opt for hiring a cleaner as it can save time and take something off your to-do list.
According to Air Tasker, you may expect to pay around £150-£200 for a deep clean of a three-bedroom house.
As your home will be surveyed by a buyer, you’ll want to make sure any damages are fixed. If a survey reveals damage to your home, a buyer may try to negotiate down price or may even withdraw their offer.
Checkatrade estimates that homeowners spend an average of £848 on home repairs each year. This can be a figure to work from when deciding how much to budget for repairs.
An added bonus is that homes that are clean, decluttered and not showing any signs of wear will help draw in buyers and get a sale.
Moving fees
You may choose to move your possessions yourself, in which case it could be useful to hire a van, especially for those bigger items like beds, sofas and wardrobes.
Many hire a removal company to take care of the entire moving process. You can choose to add in extras like packing services and disassembly, depending on how much help you want.
The UK average for a three-bedroom property travelling 50 miles may cost £806.
Care costs
When it comes to moving day, if you have children or pets that need taking care of while you busy yourself with the move, it’s best to organise it sooner rather than later. Make sure to factor in these costs when budgeting for a home move, unless you have a family or friend that can step in, of course.
Babysitting can cost £8.49 per hour, while dog sitting may cost around £10 per hour.
Storage or renting between moves
If the home you’re moving to is on the property chain, you may find that the completion day for your home and your seller’s new home don’t align. In these cases, movers may have to store furniture or rent for a period.
Keeping aside some budget for three months for rent or storage could be helpful in case these costs come up.
You may expect storage costs of around £20-£40 per square foot, per year, according to UK averages, while rent averages £686 monthly.
Mail redirection
Before you get a chance to inform everyone of your move (such as banks, the DVLA or your GP), getting Royal Mail to redirect your post can help make sure any important mail still reaches you.
The cost for the service is from £39.50 and you can choose to have your mail redirected for up to one year.
What is the average cost of moving house in the UK?
The average cost of moving house in the UK is around £12,606.
This includes the costs of buying a new home, selling your current home and moving into a property. This cost will vary depending on where you live in the UK. For example, where the cost of properties and services can be more expensive, you may pay more, and vice versa.
What’s next?
Once you’ve taken all the costs into consideration and decided that it’s the right time for you to move, you can begin the process by viewing property for sale or by getting in touch with one of our expert team for more information on our estate agency services.
