How Much Does Moving House Cost in the UK? 2026 Breakdown

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A typical 3-bedroom UK house move in 2026 costs £8,000 to £15,000 once stamp duty, conveyancing, survey, removals, and mortgage fees are added together. For a £400,000 home with a non-first-time buyer, stamp duty alone is £10,000. First-time buyers pay much less in tax but the rest of the costs are identical. The MoneyHelper overall buying and moving costs guide is the definitive consumer reference.

The full cost breakdown for a £400,000 move

Cost	Typical range	£400k example (non-FTB)
Stamp Duty Land Tax	£0 to 12% of price	£10,000
Conveyancing fees	£800 to £2,000	£1,400
Search fees	£250 to £450	£350
Land Registry fee	£40 to £910	£330
Survey (Level 2 HomeBuyer)	£400 to £900	£600
Mortgage product fee	£0 to £1,499	£999
Mortgage broker fee	£0 to £600	£300
Removals (3-bed)	£600 to £1,500	£950
Royal Mail redirection	£36 to £99	£45
Bank transfer fees	£25 to £50	£35
Total		£15,009

For a first-time buyer at the same price, the SDLT line drops to £5,000 (5% on £100,000), bringing the total to around £10,000.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

SDLT is paid on completion and is the largest single moving cost for most buyers above £125,000. The 2026 bands (England and Northern Ireland) are:

Up to £125,000 — 0%
£125,001 to £250,000 — 2%
£250,001 to £925,000 — 5%
£925,001 to £1.5m — 10%
Above £1.5m — 12%

First-time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000 (on properties up to £500,000), then 5% on the £300,001-£500,000 slice. Second-home and buy-to-let purchases attract a 5% surcharge on top. See GOV.UK SDLT for the official rates.

Conveyancing and searches

Conveyancing fees cover the legal work — checking title, raising enquiries, drafting the contract, handling completion. The fee itself is typically £800 to £2,000 plus VAT. Search fees (local authority, water and drainage, environmental, chancel) add £250 to £450. Leasehold flats add another £200 to £800 for the LPE1 management pack.

Survey

RICS surveys come in three levels:

Level 1 — basic condition report, £300 to £400. Suitable for new builds.
Level 2 (HomeBuyer) — £400 to £900. Standard for most modern homes.
Level 3 (Building Survey) — £600 to £1,500. Older or non-standard properties.

Removals: the variables

Removals costs depend on volume, distance and packing. A pre-move survey gives a fixed quote; estimates over the phone are unreliable.

1-bed flat, local — £300 to £600
2-bed house, local — £450 to £900
3-bed house, local — £600 to £1,500
4-bed house, local — £1,000 to £2,500
Add for 100+ miles — £200 to £500
Add for full packing service — £200 to £600
Storage — £20 to £40 per week per cubic metre

Always check the firm is a member of the British Association of Removers and that goods-in-transit insurance is included.

Hidden costs people forget

Royal Mail redirection — £36 for 3 months, £64 for 6 months, £99 for 12 months. Royal Mail Redirection is the official service.
New utility setup — sometimes a £30 to £50 admin fee per supplier.
Locks changed — £80 to £200 on completion day.
Cleaning — £150 to £300 for an end-of-tenancy or pre-completion clean.
Council tax overlap — if your move spans a billing date you may pay both addresses for a few days.
Pet care — boarding for moving day adds £30 to £80 per pet.

Citizens Advice's moving home checklist has the full admin list of suppliers to notify.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to move house in the UK?

A typical 3-bedroom house move in 2026 costs £8,000 to £15,000 once stamp duty, conveyancing, survey, removals, mortgage fees and Royal Mail redirection are included. Stamp duty is the largest single line item for non-first-time buyers above £125,000. Removals alone for a 3-bed are £600 to £1,500.

How much do removals cost?

A 1-bed flat move costs £300 to £600 within the same town. A 3-bed house typically costs £600 to £1,500. Long-distance moves (over 100 miles) add £200 to £500. Packing services add £200 to £600. Storage adds £20 to £40 per week per cubic metre. Always book a pre-move survey to get an accurate fixed quote.

What hidden costs catch people out?

The most commonly missed costs are: leasehold management packs (£200-£800), bank transfer fees (£25-£50), Land Registry fees (£40-£910 by price band), mortgage product fees if not added to the loan (£999), unoccupied property insurance during the move week, and Royal Mail redirection (£36-£99 by duration).

Can moving costs be added to the mortgage?

Most cannot. Stamp duty, conveyancing, survey and removals are paid in cash. The mortgage product fee is the main exception — it can usually be added to the loan, though doing so means paying interest on it for the term. The deposit must always be in cleared funds before exchange.

Do first-time buyers pay less?

First-time buyers pay less stamp duty — nothing up to £300,000 of a property priced up to £500,000, then 5% on the £300,001-£500,000 portion. Other costs (conveyancing, survey, removals) are the same. First-time buyers also tend to have less furniture, which keeps removal costs at the lower end.