Cost of Buying a House Calculator UK: Total Costs and Fees (2026)
The total cost of buying a house in the UK is the deposit plus stamp duty, conveyancing and searches, the Land Registry fee, a survey, mortgage fees and removals. This calculator adds them up for your price and deposit, and the breakdown table below shows what each one typically costs, with the source.
The full cost of buying, line by line
Most people budget for the deposit and forget the rest. The other costs, stamp duty, conveyancing, survey, mortgage fees and removals, routinely add several thousand pounds, and they are nearly all due around exchange and completion, when cash is tightest.
- Deposit, the big one, typically 5% to 25% of the price.
- Stamp duty, a tax on the price, with first-time-buyer relief and a second-home surcharge.
- Conveyancing, the solicitor's legal fee plus searches and the Land Registry fee.
- Survey, from a Level 2 HomeBuyer Report to a Level 3 Building Survey.
- Mortgage fees, arrangement and valuation fees charged by the lender.
- Removals, scaling with the size of the property and distance.
The cheapest way to cut the bill
Two costs scale directly with the price: the deposit and the stamp duty. So negotiating the price down saves you twice over. The way buyers justify a lower offer is with evidence, a flood risk, a ground-stability flag, a short lease, an ownership issue.
For £4.99, HomeBuyerCheck surfaces exactly that evidence for the specific address, the same risks a survey and searches would later confirm, so you can make a lower, defensible offer before you exchange. It also stops you wasting non-refundable search fees on a property you would walk away from.
£300,000
Total cash needed up front
£34,053
Deposit + tax + fees. Excludes monthly mortgage payments.
Deposit
10% of price
£30,000
Stamp Duty (SDLT)
first-time buyer rates
£0
Conveyancing (legal + searches)
freehold
£2,003
Survey
RICS Level 2
£650
Mortgage fees
arrangement + valuation (mid)
£700
Removals
estimate by size
£700
Indicative 2026 figures for England & NI, not a quote. Survey and conveyancing use mid-point estimates; mortgage arrangement fees vary widely and some can be added to the loan. Monthly mortgage repayments are not included here.
Cut the biggest two costs: negotiate the price
Free instant check on any UK address. Premium from £4.99 gives you the risk evidence to justify a lower offer, which cuts both the price and the stamp duty on it.
Property purchase cost breakdown
Every cost of buying a home in England and Wales, what it typically comes to and when you pay it. Figures checked 28 September 2026. Wales has Land Transaction Tax and Scotland has LBTT instead of stamp duty.
| Cost | Typical figure | When you pay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | The share of the price you are not borrowing, agreed with your lender | At exchange, with the rest of your money at completion | GOV.UK, How to buy a home |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (England and Northern Ireland) | 0% up to £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000, 5% on the next £675,000, 10% on the next £575,000, 12% above £1.5 million. First-time buyers: 0% up to £300,000, 5% from £300,001 to £500,000, no relief above £500,000. Additional homes: 5% surcharge | Within 14 days of completion, usually paid by your conveyancer on the day | GOV.UK, SDLT residential rates |
| Conveyancing (legal fee plus disbursements) | Average £1,509 including disbursements and VAT; typically up to £1,800 | Covers the work from instruction to completion | HomeOwners Alliance (Reallymoving figures) |
| Searches (local authority, drainage, environmental) | Typically £250 to £450 | Ordered by your conveyancer after your offer is accepted | HomeOwners Alliance |
| HM Land Registry registration fee | Scale 1 online: £20 up to £80,000, £40 to £100,000, £100 to £200,000, £150 to £500,000, £295 to £1 million, £500 above | Paid by your conveyancer when registering you as owner after completion | GOV.UK, HM Land Registry fees |
| Survey | £300 to £1,500 for a standard survey | Before exchange | HomeOwners Alliance |
| Mortgage fees | Arrangement fee up to £1,500; valuation fee up to £300 | At the mortgage application and valuation stage | HomeOwners Alliance |
| Removals | £450 to £1,400 depending on the size of the home | Moving day | HomeOwners Alliance |
Worked example: a £300,000 home in England
- 10% deposit: £30,000.
- Stamp duty: £0 for a first-time buyer, because relief covers the first £300,000; £5,000 for a home mover (2% of £125,000 plus 5% of £50,000).
- HM Land Registry fee: £150 online, usually passed on in the conveyancing bill.
- Conveyancing, a survey, mortgage fees and removals at the HomeOwners Alliance figures above: roughly £2,300 at the low end to £6,500 at the high end.
That puts the cash needed at roughly £32,000 to £36,500 for a first-time buyer, and about £5,000 more for a home mover. For the stamp duty on your own price, use the stamp duty calculator; for the order these costs fall in, see the home buying process explained.
Cost of buying FAQs
What are the total costs when buying a house in the UK, including fees?
The deposit, then Stamp Duty Land Tax (in England), conveyancing (HomeOwners Alliance puts the average at £1,509 including disbursements and VAT), searches (typically £250 to £450, usually within the conveyancing bill), the HM Land Registry fee (£150 online for £200,001 to £500,000), a survey (£300 to £1,500), mortgage fees (arrangement up to £1,500, valuation up to £300) and removals (£450 to £1,400).
How much money do I need to buy a house in the UK?
On a £300,000 home with a 10% deposit, a first-time buyer in England pays no stamp duty, so the £30,000 deposit plus conveyancing, a survey, mortgage fees and removals at the HomeOwners Alliance ranges comes to roughly £32,000 to £36,500. A home mover pays £5,000 stamp duty at that price, so roughly £5,000 more. Use the calculator for your own price and deposit.
What are the hidden costs of buying a house?
The costs people forget are the ones beyond the deposit: stamp duty, conveyancing disbursements such as searches and the Land Registry fee, a survey, mortgage arrangement and valuation fees, removals, and for a flat the leasehold paperwork. This calculator totals them so none are missed.
Is stamp duty included in the cost of buying a house?
Yes, it is one of the larger up-front costs. Stamp Duty Land Tax is charged on the purchase price, with relief for first-time buyers up to £500,000 and a surcharge on additional properties. This calculator includes it in the total, alongside the deposit and all fees.
How can I reduce the cost of buying a house?
Negotiating the price down is the biggest lever, because it cuts both the price and the stamp duty on it. Choosing the right survey level for the property avoids overpaying, and screening a property cheaply before you offer means you do not waste non-refundable search fees on a purchase that falls through. HomeBuyerCheck gives you the risk evidence to negotiate, from £4.99.
Calculate each cost in detail
Sources, checked 28 September 2026