Cost of Buying a House Calculator (UK, 2026)
Work out the real cash you need to buy a home, not just the deposit. This calculator adds up your deposit, stamp duty, conveyancing, survey, mortgage fees and removals so you can see the full up-front cost before you start.
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.
Cost of buying FAQs
How much money do I need to buy a house in the UK?
Beyond the deposit, budget for stamp duty, conveyancing (legal fees plus searches, around £1,200 to £2,100), a survey (£400 to £2,000), mortgage arrangement and valuation fees (often £500 to £1,000), and removals (£300 to £1,400). On a typical £300,000 first home with a 10% deposit, the total cash needed up front is usually £33,000 to £36,000.
What are the hidden costs of buying a house?
The costs people forget are the ones beyond the deposit: stamp duty, conveyancing disbursements (searches, Land Registry fee), a survey, mortgage product and valuation fees, removals, and sometimes leasehold management-pack fees. Together they can add £3,000 to £8,000 on a typical purchase, which is why this calculator totals them all.
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