Buying costs & move-in

Plan the cash and practical prep you need before completion and moving day.

COST PLANNER

Start your plan

Estimate the cash you may need before completion — fees, setup costs, and a sensible buffer.

Total upfront

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% of price

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Selected costs

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Deposit separate

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BASIC NUMBERS

Tell us about the purchase

Property price

Your deposit

Property use

Affects stamp duty rates (BTL and second homes incur a surcharge).

COSTS TO CONSIDER

Tick the costs that apply

Most buyers end up with 6–9 of the 12 below. Tick any that might apply to you — each card opens to show what it covers and an editable estimate.

Purchase & lender costs

Move week & setup extras

Costs that often show up late

CURRENT POSITION

Estimate your upfront costs

Stamp duty, legal fees, survey, and a contingency buffer add up fast. Tick the costs that apply and add estimates to build your picture.

NEXT BEST MOVE

Start with the core costs

Stamp duty, legal fees, and a survey are almost always due — tick those first to see a baseline.

Where to go next

Pick the costs that apply

Tick at least one cost above so we can show the cash you'll need beyond your deposit.

Tie your move into the full plan

The Buyer Planner connects upfront costs and conveyancing tracking with Document Readiness — so you walk into completion with nothing forgotten.

Open the Buyer Planner

The hidden cost of buying a UK house

The deposit gets all the attention, but most UK first-time buyers underestimate everything else by £4,000-£10,000+. Categories that typically catch people out:

· Solicitor and conveyancing fees — £1,200-£2,500 for the legal work, plus £200-£500 in disbursements (searches, Land Registry, money transfers).
· Survey — £400-£900 for a Homebuyer Report (RICS Level 2); £700-£1,500+ for a Building Survey (RICS Level 3) on older or unusual properties.
· Mortgage arrangement and valuation fees — sometimes £0 (some lenders absorb these), sometimes £500-£1,500 total.
· Stamp duty — first-time buyers pay none up to £300,000, then 5% on £300,001-£500,000. Above £500,000 no first-time buyer relief applies.
· Removals — £500-£1,500 for a professional firm, £300-£700 for a man-and-van.
· Basic furniture and white goods — £1,000-£3,000 minimum for an unfurnished UK property.
· Completion-day buffer — one month of household costs left over after move-in for unexpected things.

See the full cost of buying guide for the deeper breakdown.

How to use the cost planner

Start in the “Cost planner” tab. Enter realistic estimates for each cost category. The planner totals everything and shows the running cash needed up to and including move-in day.
Move to the “Moving checklist” tab to track the practical tasks: notifying utilities, redirecting post, booking removals, sorting council tax, setting up broadband. The planner helps with the cash; the checklist helps with the time.
Refresh estimates as you get real quotes. The first pass uses UK averages. Once you have real solicitor, survey and removals quotes, plug them in to get a tighter number.
Plan a completion-day buffer. Add a contingency line (one month of household costs is a common target) for the unexpected.

Solicitor fees — what to expect

Solicitor fees are typically the largest single cost beyond the deposit and stamp duty. Realistic UK ranges:

· Standard freehold first-time buyer purchase — £1,200-£2,500 legal fee + £200-£500 disbursements.
· Leasehold flat — adds £100-£300 for the extra work on the lease, plus possibly a Notice of Transfer fee to the freeholder (£50-£200) and a Deed of Covenant fee (£50-£200).
· New-build — adds £200-£500 for the additional legal work on contracts and warranties.
· Shared Ownership — adds £200-£400 for the housing association lease checks.
· Help to Buy or scheme purchases — adds £200-£500 for additional documentation.

Always get three quotes. The cheapest isn’t always the best — slow firms cost weeks of stress. See the conveyancing guide for what your solicitor actually does, and how to choose well.

Survey types and costs

Three RICS survey levels for UK first-time buyers, each with different depth and cost:

· Level 1 — Condition Report (£200-£400). Most basic. Traffic-light ratings only. Right for new-builds in clearly good condition.
· Level 2 — Homebuyer Report (£400-£700). Most common for first-time buyers. Detailed condition report with opinions on defects. Right for conventional homes (1900s onwards) in apparently reasonable condition.
· Level 3 — Building Survey (£700-£1,500+). Most detailed. Right for pre-1900 homes, unusual construction, listed buildings, or anywhere the visible condition raises concerns.

A survey is almost always worth the cost. See the property survey guide for what surveyors actually check and how to act on what they find.

Move-in day — what you actually pay for

On the day itself, three cost categories tend to land within 24 hours:

1. Completion costs.Solicitor fees, disbursements and stamp duty (if applicable) pay from your completion statement. Your solicitor sends these as part of the day’s settlement — you transfer the total to them in advance.
2. Removals. Pay the removals firm on the day (or the day after, depending on terms). Usually card or BACS — confirm in advance.
3. First-week essentials. First food shop, cleaning supplies, locksmith if you want locks changed, broadband install if scheduled for that week, any replacement white goods. £200-£500 typical.

Plan to have one month of household costs left over after all of these — that’s the completion-day buffer that protects you from the unexpected stuff that always shows up in month one.

Buying costs FAQs

How much does it cost to buy a house in the UK besides the deposit?+

Most UK first-time buyers spend £4,000-£10,000+ on costs beyond the deposit: solicitor fees (£1,200-£2,500), survey (£400-£900), mortgage arrangement and valuation fees (£0-£1,000), stamp duty (where applicable — first-time buyers pay none up to £300,000 and 5% on £300,001-£500,000), removals (£500-£1,500), basic furniture and white goods (£1,000-£3,000), and a buffer for unexpected costs. Use the planner above to see your specific scenario.

What's a typical solicitor fee for a UK house purchase?+

£1,200-£2,500 for the legal fee itself on a standard freehold first-time buyer purchase, plus £200-£500 in disbursements (search fees, Land Registry, electronic transfers). Leasehold purchases typically add £100-£300 for the extra legal work on the lease. New-builds, shared ownership and Help to Buy purchases can add £200-£600. Always get three quotes including a breakdown of fees vs disbursements before instructing.

How much do removals cost in the UK?+

Realistic ranges: £300-£700 for a small one-bed move locally with a man-and-van, £700-£1,500 for a small house with a professional removals firm, £1,500-£3,000+ for longer distance or larger properties. Weekend and end-of-month dates cost more. Always get at least three written quotes and confirm transit insurance is included. Self-hire van + helper is the cheapest option (£150-£400 inclusive) if you can manage the lifting.

Do I need a survey if my mortgage lender does a valuation?+

Almost always yes. The lender's valuation is for the lender — it confirms the property is worth roughly the loan amount and is often a desktop check, not a physical survey. If you want to know what state the property is actually in, commission a separate survey: RICS Level 2 (Homebuyer Report) for most modern properties (£400-£700); RICS Level 3 (Building Survey) for older, larger, or unusual properties (£700-£1,500+).

How much should I budget for furniture and white goods?+

For a basic move-in to an unfurnished UK property: bed and mattress (£300-£800), sofa (£400-£1,200), dining set (£200-£500), curtains (£100-£300), washing machine (£250-£500), fridge-freezer (£300-£600), kettle/toaster/microwave (£50-£150) — typically £1,500-£3,000 minimum. Buyers furnishing fully tend to spend £5,000-£10,000+ in the first six months. Charity shops, eBay and family hand-me-downs cover a lot of the first-week list affordably.

What's a completion-day cash buffer?+

Cash left over after completion to cover unexpected first-month costs — survey-flagged repairs you decided to defer, boiler issues, locks that don't turn properly, the gap to first payday. A common target is one month of total housing costs (mortgage + bills + everyday) sitting in your account after move-in. Most surprises in month one come from things the survey flagged or things you didn't notice at viewings.

How do moving costs vary by season in the UK?+

Summer (June-August) and end-of-month dates are most expensive — peak demand for removals and harder to book solicitors with capacity. January and February tend to be cheapest. Mid-week and mid-month completions are 10-25% cheaper for removals. Bank holiday weekends are best avoided — most firms don't operate, and the rare ones that do charge a premium.

Do I need to budget for council tax and utilities from completion day?+

Yes. You become liable for council tax from the day of completion (your solicitor notifies the council via a Council Tax Notification of Change). Set up utility accounts BEFORE completion day where possible — even if no one's using them, billing starts. First-week utility costs are typically £30-£80 for the first read-and-setup period; first full month £150-£300 depending on property size and season.

How much should I budget for broadband and phone?+

Standard fibre broadband in the UK: £25-£40/month with installation fee of £0-£100. Mobile contracts unchanged from before move. Some providers waive installation if you sign a 24-month contract. Plan around the installation window — broadband installs typically schedule 2-4 weeks after order, so book as soon as you have an exchange date.

How accurate is the buying costs planner?+

The planner uses realistic UK averages for each cost category. Real outcomes depend on specifics the planner can't perfectly predict: which solicitor you instruct, which surveyor you choose, how much furniture you actually buy, whether you DIY removals, and unexpected one-off costs. Use the planner as a baseline budget, then refresh estimates as you get real quotes during the buying process.

This planner is for illustrative purposes only. Actual costs vary by solicitor, surveyor, removals firm, property type and region. Use the planner as a baseline budget and replace estimates with real quotes as you get them.

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