Free tool · England
The true costof buying a home.
Stamp duty, legal fees, the survey, mortgage fees and the move itself, added up, with the cash you need on completion day. Selling too? Add the sale and see what the whole move costs.*
* Stamp duty and the Land Registry fee from official rates, checked on 7 October 2026. Other lines are typical estimates you can change.
Costs on top of the price
£20,049
4% of a £500,000 purchase.
| Cost | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty | Official | £15,000 |
| Land Registry fee | Official | £150 |
| Conveyancing (solicitor) | Estimate | £1,800 |
| Searches | Estimate | £350 |
| Survey | Estimate | £750 |
| Mortgage arrangement fee | Estimate | £999 |
| Mortgage valuation fee | Estimate | £0 |
| Mortgage broker fee | Estimate | £0 |
| Removals | Estimate | £1,000 |
Selling and moving
- Selling costs
- £7,040
- Your equity after the sale
- £242,960
- Total cost of the move
- £27,089
Your equity covers the cash needed for the purchase, with £172,911 to spare.
A guide, not financial advice. Your solicitor, surveyor and lender will quote the real figures. Leasehold purchases usually carry extra legal costs and management pack fees.
Where the money goes
Most of the cost is one line.
For most buyers outside the first-time buyer relief, stamp duty is by far the largest cost. On a £500,000 home bought by someone moving home it is £15,000, three quarters of the total. The rest is a handful of smaller bills, several of which you can shop around for. Our stamp duty calculator shows exactly how that figure is worked out.
The cash you need on completion day is the deposit plus these costs. Some of them, such as the survey and searches, are paid earlier, and some fall due only if the purchase goes ahead. If the lender's valuation comes in low or holds money back as a retention, the cash you need can rise suddenly, which is why it pays to keep some margin.
Working out whether a purchase really adds up? Jon can give you an independent view of the price, the costs and the risks before you commit.
Tell Jon about your situationHow much does it cost to buy a £500,000 house?
On a £500,000 home bought with a mortgage by someone moving home, the costs on top of the price come to around £20,049 on our estimates: £15,000 stamp duty, a £150 Land Registry fee, and legal, search, survey, mortgage and removal costs. With a 10% deposit, the cash needed on completion is about £70,049.
What are the costs of buying a house in England?
Stamp duty (often the largest), conveyancing fees, searches, the HM Land Registry registration fee, a survey, mortgage fees such as an arrangement or broker fee, and removals. Stamp duty and the Land Registry fee are fixed by the government; the others vary by provider and property.
How much should a first-time buyer budget for costs?
First-time buyers pay less stamp duty, so costs are lower. On a £350,000 home with a 10% deposit, our estimate of the costs on top of the price is £7,549, including £2,500 stamp duty after first-time buyer relief.
What does it cost to sell and buy at the same time?
Selling adds the estate agent fee (typically around 1% to 1.5% of the sale price plus VAT), conveyancing on the sale, an EPC if you need one and any early repayment charge on your mortgage. Selling a £400,000 home and buying at £500,000, the selling costs come to about £7,040 on our estimates, making the whole move around £27,089.
Are these figures exact?
Stamp duty and the Land Registry fee are calculated from official rates. The other lines are typical estimates you can change; your solicitor, surveyor and lender will quote the real figures.