How much does it cost to move home in 2025?

When My Home Move Conveyancing totted up the costs attached to moving home in 2024 and published the grand total, you could almost hear an audible gasp. Home movers spent in the region of £42,416, based on an average mortgage deposit of 15% and an average house price of £282,776,

Fast forward to January 2025 and the figure is higher, with another increase on the cards. The UK’s average house price has surpassed that used in the above calculation and the impending stamp duty change will make it more expensive for almost every home mover upon completion.

Breakdown of moving home fees 2025*

Drawing up a moving budget? Be sure to consider these fees and charges.

£269,426 - cost of an average property: the latest Nationwide house price index revealed property values are on the ascendency. In fact, they increased 4.7% in the year to December 2024. A typical UK property now costs £269,426. The lender also said the average house price in London is £525,535.

£41,750 - cash deposit: Data from better.co.uk found the median deposit value in July 2024 was £41,750.

£971.30 rising to £3,471 - stamp duty: stamp duty land tax becomes more expensive from 1st April 2025, as the 2% threshold is being reintroduced. To illustrate, if a homeowner purchases their next property for £269,426 before 1st April 2025, the stamp duty bill will be £971.39. Purchase the same property after 1st April 2025 and the stamp duty bill will rise to £4,750.

£2,694 to £5,388 - estate agent sales fees: estate agents charge sellers a fee to sell their property and this is usually a percentage of the sales price. In the UK, sellers can expect to pay between 1% and 2%. Based on Nationwide’s UK average house price, this fee could be between £2,694 and £5,388.

£60 to £120 - EPC fee: if a property being sold does not have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), the seller will have to commission one, paying between £60 and £120.

£1,263 - legal fees: just like estate agents, a conveyancer/solicitor will charge a fee for overseeing the legal transfer of a property from one person to the next. While My Home Move Conveyancing says mover will spend £1,263 on conveyancing fees, those who are buying and selling in tandem should factor the cost of two transactions.

£1,300 - removal fees: while it’s very noble to do the lifting and shifting yourself, many movers pay the professionals to take their worldly goods from A to B. My Home Move Conveyancing estimates the average removal cost to be £1,300 – a cost that has risen 3% year on year, according to Reallymoving.

£1,000 to £2,000 - mortgage arrangement fee: some of the best home loans come with a sting in their tail, in the shape of a mortgage arrangement fee. Comparethemarket.com, says mortgage arrangement fees are generally in the region of £1,000-£2,000, depending on the property’s value.

£100 to £1,500 - survey & valuation costs: fees should also be factored in when it comes to the condition of the property being bought (and whether the lenders thinks it’s worth the price being paid). A home buyer’s survey varies in cost depending on the type ordered. A survey checking for visible defects (level 1) is the cheapest at approximately £300-£900. A level 2 survey would set a buyer back between £400-£1,000, while a level 3 full structural would cost in the region of £630-£1,500. Buyers using a mortgage may also pay for a valuation survey, which typically costs between £100 and £1,000.

Moving to or within London?

The Evening Standard crunched the home moving numbers specific to those moving to or within the capital city. Those in London will need considerably deeper pockets. Using data supplied by Reallymoving, the publication found buyers and sellers will need to pay £30,048 in upfront expenses, with a deposit added on top (approximately £52,000 when putting a 10% deposit down on the average London house purchase).

London-bound first-time buyers will especially be worse off in 2025. Their upfront moving costs will increase by 245% from £2,551 currently to £8,801, thanks to the first-time buyer stamp duty threshold returning back to £300,000.

The value of the average first-time buyer deposit in London will also soar in the coming months. Based on the capital’s average starter home purchase price, London movers currently need £45,012 to cover a 10% deposit. After 1st April 2025, the deposit amount will rise to £51,301.

How to slash moving costs

If you are selling a property, selling to Open Property Group will slash thousands of pounds off your moving costs. As we are professional private buyers, we don’t charge estate agent fees. Open Property Group will also pay your legal fees and cover the cost of an EPC, if required – saving you in the region of £5,000.

You can request a cash offer to start your sale to Open Property Group. We won’t ask you to make repairs or property improvements – even if a survey reveals structural problems. You can contact our team to find out more.

*check with your solicitor, mortgage lender and estate agent to verify what fees apply