How Much Does It Cost to Move House in 2026? Every Cost, Line by Line

Buying one home and selling another costs about £13,000 on an average-priced UK property in 2026, according to the HomeOwners Alliance, which bases that figure on a £292,000 house. A first-time buyer usually pays far less because there's nothing to sell and often no stamp duty, and a renter's bill is mostly the deposit and first month's rent. In Bradford, where the average home costs well under that national figure, our worked example of selling a terrace and buying a semi comes to about £6,700 to £9,100 before removals.

Below is every cost, who pays it, what it typically comes to in 2026, and three worked budgets using real Bradford prices.

Moving house costs at a glance

This table lists every cost you're likely to meet, with a typical 2026 figure where a reliable one exists. Which lines apply depends on what you're doing: buying, selling, renting, or several at once.

Figures for legal fees, surveys, mortgages, agent fees, the EPC and removals come from the HomeOwners Alliance's 2026 guides; tax and tenancy figures come from GOV.UK. All checked in September 2026. They're typical costs, not quotes, so get your own before you commit.

Stamp duty: the biggest variable

Stamp duty is the cost that varies most, from nothing at all to tens of thousands of pounds. If you're buying in England or Northern Ireland, you pay Stamp Duty Land Tax on the part of the price that falls in each band. The current GOV.UK rates, which have applied since April 2025, are:

Buying a second home or a buy-to-let usually adds 5% on top of every band. If a first-time buyer's purchase is over £500,000, the relief doesn't apply at all and the standard rates are used. Your solicitor normally files the return and pays the tax for you, but the deadline is yours: GOV.UK says the return and payment are due within 14 days of completion, with penalties if they're late.

What stamp duty looks like at Bradford prices

Bradford prices sit well below the UK average, which keeps stamp duty low. The ONS puts the average price in the district at £183,000 in July 2026 (provisional). Using the averages for each property type and the rates above:

Our own calculations from the ONS averages and GOV.UK bands, for a main home with no additional property surcharge.

Moving to or from Wales or Scotland

English stamp duty doesn't apply in either country. Wales has Land Transaction Tax: according to the Welsh Government, main residential rates start at 0% up to £225,000 and 6% from £225,001 to £400,000, and there's no first-time buyers' relief in Wales. Scotland has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax: Revenue Scotland lists 0% up to £145,000 and 2% from £145,001 to £250,000, with first-time buyers paying nothing up to £175,000. If you're planning a long-distance move across a border, ask your solicitor which tax applies, because it's the location of the new home that counts.

Legal fees and conveyancing

Conveyancing is the legal work of transferring ownership, and every buyer and seller pays for it. According to the HomeOwners Alliance, which uses Reallymoving's Conveyancing Costs Index for Q2 2026, the averages are £1,509 to buy, £929 to sell and £2,438 to buy and sell at the same time. Those figures include VAT and disbursements (the third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf).

When you compare quotes, check that these disbursements are in the total, because a low headline fee can hide them:

• Local authority searches: £250 to £450
• Land Registry fee: set by price on HM Land Registry's scale. Applied for online, it's £40 to £150 for a home between £80,001 and £500,000
• Anti-money laundering and ID checks: £6 to £20
• Bank transfer (CHAPS) fees: £20 to £30
• Leasehold supplement: about £300 more for a leasehold flat or house, because of the extra paperwork with the freeholder

Surveys and mortgage fees

A survey and your mortgage fees together can add anything from a few hundred pounds to £3,000 or more to a purchase, and the buyer pays both. The HomeOwners Alliance's 2026 figures are a useful guide:

• RICS Level 1 survey: £300 to £900. A basic condition report, suited to newer homes in good repair.
• RICS Level 2 survey: £400 to £1,000. The usual choice for a conventional house in reasonable condition.
• RICS Level 3 survey: £630 to £1,500. Worth considering for older, altered or neglected properties.
• Mortgage arrangement fee: budget up to £1,500. It's often possible to add it to the loan, but you then pay interest on it.
• Mortgage valuation: up to £300, though many lenders include it.
• Broker fee: anything from nothing to four figures, so ask before you start.

One cost buyers forget: buildings insurance usually has to start from exchange of contracts, not completion. Under the standard conditions of sale the property is at the buyer's risk from exchange, and mortgage offers commonly make cover from that date a condition. Arrange it before exchange day so there's no gap, and ask your solicitor to confirm the date your lender needs.

Selling costs: estate agent fees and the EPC

If you're selling, the estate agent's fee is normally your largest bill. The HomeOwners Alliance puts the average at 1.42% including VAT in 2026. Typical fees are 1.2% to 1.8% for sole agency and 3% to 3.6% if you use several agents at once. Online agents usually charge a fixed fee instead, which is often payable up front.

On an average Bradford terrace at £154,000, 1.42% comes to about £2,190. The same percentage on the £292,000 UK average is about £4,150, which is why moving costs in Yorkshire tend to run well below national headlines.

You'll also need an Energy Performance Certificate before you market the home, unless you have one from the last 10 years. GOV.UK confirms you must have one to sell or let, and it's valid for 10 years. The HomeOwners Alliance budgets around £60. You can check whether yours is still valid, and download it free, on the government's find an energy certificate service.

Renting: deposits, rent in advance and overlap

Renters pay far less to move than buyers, but it's paid in one lump just before moving day. The GOV.UK guidance on the Tenant Fees Act, updated for the Renters' Rights Act, sets the limits in England:

• Holding deposit: no more than one week's rent. Once you sign, it must be refunded within 7 days or, if you agree, put towards your first rent or deposit.
• Tenancy deposit: no more than five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks at £50,000 or more. Your landlord must protect it in a government-backed scheme.
• Rent in advance: from 1 May 2026, landlords and agents can't take rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and Shelter confirms they can't ask for more than one month's rent in advance.
• Most other fees are banned. Letting agents can't charge for referencing, admin or check-in.

The average private rent in Bradford was £745 a month in August 2026, according to the ONS. That works out at a maximum deposit of about £860 plus £745 for the first month: roughly £1,605 before a single box moves.

The cost renters most often miss is the overlap. Shelter says tenants now have to give two months' notice to end an assured tenancy, unless the landlord agrees in writing to less, so if your new tenancy starts before the old notice runs out, you pay both. Two weeks of overlap at £745 a month is roughly £345, plus a fortnight of double energy and council tax on the empty flat. Our flat removals page explains how we fit around tenancy start dates, and our guide to council tax when moving house covers who pays on moving day.

Removal costs: one line in the budget

For most moves, removals are one of the smaller lines. The HomeOwners Alliance puts typical removal costs at £450 to £1,400, set mainly by the amount you're moving, the distance, and how easy it is to load at each end (stairs, parking, long carries). A self-contained flat on the same side of town sits at the bottom of that range; a four-bedroom house going the length of the country sits at the top or above it.

We don't go into removal pricing here. Our guide to removal costs by house size breaks it down room by room, and how much a man with a van costs in Bradford covers what moves the price locally. What matters for your budget is that the quote is a fixed figure, and that it says what's included.

On our house removals, the price is fixed before we set off. Loading and unloading, blankets, straps, floor protection, and taking apart and rebuilding beds and flat-pack are all included. There's no travel surcharge anywhere within about an hour of Bradford, which covers all of West Yorkshire plus Harrogate, Knaresborough, Skipton and Wetherby. For standard local jobs there's no deposit; you pay by cash, bank transfer or card when the job's done.

Hidden costs of moving house

The costs that break a moving budget are rarely the big ones; they're the small ones that land in the same fortnight. Allow for these:

• Paying twice for a few days. Rent, mortgage, council tax and energy can overlap if your dates don't line up. Chains that slip a week are the usual cause, which is why our completion day guide explains how the day actually runs.
• Energy and broadband. Citizens Advice says you may pay an exit fee if you leave a fixed energy deal early, and that you'll go onto the supplier's standard variable tariff at the new home unless you arrange otherwise. Give your supplier at least 48 hours' notice and take readings on the day. Broadband contracts can also carry an early exit charge, so check before you cancel.
• Parking. On a restricted street the van may need a waiver or a coned-off space. Bradford Council asks for applications at least 3 working days ahead, and 2 working days' notice by email for suspensions of 10 metres or more. Our guide to parking for removal vans covers the local rules.
• Cleaning and repairs at the old place. Tenants who leave a flat dirty risk deductions from the deposit; sellers may need to fix anything agreed in the contract.
• Mail redirection. Royal Mail charges for redirecting post, priced by how long you need it.
• Packing materials. Boxes, tape and paper add up for a family house. Our packing service includes the materials if you'd rather not source them.
• The day itself. Time off work, childcare, somewhere for the dog, and takeaways for a night or two while the kitchen is in boxes.
• Things you'll want straight away. Curtains or blinds that fit, a new lock if you don't know who has keys, and the odd appliance that won't fit the new kitchen.

Three worked budgets using Bradford prices

These examples use the ONS July 2026 averages for Bradford and the typical costs above. They're estimates to plan with, not quotes.

The £164,000 figure is the ONS average price paid by first-time buyers in Bradford in July 2026. Add removals, plus a margin for overlap and the hidden costs above. A 10% contingency on the total is a sensible cushion for a chain.

How to cut the cost of moving

The biggest savings come from the big lines, not from doing the removals yourself.

1. Negotiate the agent's fee. On a sale, a fraction of a percentage point is worth more than any other saving here. Get three valuations and ask each agent for their best sole-agency rate.
2. Compare conveyancing quotes like for like. Check the total including disbursements and VAT, not the headline fee.
3. Match the survey to the house. A Level 1 on a sound new-build or a Level 3 on an old terrace, not a default choice.
4. Check whether a fee-free mortgage costs more overall. A £999 fee on a lower rate can be cheaper across the deal.
5. Shrink the overlap. Time your notice around your new start date and book the move for the right day. Our guide on when to book a man and van explains how far ahead to book.
6. Move less. Sell or give away what you won't use before moving day, so the move takes less time and fewer boxes.

Frequently asked questions

Once you know what the rest of the move will cost, the removal is the easiest part to pin down. Send photos of what's moving with both postcodes to 07856 457501 on WhatsApp, or get a fixed quote online. We're open 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

Written by the team at Man With Van Long Wheelbase, Bradford. Published 23 September 2026.