Moving house can be ridiculously expensive, with large amounts of money made payable to different companies and individuals for different things. Before you make the decision to move from one house to another, figuring out what you’ll have to pay and to who is one way of ensuring you’re not surprised by an unexpected cost. There’s nothing worse than under-budging for something as important as a solicitor’s fee, for example!
If you’re a first-time buyer, you’re definitely in luck nowadays. In the last budget, the government announced the removal of Stamp Duty for first-time buyers, giving you a significant saving on the purchase of your first home. Otherwise, only houses with a value of less than £125,000 are excluded from the charge. If you’re a first-time buyer buying a house with a value of £200,000, for example, before the budget came into place you would have been paying around £4,000 in Stamp Duty fees. To learn more check out our Stamp Duty Calculator to find out how much you’ll pay.
Costs associated with buying a new house
Buying a house is exciting. You’re eager to get everything signed and sealed, but before that can happen, you have a number of different fees to pay out to different people. Keeping on top of them is important – no one wants to underestimate the amount of money they’ll need to pay out upon completion.
Once you’ve saved for your deposit – ranging between 5% and 10% as a minimum, depending on mortgage providers, although some could require much larger deposits depending on your personal circumstances, then you’re one step in the right direction. Your deposit will be paid to your conveyancing solicitor on the same day that you exchange contracts.
Stamp duty
A significant fee that most buyers will pay out when they purchase a house is Stamp Duty. Stamp Duty is a land-tax that must be paid if you purchase a house costing more than £125,000 in England or Northern Ireland. This tax, which is determined by a tax band depending on the value of your home, must be paid to HMRC within 30 days of the purchase completion. In Wales, you must pay Land Transaction tax.
Surveys, solicitors & search fees
Before your sale is completed, a property survey ought to be carried out on the house you’re purchasing. Property surveys are useful for finding any issues that a particular house might have, and if you’re purchasing with a mortgage, then it is required that at the very least a HomeBuyers survey is carried out on the property.
Property surveys are charged based on house value. Mortgage providers also expect a Valuation Fee to be paid, some providers include this in their package, but if not, it is still an essential to ensure that you are paying the right amount for your property.
Naturally, solicitors’ fees can make up a proportion of the costs associated with buying a house. The full amount charged by a solicitor usually accounts for conveyancing costs, search fees and land registry fees.
Saving money when moving to a new house can be a challenge but making comparisons and shopping around is key to saving the extra pennies. Get quotes from multiple mortgage providers and solicitors and remember to read reviews if they are available.
Costs associated with selling up
When selling a house, things can be equally as costly. In order to sell your home in the first place, you will need to use an estate agent of some sort. Naturally, these estate agents charge a fee; these fees differ from one agent to another so shop around. While it might be cheaper to use an online estate agent, normally this requires you to arrange viewings of your own accord, and if you have a busy working life, this may well not be possible.
As a seller, you need to provide an Energy Performance Certificate, which can cost between £60 and £120. This certificate reveals how energy efficient your property is and how it can be improved.
As is the case with buying a house, your solicitor is integral. On average, when selling a house in the UK, solicitors fees come in at around £580, which includes legal fees, VAT and additional fees. Your solicitor will also check your contracts.
A cost that comes with both buying and selling a property is hiring removals vans to transport your belongings from one house to another. Depending on the amount of belongings you own, and the distance your belongings are travelling, this can range from between £300 and £1,200 for a three bedroomed house.
