Most first-time buyers budget carefully for the deposit and then get caught out by everything around it. Here's a realistic total, broken down by property price.
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Build My Free Plan →Mortgage arrangement fee. Often £0–£1,500 depending on lender and product. Sometimes addable to the mortgage itself, which increases the interest paid over the term.
Mortgage broker fee. Some brokers charge nothing, paid via lender commission. Others charge £300–£500 directly.
Survey. A basic condition report starts around £300–£400. A full structural survey typically runs £600–£1,200+.
Solicitor / conveyancing fees. Legal fees plus disbursements typically total £1,200–£2,000 for a standard purchase.
Stamp Duty Land Tax. First-time buyers get relief up to a threshold, but this varies and is one of the largest single costs on higher-value purchases — worth checking the current threshold as it changes.
EPC certificate (if not already provided by seller). Typically £60–£120.
Removals. Highly variable, but a typical UK house move often falls between £300 and £1,000+.
Buildings insurance. Required from exchange, not just completion. Often overlooked as a "moving in" cost rather than a "buying" one.
| Property price | Solicitor + survey + broker | Stamp Duty (typical FTB) | Removals + EPC + insurance | Rough total beyond deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £200,000 | ~£1,800–£2,400 | Often £0 (within relief threshold) | ~£500–£900 | ~£2,300–£3,300 |
| £350,000 | ~£2,000–£2,800 | Varies — check current threshold | ~£600–£1,100 | ~£2,600–£3,900 + any SDLT due |
| £500,000 | ~£2,200–£3,200 | Likely some SDLT due | ~£700–£1,300 | ~£2,900–£4,500 + SDLT |
These are indicative ranges based on typical costs, not quotes — actual figures depend on the property, location and providers used. Stamp Duty thresholds are reviewed periodically, so check the current rate for your exact purchase price.
The individual costs aren't usually the problem — most buyers know roughly what a solicitor or survey costs. The risk is the total landing all at once, in the same few weeks, on top of moving costs and the deposit itself. Building a single combined figure before you start is what prevents a shortfall in the final week.
Budget for roughly £2,500–£4,500 beyond your deposit for a typical first-time purchase, before Stamp Duty on higher-value properties. Get quotes early for the variable ones so you're working with real numbers rather than estimates.
For keeping track of all of it — solicitors, surveys, EPCs, mortgage advice and the rest — BandBack Move's free checklist is built around your own moving timeline, so nothing lands as a surprise.
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