Real Estate · UK

The Cost of Selling a House in the UK (2026): Full Breakdown

Buyers obsess over stamp duty; sellers often forget there's a bill on their side too. Selling an average UK home typically costs £5,000–£10,000 — and the biggest line, estate agent commission, is also the most negotiable. Here's the full checklist, with a worked example on a £290,000 home.

The full cost checklist

Cost	Typical amount	Notes
Estate agent fee	~1.42% inc VAT (0.9%–3.6%)	The big one. Online agents charge a fixed fee instead.
Conveyancing (legal)	£610–£950	More for leasehold.
EPC certificate	£60–£120	Required to market; valid 10 years.
Removals	£400–£2,000	Depends on distance and volume.
Mortgage exit / ERC	£0–£thousands	Early Repayment Charge if you leave a fixed deal early.
Leasehold management pack	£200–£800+	Leasehold flats only.
Capital Gains Tax	Usually £0	Only on second homes / non-main-residence.

Estate agent fees: where the money goes

On a £290,000 sale, the average high-street fee of ~1.42% including VAT is about £4,000. That's the single biggest cost — and the one you can move most:

• Negotiate the percentage. Quoted fees are rarely fixed; 0.9–1.2% is achievable.
• Sole vs multi-agency. Multi-agency finds buyers faster but costs more per sale.
• Online/fixed-fee agents charge a flat fee (often a few hundred to ~£1,500) — cheaper, but you do more of the work and sometimes pay upfront whether or not it sells.
• Always check whether the quote includes VAT — a "1%" fee is really ~1.2% with VAT.

Worked example: £290,000 home

• Estate agent (1.42% inc VAT): £4,118
• Conveyancing: £800
• EPC: £90
• Removals: £900
• Total ≈ £5,900 (before any mortgage ERC, leasehold pack or CGT)

What it actually costs, item by item

Cost	Typical	Notes
Estate agent	1%–1.5% + VAT	Sole agency; multi-agency costs more
Conveyancing	£1,000–£1,800	Plus disbursements
EPC	£60–£120	Legally required before marketing
Mortgage exit / ERC	£0 – thousands	See below — the big variable
Removals	£400–£1,500	Distance and volume

On a typical sale the agent fee dominates everything else combined. Note that quoted agent fees are frequently exclusive of VAT: 1.2% plus VAT is 1.44% in reality, which on a £300,000 sale is £4,320 rather than £3,600.

The early repayment charge is the one that surprises people

If you are inside a fixed term, redeeming the mortgage can trigger an ERC of typically 1%–5% of the outstanding balance, tapering as the deal runs down. On £200,000 remaining with three years left, that can be £6,000–£10,000 — more than every other selling cost together.

Before committing to a sale date, check two things with your lender: the exact ERC at your intended completion month, and whether your deal is portable. Porting moves the existing rate to the new property and usually avoids the charge entirely, but it requires the new purchase to complete simultaneously and to pass fresh affordability checks.

Capital gains tax: usually nothing, sometimes not

Selling your only or main home is normally covered by Private Residence Relief and no CGT arises. It can arise if you let the property out for a period, used part of it exclusively for business, the grounds exceed half a hectare, or it was a second home.

Where CGT is due on residential property, the reporting deadline is short — a standalone return and payment within 60 days of completion, separate from your Self Assessment. Missing it is a common and avoidable penalty.

Reducing the bill

• Negotiate the agent fee. It is negotiable almost everywhere, and the difference between 1.5% and 1.0% on a £350,000 home is £1,750 plus VAT for one conversation.
• Read the tie-in period. Sole agency agreements commonly lock you in for 12–16 weeks; switching early can make you liable to two agents.
• Watch "ready, willing and able purchaser" clauses, which can make a fee payable even if the sale falls through.
• Get the conveyancer quoted in full, including searches, Land Registry fees and bank transfer fees, rather than the headline figure.

Scotland is different

A seller in Scotland must commission a Home Report before marketing — a single survey, property questionnaire and EPC, typically £600–£1,000. It is paid upfront and has no equivalent in England and Wales, where survey costs fall on the buyer.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to sell a house in the UK?
Typically £5,000–£10,000 on an average home, dominated by estate agent fees (high-street average about 1.42% including VAT), plus conveyancing (£610–£950), an EPC (£60–£120) and removals (£400–£2,000). Leasehold packs, mortgage exit fees and Capital Gains Tax on second homes can add more.

What are estate agent fees for selling a house?
Sole-agency high-street fees average around 1.42% including VAT — roughly £4,000 on a £290,000 home — but range from about 0.9% to 3.6% depending on the agent, whether it is sole or multi-agency, and how well you negotiate. Online agents charge a fixed fee instead.

Do I pay tax when I sell my home?
Selling your only or main home is normally free of Capital Gains Tax thanks to Private Residence Relief. CGT can apply when selling a second home, a buy-to-let, or a property that was not always your main residence.

Related

• Home buying cost calculator (the buy side)
• UK stamp duty guide
• Hidden costs of buying a home

If the property was not your only or main home, there is a tax bill as well as the fees — capital gains tax on a UK property sale, reportable within 60 days.

Sources

• HomeOwners Alliance — Cost of selling a house / estate agent fees (2026)
• GOV.UK — Private Residence Relief and Capital Gains Tax on property
• Compare My Move — conveyancing, EPC and removal cost ranges (2026)

Figures as of 2026 and are typical market ranges, not quotes — costs vary by agent, region, property type and lender. General information, not regulated financial advice (FCA).