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Cost of Selling a House in the UK: 2026 Fee Breakdown
Selling a home typically costs £5,000 to £8,000 once you add up estate agent fees, conveyancing charges, your EPC and any mortgage exit costs. Here's every cost broken down, with worked examples by property value.
Selling a house in the UK typically costs between £5,000 and £8,000 on an average-priced home of £290,000, once you add up estate agent fees, conveyancing charges, an Energy Performance Certificate, mortgage exit costs and removals. The single biggest cost is almost always the estate agent's commission, which can run to several thousand pounds depending on the fee structure and property value. Knowing every cost in advance lets you budget accurately and negotiate harder where negotiation is possible.
The table below shows how total selling costs scale across four common property values, using typical high-street estate agent fees, standard conveyancing charges and average removal costs. Figures assume a straightforward freehold sale with no early repayment charge and a mortgage in place that needs discharging.
These figures exclude mortgage exit fees and capital gains tax, which only apply in specific circumstances covered later in this guide. If you are also buying your next home, run these numbers alongside our conveyancing process guide so you understand how selling and buying costs overlap.
Estate agent fees are the largest single cost when selling a home, typically averaging 1.42% of the sale price including VAT for a sole agency agreement with a high-street agent. On the UK average sale price of £290,000, that works out at roughly £4,118. The percentage you're quoted depends heavily on the agreement type, the agent's brand, and your willingness to negotiate before signing.
A sole agency agreement, where only one agent markets your home, commands the lowest rate, typically 1% to 1.5% inc. VAT. A multi-agency agreement, where two or more agents compete to sell your property, usually costs 2.5% to 3.5% inc. VAT because agents charge more to offset the risk of doing the work and not making the sale. Most sellers are better off with sole agency and a strict notice period they can exit if the agent underperforms.
Online estate agents charge a fixed fee of £999 to £1,500, payable whether or not the property sells, rather than a percentage commission. This can save several thousand pounds on higher-value homes, though you typically get less hands-on viewing management and negotiation support than with a high-street agent.
Auction sales usually cost 2% to 2.5% of the sale price in commission plus an entry fee of £500 to £1,500, and suit sellers who want speed and certainty over maximum price. Auctions typically complete within 28 days of the hammer falling, much faster than a standard sale.
Conveyancing fees for selling a house are lower than for buying, because your solicitor doesn't need to run searches or check title on a new property, but they still typically charge £800 to £1,500 plus VAT for legal work alone. On top of the legal fee you'll pay disbursements of roughly £150 to £350 covering ID checks, bank transfer fees and obtaining copies of your title documents from the Land Registry.
Freehold sales are usually the cheapest to convey, while leasehold sales cost more because your solicitor has to review the lease, deal with the management company or freeholder, and answer additional buyer enquiries. Expect to pay £150 to £300 extra for a leasehold sale on top of standard fees, before accounting for the management pack itself, which is covered later in this guide.
Most conveyancers deduct their fee directly from the sale proceeds at completion, so you rarely need to pay upfront, though some firms ask for a deposit or ID verification fee of £20 to £50 when you first instruct them. Always confirm this in writing.
Get at least three quotes and compare what's included, since some firms advertise a low headline fee then add charges for bank transfers, ID checks and even printing. Our guide to conveyancing fees breaks down what a fair quote should include.
An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, is a legal requirement before you can market a property for sale in England, Wales and Scotland, and costs £60 to £120 depending on your property size and location. A qualified domestic energy assessor visits your home, checks insulation, heating systems, windows and lighting, then issues a certificate rating your property from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).
An EPC stays valid for 10 years, so before paying for a new one, check the government's EPC register using your postcode, since your existing certificate might still be usable if you had one done for a previous purchase or remortgage. Estate agents cannot legally advertise your property without a valid EPC in place, so this is one of the first costs you'll face, often before you've even chosen an agent.
If you have an outstanding mortgage on the property you're selling, you'll likely face charges for ending that mortgage early or transferring it to a new property. These costs catch many sellers off guard because they're not covered in estate agent or solicitor quotes, and they can run into thousands of pounds depending on how far through your fixed deal you are.
An early repayment charge, or ERC, applies if you're still within a fixed or discounted deal period and typically costs 1% to 5% of your outstanding mortgage balance. On a £200,000 mortgage balance, a 3% ERC works out at £6,000, which is often larger than every other selling cost combined. Check your mortgage offer or annual statement for the exact percentage and the date your current deal ends.
Separate from any ERC, most lenders charge a mortgage exit fee or deeds release fee of £50 to £300 simply to close your mortgage account and release the title deeds. This applies even if you're not within a fixed term, so check your original mortgage offer document for the exact figure.
Porting means moving your existing mortgage deal to your new property instead of ending it, which can avoid the ERC entirely if your lender allows it and your new property meets their lending criteria. You'll still need to pass fresh affordability checks, and if you need to borrow more, that additional amount is usually arranged on the lender's current rates. Speak to your lender or a broker early, since porting timelines need to align with your sale and purchase completion dates. Our remortgage guide covers the alternative of remortgaging instead of porting.
Capital gains tax (CGT) on a house sale only applies if the property isn't your main residence, such as a buy-to-let, second home or inherited property you haven't lived in. If you've lived in the property as your only or main home for the entire time you've owned it, Private Residence Relief means you won't pay any CGT at all when you sell, regardless of how much the property has increased in value.
For 2026, CGT on residential property is charged at 18% for basic rate taxpayers and 24% for higher and additional rate taxpayers, calculated on the gain above your annual exempt amount of £3,000. The gain is the difference between what you paid (plus buying and selling costs) and what you sell for.
If your sale involves a former rental property, an inherited home or a period when you didn't live there, speak to an accountant before completion, since CGT calculations involve several variables and the 60-day payment window leaves little time to sort out afterward.
Removals are one of the more controllable costs of moving house, ranging from £300 to £600 for a DIY approach with a rented van and some help from friends, up to £700 to £3,000 for a full-service professional removal company, depending on how much you're moving and the distance involved.
The exact cost depends on property size, how many items you have, whether you need packing materials and packing labour included, and how far you're moving. A two-bedroom flat moving a few miles typically costs less than an equivalent four-bedroom house moving across the country.
Book your removal company as soon as you have an exchange date, since reputable firms get booked up quickly around common completion days, particularly Fridays and the end of the month.
Selling a leasehold property, such as a flat or maisonette, costs more than selling a freehold home because your solicitor and the freeholder or managing agent both have extra work to do. The biggest additional cost is the leasehold management pack, which the freeholder or managing agent produces to answer standard buyer enquiries about service charges, ground rent, building insurance and any planned works.
A management pack typically costs £300 to £800 and can take two to four weeks to arrive, so request it as soon as you accept an offer to avoid delaying exchange. Some freeholders charge separately for a certificate of compliance or a notice of transfer fee, usually £50 to £150 each, payable after completion.
Order your management pack early and check your lease length before marketing. Our leasehold conveyancing guide explains the full process and how to avoid delays.
Selling costs don't all fall due at once. Understanding when each payment is expected helps you plan your cash flow, particularly if you're relying on sale proceeds to fund your next purchase.
Because most costs are settled from sale proceeds at completion, you rarely need large sums of cash upfront, but it's worth keeping £200 to £500 available for early costs like the EPC and any solicitor account fees. Our conveyancing process guide walks through the full timeline from instruction to completion.
Selling costs aren't fixed, and a bit of groundwork before you list can save you hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Most savings come from negotiating fees, comparing quotes properly and timing your sale around your mortgage deal rather than accepting whatever your current lender or agent first quotes.
None of these steps require sacrificing service quality, just a bit more diligence comparing quotes and reading the small print before you commit.
No, if the property has been your only or main residence for the entire period you've owned it, Private Residence Relief means you won't pay any capital gains tax when you sell, however large the profit. CGT only applies to second homes, buy-to-lets, or periods when you didn't live in the property, and even then you get an annual exempt amount of £3,000 before any tax is due.
Yes, you can sell privately or through an online agent, which typically charges a fixed fee of £999 to £1,500 rather than a percentage commission. You'll take on more of the marketing, viewings and negotiation yourself, and you'll still need a conveyancing solicitor to handle the legal transfer, so factor in £800 to £1,500 plus VAT for that regardless of how you find your buyer.
The buyer pays for their own solicitor's fees and disbursements, and as the seller, you only pay your own conveyancing costs. The one exception is if you've agreed as part of negotiations to contribute toward the buyer's costs, for example to secure a sale price you wanted, which some sellers offer instead of dropping the asking price.
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