FIND OUT MORE ON FEES FOR SELLING A HOUSE

How much does it cost to sell a house in the UK?

Selling an average UK home costs around £5,000 on the open market. The big items are the estate agent's commission (about 1.42% including VAT, roughly £4,000 on an average home), conveyancing (£610–£950 plus disbursements) and an EPC (£60–£120). Add removals, and any mortgage early-repayment charge or leasehold pack, and the realistic all-in range is £5,000–£10,000. As a seller you pay no Stamp Duty, and normally no Capital Gains Tax on your main home.

The full cost of selling a house, broken down

Here's what an average seller actually pays on the open market in 2026, with typical ranges. Your total depends mainly on your agent's rate, whether you have a mortgage tie-in, and whether the property is leasehold.

Estate agent fees — usually the biggest cost

Estate agent commission is where most of your money goes, and it's the most negotiable. The UK average for sole agency is around 1.2% plus VAT — that's 1.42% including VAT — charged on a "no sale, no fee" basis, so you only pay on completion. On an average £273,000 home that's roughly £3,900–£4,000; in London, where rates average nearer 1.5% + VAT, it's more.

• Sole agency: 0.9%–1.8% + VAT — the standard high-street route.
• Multi-agency: 2.4%–3.6% incl VAT — several agents compete, but you pay a higher rate.
• Online / fixed-fee agents: £0–£999, often payable upfront or "pay later" whether or not it sells — cheaper, but you do more of the work.

Always confirm three things in writing: the exact rate including VAT, the tie-in period (aim for 12 weeks or less), and whether there are any withdrawal fees. For a deeper look, see our guide to estate agents' selling fees.

Conveyancing and legal fees

You need a conveyancer or solicitor to handle the legal side of the sale. For a freehold home, expect £610–£950 in legal fees, plus disbursements — the third-party costs your solicitor pays on your behalf: Land Registry title copies (a few pounds each), a bank transfer (TT) fee of £20–£50, and ID/anti-money-laundering checks. A mortgaged property adds around £50, and a leasehold sale typically adds about £300 to the legal fee on top of the extra freeholder costs below.

The costs many sellers forget

Your EPC

An Energy Performance Certificate costs £60–£120 and is a legal requirement — you must have commissioned one before the property goes on the market. It lasts 10 years, so you may already have a valid one.

Removals

Removal costs scale with the size of your home and the distance:

Mortgage costs

If you're still inside a fixed or discounted deal, redeeming your mortgage early can trigger an early repayment charge (ERC) of typically 1–5% of the outstanding balance — on a £150,000 balance at 3%, that's £4,500. You'll also usually pay a small mortgage exit / deeds-release fee of £50–£300. You may be able to avoid the ERC by porting your existing deal to your next home, subject to the lender's approval.

Extra costs when you sell a leasehold flat

Leasehold sellers face charges freeholders don't — and most cost guides gloss over them, so budget for these early because only the freeholder or managing agent can provide them:

• Leasehold management pack (LPE1): £200–£800, paid upfront by you — the buyer's solicitor needs it to proceed.
• Notice of transfer / assignment fee: £50–£300, payable to the freeholder or managing agent.
• Licence to assign, deed of covenant, share certificate: where the lease requires them, each can run to £50–£300+.

All in, a leasehold sale's legal costs commonly land around £1,000–£2,300 versus a freehold sale — worth factoring in before you list.

Do you pay Stamp Duty or Capital Gains Tax when you sell?

Two taxes cause endless confusion, so here's the plain answer:

• Stamp Duty — no. The seller does not pay Stamp Duty; the buyer pays it when they purchase. (In Scotland it's Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, in Wales it's Land Transaction Tax — both also paid by the buyer.)
• Capital Gains Tax — normally no, on your main home. Private Residence Relief exempts your only or main home from CGT. You only pay CGT if you're selling a second home or buy-to-let, at 18% (basic rate) or 24% (higher rate) on the gain, with a £3,000 annual allowance — and it must be reported and paid within 60 days of completion.

Are the costs different in Scotland and Wales?

Mostly the same, with two differences worth knowing. In Scotland, the seller must provide a Home Report (a survey, energy report and property questionnaire) before marketing — typically £585–£820 from a RICS surveyor — rather than just an EPC. In Wales, the selling costs are the same as England (agent, conveyancing, EPC); the only difference is that the buyer pays Land Transaction Tax instead of Stamp Duty. Estate agent, conveyancing and removal costs are broadly similar UK-wide.

How to sell with no fees at all

Every cost above assumes an open-market sale. Selling to a genuine cash buyer like Springbok removes them entirely: no estate agent commission, no conveyancing bill (we cover the legal costs), no EPC, no removals pressure and no chain, with completion possible in as little as 7 days. We'll be straight about the trade-off — a cash offer is below full market value — so the honest way to compare is on the net figure.

For a home you have time to sell and no urgency, the open market usually nets more even after fees. But if you need speed or certainty — or want to avoid months of carrying costs, viewings and fall-through risk — a fee-free sale through our Cash Sale™ or Fixed Price™ route can net out very competitively. See how genuine cash buyers work, or compare all three of our routes on the We Buy Any House page.

The cost of selling a house: key terms

Estate agent commission

The agent's fee for selling your home, usually a percentage of the sale price plus VAT, paid on completion.

No sale, no fee

The standard high-street arrangement where you pay the agent only if the sale completes.

Conveyancing

The legal work of transferring ownership, handled by a solicitor or licensed conveyancer.

Disbursements

Third-party costs your conveyancer pays on your behalf, such as Land Registry fees and bank transfers.

EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)

A legally required rating of a home's energy efficiency, needed before marketing; valid 10 years.

Early repayment charge (ERC)

A penalty for repaying a mortgage while still inside a fixed or discounted deal, often 1–5% of the balance.

Leasehold management pack (LPE1)

Information about a leasehold property that only the freeholder or managing agent can provide, paid for by the seller.

Private Residence Relief

The relief that normally exempts your main home from Capital Gains Tax when you sell.