Moving home costs: a complete planning checklist

Start with the transaction, not just the next asking price

Record the expected sale price of your current home and the likely purchase price separately. Neither is certain until the relevant transaction reaches the appropriate stage, so keep a working range and the date behind each figure.

If you have a mortgage, ask the lender for the current balance, any early repayment charge, portability conditions and the costs of a new or changed loan. An advertised rate alone does not describe the full financing route.

List the purchase and sale costs

The official buying and selling processes can involve tax, estate agency, legal work, searches, surveys, valuations and removals. Some charges are percentages, some are fixed, and some depend on the property or finance chosen.

Request itemised figures where possible and record whether VAT and likely disbursements are included. Keep Stamp Duty Land Tax as a separate current-rule calculation rather than burying it inside a general allowance.

• Estate-agent and legal fees for selling, including any withdrawal or additional-service terms.
• Conveyancing, searches, survey, lender valuation and mortgage product or advice fees for buying.
• Stamp Duty Land Tax under the rules that apply to the buyer and transaction on completion.
• Removals, storage, cleaning, mail redirection, insurance overlap and essential first works.

Put timing and overlap into the range

A move can create temporary costs if sale and purchase dates do not align. Consider storage, temporary accommodation, travel, duplicated services or insurance, and the practical cost of a delayed chain without assuming they will all be zero.

Keep cash timing separate from the final net cost. Deposits, searches and surveys may need paying before sale proceeds are available, even when they are already included in the overall comparison.

Use three evidence levels

Mark each item as confirmed, quoted or allowance. Confirmed contractual charges deserve more weight than an online estimate; an allowance should stay visibly uncertain until a provider or professional narrows it.

Recheck the range when the target property, mortgage, selling agreement or completion timing changes. If one unknown could reverse the decision, the next step is to verify that item rather than average it away.