The cost of moving house: stamp duty, fees and the rest

Beyond the price: stamp duty at 1%, solicitors, surveys and agents with 23% VAT, removals, and any fee for breaking a fixed-rate mortgage.

Selling one home and buying another brings a run of costs on top of the price. Some are set by law, such as stamp duty and VAT on fees. Others depend on the quotes you get. Knowing which is which helps you budget.

Costs set by tax rules

• stamp duty on the home you buy: 1% up to €1 million for a home (see stamp duty)
• VAT at 23% on solicitors', estate agents', surveyors' and removal firms' fees; check whether each quote includes it
• Local Property Tax (LPT): the seller must be up to date with LPT before closing. They still owe the year's tax if they owned the home on 1 November

Costs you get quotes for

Solicitors for the purchase and the sale, an estate agent (often a percentage of the sale price), a surveyor, and removals and storage. There are also smaller items like a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate and utility connections. There are no official rates for these, so get more than one quote.

An example

Selling a home for €350,000 and buying a second-hand home for €450,000. The quotes in this example are made up for illustration. The agent charges 1.5%, and solicitors €2,000 to buy and €1,500 to sell. The survey is €500 and removals €1,200. All these are before VAT, and there is €600 of other costs.

Your current mortgage

Under section 121 of the Consumer Credit Act 1995, you can repay a housing loan early without a redemption fee, unless the rate is fixed. Breaking a fixed rate can cost a fee, which your lender must explain in advance. Ask for a redemption figure early.

Your new mortgage

Section 126 of the same Act requires mortgage protection life cover on a home loan, with exceptions. These include borrowers over 50 when the loan is approved, or who can't get cover. That is an ongoing cost to add to the repayments.

Work it out

• What moving house costs →
• Stamp duty and property tax on a purchase →

Sources

• Revenue: Stamp Duty and property: rates (1% / 2% / 6% residential, 7.5% non-residential, 15% s.31E) (checked 25/10/2026)
• Revenue: Historical VAT rates (23%, 13.5%, 9%, 4.8%) (checked 25/10/2026)
• Revenue: LPT valuation bands and rates 2026–2030, and 2026 local adjustment factors (checked 25/10/2026)

General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.