When buying a home, you will need to not only have enough money saved for your mortgage deposit, but also your mortgage fees, moving costs and legal expenses. We have compiled a handy list below of all the possible purchase and moving expenses you may have to pay, to help you with your budgeting. The exact fees and amount you will pay, is dependent on the value of the property you are buying and your chosen mortgage lender.
Mortgage booking fee: Some mortgage lenders will charge this to secure a fixed-rate or tracker deal.
Cost: £99 – £250
Mortgage arrangement fee: Some mortgage products will incur a mortgage arrangement fee, in addition to the mortgage booking fee. This fee is either paid upfront or added to your mortgage debt. If you chose to add it to your mortgage, the cost will increase over the lifetime of your mortgage.
Cost: £1,000 – £2,000
Telegraphic transfer fee: Needs to be paid to the lender to transfer the amount you are borrowing for the mortgage to the seller’s solicitor.
Cost: £25 – £50
Mortgage broker fee: If you use a mortgage advisor to arrange your mortgage for you, you will need to pay a fee or commission, depending on the value of your mortgage.
Cost: £95 – £495. However, this may vary if you need to use a specialist lender
Valuation and survey fees: Charged by the lender to value the property you are buying. The cost varies according to which survey you choose:
Home condition survey: Most basic and cheapest of all the surveys and often used for new-builds.
Cost: £250
Homebuyer’s report: More in-depth survey, assessing the inside and outside of the property, and also includes a valuation.
Cost: £400
Building survey: A complete survey generally used for older or unconventional properties. Although they are the most expensive, they are certainly worth considering, as it could potentially save you a lot of money if any structural problems are found with the property.
Cost: £600
Higher lending charge: Can be charged by lenders if you borrow most of the value of the property.
Cost: Approximately 1.5% of the amount you borrow
Searches: Your solicitor will arrange for the local authority to check whether there are any issues that could affect the property’s value. The local council can charge a fee for carrying out these searches and may also request that a drains search be done at the same time.
Cost: £250 – £300
Legal costs: You will need to instruct a solicitor to carry out the necessary legal work for you.
Cost: £850 – £1,500 plus VAT
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT): Charged on all purchases of UK land and property over £125,000. However, the amount you will pay is dependent on the purchase price of the property you are looking to buy, and whether you have owned a home before as follows:
First home: First-time buyers are exempt from paying SDLT on the first £300,000 of the purchase price of a property up to the value of £500,000. All purchases in excess of £500,000 will pay the standard stamp duty rates as follows:
- £0 – £300,000: 0%
- £300,001 – £500,000: 5%
Next home: If you are currently or have previously been a homeowner, you usually pay SDLT on increasing portions of the property price:
- £0 – £125,000: 0%
- £125,001 – £250,000: 2%
- £250,001 – £925,000: 5%
- £925,001 – £1.5 million: 10%
- £1.5 million+: 12%
Second property: If you are looking to buy an additional property, you usually have to pay 3% on top of the normal SDLT rates as follows:
- Less than £125,000: 3%
- £125,001 – £250,000: 5%
- £250,001 – £925,000: 8%
- £925,001 – £1.5 million: 13%
- £1.5 million+: 15%
For example, if you buy a next home for £275,000 the SDLT you owe is calculated as follows:
0% on the first £125,000 = £0
2% on the next £125,000 = £2,500
5% on the final £25,000 = £1,250
Total SDLT = £3,750
Information correct as of December 2017 – Source: www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax... costs: Paid to the removal firm (if you choose to use one) to pack, transport and deliver your possessions to your new home.
Cost: £300 – £600
