Roughly how much should I budget on top of the deposit?

For a typical first-time purchase, allow somewhere around £2,500 to £5,000 for the solicitor, survey, mortgage fees and removals combined, plus whatever you'll spend settling in. Our cost-of-buying tool tailors it to your price.

Do I really need a survey?

It's optional, but it's one of the cheapest ways to avoid a very expensive surprise. A survey can also hand you a reason to renegotiate the price, which sometimes pays for itself many times over.

Can any of these costs be added to the mortgage?

Some lenders let you add their arrangement fee to the loan. It's convenient, but you then pay interest on it for years, so paying upfront is usually cheaper if you can.

The costs nobody warns you about

You save for years for the deposit, and then a pile of other bills shows up right at the end. None are huge on their own. Together they're a few thousand pounds you didn't plan for.

Reviewed 8 June 2026 · Information, not advice.

Before you get the keys

A solicitor or conveyancer handles the legal side and typically runs £1,000 to £1,500. A survey, which checks the place isn't hiding anything nasty, is usually £400 to £700, and skipping it to save money is a false economy. Your lender may charge a mortgage arrangement or valuation fee on top.

If you're not a first-time buyer, or you tip over the £500,000 line, there's Stamp Duty too. For most first-time buyers under that line, this is the one big cost you get to skip.

Moving day and the weeks after

Removals run anywhere from a couple of hundred quid for a van and a few mates to over a thousand for a proper firm. Then comes the bit that catches everyone: an empty home needs filling. A washing machine, a bed, curtains, a fridge. It adds up fast when it all lands at once.

Sensible move is to keep a buffer of a thousand or two back from your deposit for exactly this. Moving in skint and stressed is a miserable way to start.

Run your own numbers

How much cash do I need up front?Will I pay Stamp Duty?

Common questions

Roughly how much should I budget on top of the deposit?: For a typical first-time purchase, allow somewhere around £2,500 to £5,000 for the solicitor, survey, mortgage fees and removals combined, plus whatever you'll spend settling in. Our cost-of-buying tool tailors it to your price.
Do I really need a survey?: It's optional, but it's one of the cheapest ways to avoid a very expensive surprise. A survey can also hand you a reason to renegotiate the price, which sometimes pays for itself many times over.
Can any of these costs be added to the mortgage?: Some lenders let you add their arrangement fee to the loan. It's convenient, but you then pay interest on it for years, so paying upfront is usually cheaper if you can.