Why the published totals disagree so widely
The removal firm is rarely the largest line on the bill. It is usually somewhere between fourth and sixth.
| Source | Figure | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Konnect You | Around £5,516 | Selling only, based on an average Scottish house price |
| Cash for Property Scotland | £4,700 to £9,000 | Selling only, on a £200,000 sale |
| McGhie Mortgages | £11,000 to £14,000 plus | Buying and selling combined |
| NatWest | Around £13,000 | UK average, buying and selling |
So the honest answer is that a sale alone and a simultaneous sale and purchase are different questions, and most guides do not say which one they are answering.
What Scotland does differently, and what it saves you
The Home Report point is worth more than people realise. In England a buyer commissions and pays for a survey on every property they offer on, including the ones they lose. In Scotland that cost sits with the seller, once, and any interested buyer can read it.
LBTT residential rates for 2026 to 2027, with each rate applying only to the slice of the price inside that band:
| Portion of the price | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £145,000 | 0% |
| £145,001 to £250,000 | 2% |
| £250,001 to £325,000 | 5% |
| £325,001 to £750,000 | 10% |
| Above £750,000 | 12% |
First-time buyer relief lifts the nil rate band to £175,000, which published guidance puts at a maximum saving of around £600. The Additional Dwelling Supplement is the expensive one: 8% of the whole purchase price where you already own a residential property anywhere in the world, reclaimable once the old home sells.
The full sequence these costs sit inside is set out in our checklist for moving house in Scotland.
The costs of buying
| Cost | Published range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| LBTT | Depends on price and band | Nil below £145,000. Filed within 30 days |
| Additional Dwelling Supplement | 8% of the whole price | Only if you already own a home. Reclaimable |
| Solicitor, purchase | Around £1,000 to £2,000 plus VAT | Varies with property value |
| Registration dues | Based on property value | Payable to Registers of Scotland |
| Searches and reports | Roughly £50 to £220 | Often rolled into the solicitor total |
| Mortgage arrangement | Commonly £500 to £1,500 | Fee-free products exist |
| Survey | Usually nothing | The Home Report covers it |
The costs of selling
- Estate agency commission. Commonly quoted between 1% and 1.8% plus VAT, with some sources citing a wider range. On a £250,000 sale that is a four-figure sum before anything else.
- Home Report. Around £400 to £800 depending on the property. It includes the single survey, the valuation, the property questionnaire and the energy report, so there is no separate EPC to buy.
- Solicitor, sale. Usually less than the purchase side, since fewer checks are involved.
- Mortgage discharge fee. Published ranges put this at roughly £80 to £250. Check your redemption statement rather than estimating.
- Early repayment charge, if you are leaving a fixed rate before it ends. This can dwarf everything else on the page, so check it first.
Solicitor estate agents are a genuinely Scottish arrangement. One firm markets the property and handles the conveyancing, which usually costs less as a bundle than instructing two.
The overlap almost nobody budgets for
This is the line that turns a well-planned budget into a stressful one, and it is entirely predictable once you know to look for it.
- Council tax on two properties. Liability follows ownership and occupancy rather than where your furniture is. Some councils offer a discount or exemption on an unoccupied property, so ask rather than assume, and tell both councils promptly.
- Two sets of energy standing charges. Small daily amounts on both supplies until each account closes.
- Buildings insurance on both, since in Scotland risk on a purchase generally passes at settlement.
- Storage, if the dates genuinely do not meet. Usually cheaper handled as one job than two. That is how removals and storage in Edinburgh is quoted.
Where the removal firm actually sits
Two things follow from that, and both are worth saying plainly even though we are the removal firm.
First, saving £150 on the removals quote will not change the shape of your budget. The tax band, the agency percentage and the mortgage product will. Spend your negotiating energy where the money is.
Second, the cheapest removals quote is frequently the one most likely to grow on the day, because it was priced without seeing the access. What actually drives that figure is covered in our guide to removal company prices in Edinburgh, and what a fixed price should include is set out on our house removals in Edinburgh page.
The smaller lines that add up
- Royal Mail redirection, for at least three months
- Packing materials, if you are self-packing
- A parking dispensation or bay suspension in central Edinburgh
- Locksmith or new locks at the new property
- Cleaning at the outgoing property
- Disposal of anything not coming, including a council bulky uplift
- Broadband installation, which can carry a setup fee
- Time off work, since a date of entry is a working day
When the figures on this page will not apply to you
- Renting at both ends. No LBTT, no agency fee, no Home Report. Your costs are a deposit capped at two months rent, the removal, and the admin. Dramatically cheaper.
- Buying without selling. No agency commission and no Home Report to fund, since the seller pays for that.
- Already owning a property. The Additional Dwelling Supplement at 8% of the whole price will likely be your single largest line.
- Moving from England. Two systems, two sets of fees and two different deadlines, plus the risk of a chain meeting a settlement.
Common questions about the cost of moving house
How much does it cost to move house in Scotland?
Published estimates range from around £5,500 for a sale alone to £11,000 or more where you are buying and selling together. The variables that move it most are the property price, whether Additional Dwelling Supplement applies, and the estate agency percentage.
Do buyers pay for a survey in Scotland?
Usually not. The seller must provide a Home Report before marketing, which contains a single survey, a valuation, a property questionnaire and an energy report. That removes a cost English buyers carry on every property they offer on.
What is the biggest cost when moving house?
For a buyer it is normally the purchase tax, and for a seller the estate agency commission. Both routinely exceed the removal firm several times over, which is why negotiating hard on removals rarely changes the total.
How much are solicitor fees in Scotland?
Published ranges put conveyancing at roughly £1,000 to £2,000 plus VAT for a purchase, with registration dues and searches on top and a lower figure for a sale. Many Scottish firms act as both solicitor and estate agent, which is often cheaper as a bundle.
Do I pay council tax on two properties when moving?
You can, where the dates do not align. Published Scottish guidance puts a typical two to four week overlap at roughly £150 to £400. Some councils offer a discount or exemption on an unoccupied property, so ask rather than assume.
Before you budget
Work out your LBTT first, then check whether the Additional Dwelling Supplement applies, then get the agency percentage in writing. Those three numbers decide most of your total. Removals, packing and storage are worth pricing properly, but they will not be what makes or breaks the budget.
More practical guides to moving in and around this city are collected in our Edinburgh moving guides.
Figures in this guide are drawn from published Scottish and UK sources including Revenue Scotland, gov.scot, NatWest, Zoopla and Scottish conveyancing firms, compared on 3 August 2026. They are planning ranges rather than quotes, and every transaction differs. This is general information, not financial or legal advice; confirm figures with your own solicitor and lender.
