Homeowners buying and selling a property in Scotland are now paying an average of £10,174 in upfront moving costs, according to new analysis from comparison website reallymoving. That is £653 more than in 2025, when the typical bill was £9,520, representing an annual increase of 6.9 per cent.
The figure includes Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), estate agent fees, conveyancing costs, a Home Report and removals. The analysis, based on 204,000 home-moving quotes across the UK, found higher LBTT and conveyancing costs were primarily responsible for pushing up the bill in Scotland.
What is driving the increase?
The median purchase price used in the research has increased from £277,498 last year to £289,000 in 2026. This has pushed the typical LBTT bill up by £575 to £4,050. Conveyancing costs have risen by 10.7 per cent to £2,373.
Those increases have come despite some other costs falling. The typical estate agent fee has dropped from £2,911 to £2,840, while the cost of a Home Report has fallen from £480 to £400. Removal costs remained unchanged at £511.
Impact on affordability
Altogether, the £10,174 cost of buying and selling is equivalent to just over a quarter - 25.6 per cent - of the median annual gross salary for a full-time worker, according to the analysis using Office for National Statistics (ONS) earnings data.
Rob Houghton, founder and chief executive of reallymoving, said: “Moving home in Scotland is less expensive than elsewhere in the UK, but an upfront bill of more than £10,000 simply to buy and sell a home is still a substantial sum to find.
“It prevents people from relocating for a new job, discourages families from moving to larger homes as their circumstances change and makes downsizing less attractive.”
How the £10,174 moving bill breaks down
The biggest individual cost in the analysis is LBTT at £4,050, based on a median purchase price of £289,000. Estate agent fees account for another £2,840, while conveyancing, including expenses and disbursements, costs £2,373.
A Home Report adds £400 and removals another £511, bringing the total to £10,174. Despite the increase, Scotland remains the cheapest of the four UK nations for homeowners buying and selling a property, according to the research.
The equivalent cost in England is £17,413 - £7,240, or 71 per cent, more than in Scotland. Homeowners in Wales face average costs of £11,337, while the figure for Northern Ireland is £12,225.
First-time buyers face higher costs too
First-time buyers in Scotland are also being warned to budget for costs on top of the deposit needed to buy their first home. The research puts the typical upfront bill for a first-time buyer at £1,581, an increase of £79, or 5.3 per cent, compared with 2025.
That comprises £1,206 in conveyancing costs and £374 for removals. The figures are based on a median first-time buyer purchase price of £165,000. At that price, no LBTT is due because first-time buyer relief increases the tax-free threshold for qualifying buyers.
Houghton said: “First Time Buyers in Scotland are also seeing their upfront costs rise, making it even harder to get on the housing ladder.
“Saving a deposit is only part of the challenge and buyers also need to make sure they budget for legal fees and removals. Comparing quotes, shopping around for the best deals and understanding exactly what’s included will help avoid unwelcome surprises down the line.”
The research suggests people preparing to move could reduce some costs by comparing quotes and considering when they move. It recommends checking whether removal companies offer discounts for groups including pensioners, students, key workers or members of the armed forces, as well as considering a mid-week move when demand may be lower.
Households are also advised to check what insurance is included with their removals contract and clear out unwanted belongings before moving, as reducing the volume being transported could cut the final bill.
