Free homebuying tool

The cash you could need
to complete.

The deposit is the number everyone fixates on. This is what could need to be in the bank to complete: SDLT, legal, survey, mortgage fee, removals and a sensible buffer.

These figures cover England and Northern Ireland only. Scotland (LBTT) and Wales (LTT) have different stamp duty rules and are not modelled here.

Please change the inputs to fit your circumstances.

The property

The headline numbers everyone fixates on.

Purchase price

The agreed price you are paying for the home.

Your deposit

(e.g. 10% of the price)

I am a first-time buyerNever owned (or part-owned) a residential property anywhere in the world.

Buying jointly with someone who has owned a home beforeFTB relief needs all buyers to be first-time buyers. One previous owner on the deeds removes it for everyone.

This will be an additional property (buy-to-let, second home)Adds the 5% additional dwellings surcharge to every SDLT band.

Property type

Legal, survey, mortgage

The middle costs that almost nobody factors in until completion week.

Conveyancing (all-in)

Solicitor fee + searches + disbursements. £1,200–£2,000 is typical.

Mortgage product fee

Often £0, £499 or £999 depending on the deal.

Add the mortgage fee to the loan (instead of paying it from cash)Removes it from the cash you need on the day, but you pay interest on it for the mortgage term.

Survey level

Sensible default for most standard homes built in the last 100 years.

Survey cost (default)

Edit if you have a quote.

Moving in

The week-of costs.

Removals

£300 for a van and a friend, £1,500+ for a full firm. £600 is a fair middle.

Optional extras

Tick the ones that apply to you.

Mortgage broker feeMany brokers are paid by the lender, but some charge a client fee.

Gifted deposit deedIf a relative is gifting toward your deposit, the lender usually wants this.

Leasehold management pack (LPE1)Required when buying a leasehold flat. Paid by the seller, sometimes the buyer.

Indemnity insuranceOne-off policy for a specific legal gap (e.g. missing planning paperwork).

ID and AML checksCharged by your conveyancer for anti-money-laundering verification.

Estimate

Contingency buffer

Because completion always finds one extra invoice.

Buffer on top of everything above

5% is the sensible default. 0% if you really want to live on the edge.

True cost to complete

You could need around £27,630 in the bank to complete.

That is your deposit plus all the extras lenders, solicitors, surveyors and movers will ask for between offer and keys.

Deposit

£25,000

10.0% of price

Everything else

£2,630

10% of cash needed

DepositAll the other costs

The breakdown

Deposit Your share of the purchase price paid in cash.	£25,000
Stamp Duty (SDLT) First-time buyer relief applied.	£0
Conveyancing (legal + searches) Solicitor or licensed conveyancer fee plus searches and disbursements.	£1,500
Level 2 HomeBuyer Report	£500
Mortgage product fee (added to loan) Added to your mortgage balance, so no cash needed now (but interest applies).	£0
Removals	£600
ID and AML checks Anti money-laundering checks charged by your conveyancer.	£30
Total cash to complete	£27,630

Mortgage amount (what the lender lends you): £225,999.

Stamp Duty (SDLT) detail

£0 (0.00% effective rate)

First-time buyer relief applied.

Band	Rate	Taxable slice	Tax
Up to £300,000	0%	£250,000	£0

Post-April 2025 thresholds shown. England & NI only. Scotland uses LBTT; Wales uses LTT.

Don't forget the first month after move-in

Beyond completion, plan for your first mortgage payment, council tax, utilities setup, broadband, contents insurance and basic furniture. A realistic separate buffer here is £500–£1,500.

Plan it in the Budget Builder

Next steps

Plan how long until you have this in the bank Check your full Readiness Report Stamp duty calculator on its own

Indicative only, not regulated financial or legal advice. SDLT figures use post-April 2025 thresholds for England and Northern Ireland. Always confirm quoted fees with your conveyancer, broker and surveyor, and check current SDLT rules at gov.uk before committing.