Great news: Agents' charges fall despite higher cost of moving house

The typical estate agency fee paid by a seller has actually fallen one per cent in the past year according to an annual survey of house moving costs.

It now costs an average £10,414 to move home - or £24,585 if it is within London.

There’s been a four per cent rise in stamp duty bills and a five per cent rise for conveyancing according to the same survey, by removals service reallymoving. 

The service has analysed data from 990,000 quotes in the last year and has discovered that despite an average one per cent increase in house prices, the typical estate agent fee has actually dropped one per cent, to £3,356. 

Homeowners who are both buying and selling now pay on average £4,625 in stamp duty, based on the median property value, while conveyancing costs stand at £1,490 including disbursements and expenses including Land Registry fees. 

Although varying significantly depending on the distance of the move and the volume of possessions transported, removals charges have also increased by one per cent over the last year to £480 on average. 

The cost of an Energy Performance Certificate remains unchanged at £55, but other expenses have dipped slightly over the last year, such as a Homebuyers Report which now costs £408, down four per cent.

Unsurprisingly movers in London pay most, with the South East, East and South West the next most expensive regions. 

For the average home mover who both sells and buys, upfront costs are now greater than one third of the median UK salary of £29,588 according to the survey.