Moving home is an exciting time, but it can be an expensive time. There is a lot of costs that people know of, but there are also some costs which some people forget about or overlook.

At Austin Property Services, we are more than happy to provide you with as much guidance as you need when it comes to selling your home, or moving on. This includes making you aware of the costs of doing so.

A study undertaken by MoneySuperMarket highlighted the following issues:

• The average house mover in Britain spends £748 each time they move, and this is above stamp duty charges, legal fees and agency fees

• The average person in Great Britain moves 5.5 times in their lifetime

• This is an average cost of £4,116 in additional fees when moving

• This represents a rise of 12% on the 2020 figures, which stood at £3,688

• There was an 8% rise in 2020, where the cost rose from £3,417 to the £3,688 level

• In the past two years, overall costs have risen by 20%, moving from £3,417 to £4,116

What are people spending money on when moving house?

The five most common extra costs incurred when moving home are as follows:

1. Buying new furniture for your home was cited by 55% of respondents

2. Purchasing new household items with kitchen utensils and bedding as examples, said by 53% of respondents

3. Paying for your mail to be re-directed was cited by 42% of respondents

4. 36% of respondents listed changing utility bill providers

5. Paying for removal services was said by 24%

Why do people want to move?

The most common reasons for moving home in 2021 were as follows:

• Moving in with a partner was said by 29%

• Buying your own place, was said by 28%

• Needing to move to a larger home, said by 27%

The average amount of deposit which was lost when moving house was £329.

Jo Thornhill, money expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “The cost of moving house is a well-known challenge for Brits. It’s an issue that has come into sharp focus over the past 18 months with the housing market booming in response to government incentives like the stamp duty holiday. What is less well known are those additional costs of moving that can add a significant amount to your bill, over and above items like stamp duty, legal and estate agency fees.”

Jo also said; “If you are considering moving, factor in things like cleaning, new household items, temporary storage space and professional movers to make sure your treasured possessions get from A to B safely and, crucially, to make sure you aren’t surprised with any unexpected bills.”

Jo Thornhill from MoneySuperMarket concluded by saying; “It’s also important that you have contents insurance before transporting your items to their new home – most policies will provide cover for your belongings against damage or loss while they’re in transit from one property to the next. But make sure you use a professional removals firm – many of which have their own insurance – to guarantee you benefit from this protection.”

We know many people have questions and queries right now, and we are here to help as best we can. Please get in touch with Austin Property Services if there is anything, we can assist you with. You can call us on 01305 858470 or you can email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..