The costs of downsizing: every one of them, with typical figures.

Selling

Cost	Typical	Notes
Estate agent	1% to 1.5% of the price plus VAT (so 1.2% to 1.8% all in)	Negotiable. Online agents: £500 to £2,000 fixed, paid up front, sold or not.
Energy Performance Certificate	£60 to £120	Legally required before marketing. Check if an old one is still valid (10 years) at the EPC register.
Solicitor for the sale	£900 to £1,500 including VAT	Leasehold sales cost more and need a management pack from the freeholder (£200 to £500).
Mortgage redemption	£0 to £300 admin, plus any early repayment charge	Early repayment charges can be 1% to 5% of the balance if you are inside a fixed deal.
Tidying up for sale	£0 to £2,000	Paint, a skip, a gardener, a cleaner. Usually pays for itself.

Buying

Cost	Typical	Notes
Stamp duty (or LBTT / LTT)	£5,000 on £300,000 in England and NI	No downsizer relief. Higher if you own two homes on completion day. Calculator.
Solicitor for the purchase	£1,000 to £1,800 including VAT	Plus searches £250 to £450, Land Registry fee £150 to £300, bank transfer £20 to £50.
Survey	£400 to £1,500	A Level 2 survey suits most bungalows and flats; Level 3 for older or unusual buildings.
Mortgage costs, if any	£0 to £1,500	Arrangement fee, valuation, broker fee.
Retirement development extras	Varies	First service charge in advance, sometimes a "contingency fund" contribution of a few hundred pounds. Ask.

Moving

Cost	Typical	Notes
Removals	£600 to £2,500	With a full packing service at the top end. Worth every penny for a large house; ask for three quotes and check they are insured.
Clearance	£0 to £1,000	House clearance firms charge to take what will not sell. Charities collect furniture free if it has a fire label.
Storage	£80 to £250 a month	If there is a gap between sale and purchase, or you cannot decide about the dining table.
Mail redirection	£40 to £100	Twelve months is worth it.
Settling in	£2,000 to £10,000	Curtains and blinds, a bed and sofa that fit, light fittings, a TV aerial, small repairs, a new kettle because the old one broke in the box. Everyone spends more than they planned here.

The total

For a typical move (£400,000 to £500,000 sale, £250,000 to £350,000 purchase, England) the total is usually £18,000 to £30,000. In London and the south-east, more. If the new home needs a kitchen, bathroom or heating, add that on top. Put it all in the Money Released Planner so nothing is a surprise.

Where the savings are

• Negotiate the agent's fee, and ask what it includes. A sole-agency agreement at 1% is normal on an easy-to-sell home.
• Get three fixed-fee conveyancing quotes in writing, including searches and VAT. Ask specifically about experience with later-life moves and, if relevant, leasehold retirement property.
• Buy under a stamp duty band edge if you can. £249,000 costs £2,480 in England; £251,000 costs £2,550, and £300,000 costs £5,000.
• Sell first, then buy, to avoid the additional-property surcharge and the cost of a bridging loan. Selling first or buying first.
• Do the clear-out early and sell or give away what you can; you pay removal firms by volume.

A note on the numbers. Tax thresholds, benefit limits and typical costs are correct as far as we know at the time of writing (2026) and, unless we say otherwise, are for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ in places. Rules change and your circumstances matter. This is information, not advice: check the current position and talk to a solicitor, an FCA-authorised adviser or a tax professional before you act.