Quick Summary
- LBTT is usually the biggest single moving cost — and unlike England's system it starts at £145,000, so ordinary family homes pay it; budget for it before you fall for a house
- Scotland's Home Report flips a cost onto sellers — if you're selling to move, you pay for the survey pack up front, before the house is even listed; buyers get it free
- The 8% ADS trap catches movers with timing gaps — complete on the new home before selling the old one and you pay Additional Dwelling Supplement on the whole price, reclaimable only after the old home sells
- Use our LBTT Calculator for the exact tax on any price — it handles first-time buyer relief and the ADS scenarios
Moving-cost guides written for England miss the three things that make a Scottish move different: the tax has different bands and a different name, the survey burden sits with the seller, and the offers system front-loads your solicitor costs.
Quick Answer: For a typical Scottish home move, budget for LBTT (from £145,000 upwards — our calculator gives the exact figure), conveyancing and estate agency fees, a Home Report if you're selling (several hundred pounds, paid before listing), removals (roughly £600–£1,500 for a local family move, more long-distance), plus deposits, overlap bills and switchover admin. A realistic all-in planning figure for a buy-and-sell family move is £3,000–£8,000 on top of the deposit — with LBTT the swing factor.
The big line: LBTT (and the ADS trap)
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax is Scotland's stamp duty, and it reaches further down the market than England's: the nil band ends at £145,000 (£175,000 for first-time buyers), so most family-home moves pay something. The bands step up quickly — on a £350,000 purchase you're into five figures. Don't estimate it; calculate it:
Try it yourself
Exact LBTT at any purchase price — including first-time buyer relief and the second-home ADS scenarios.
Open the LBTT CalculatorNo sign-up required.
The ADS timing trap. If you complete on your new home while still owning the old one — a bridging move, a slow sale, a broken chain — the purchase attracts the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement on the full price, even though you're just moving house. You can reclaim it if the old main residence sells within 36 months, but you must fund it at completion: on a £300,000 purchase that's £24,000 of cash flow you didn't plan for. Our ADS guide and refund guide cover the escape routes.
Selling? The Home Report is yours to buy
Scotland's quirk: before marketing a home, the seller must commission a Home Report — the single survey, energy report and property questionnaire buyers read for free. It typically runs to several hundred pounds depending on the property's size and value, and it's payable up front, months before any money comes in. English guides tell buyers to budget for a survey; in Scotland, sellers budget for it instead, and buyers usually don't need their own unless a lender insists.
The professional fees
| Cost | Who pays | Planning range* |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyancing (each transaction) | Buyer and seller each | £800–£1,500 + outlays |
| Estate agency / selling fee | Seller | ~1%–2% of sale price, or fixed-fee online |
| Home Report | Seller | £400–£800 by size/value |
| Removals (local, 3-bed) | Mover | £600–£1,500 |
| Removals (long-distance / packing service) | Mover | £1,500–£3,000+ |
*Planning estimates for budgeting — quotes vary by firm, property and distance; always get three.
Two Scottish wrinkles worth knowing: many Scottish solicitors are also the estate agent (solicitor-estate agencies can bundle the two fees), and the offers-over closing-date system means your solicitor may submit offers on houses you don't win — check whether failed bids are charged before you start bidding.
The switchover admin that quietly costs money
- Council tax: tell both councils promptly. You're billed by days of liability at each address — the cost comes from not telling them, when a bill at the empty old address runs on and, if it stands empty long enough, can attract a premium
- Overlap utilities: a fortnight of double broadband, energy standing charges and insurance on two homes is normal — budget a hundred pounds or so rather than being surprised
- Mail redirection: cheap, and cheaper than one missed HMRC or DVLA letter
- Buildings insurance from missives: in Scotland you're typically on risk from the date of entry — arrange cover to start that day, not the day you unpack
Try it yourself
Before pricing the move, sanity-check the mortgage itself — what lenders will actually advance at your income.
Open the Mortgage Affordability CalculatorNo sign-up required.
Moving with school-age children: the timing tax
If the move is chasing a school catchment, dates have money attached: placing requests and enrolment windows run to council timetables, and missing them can mean months of driving to the old school or a private-nursery bridge. Our sister site EduSCOT covers the school side — check its dates before fixing your entry date:
A worked planning budget
A family selling a £250,000 home and buying at £320,000, moving locally, no timing gap:
- LBTT on £320,000 — use the calculator for the exact figure (five figures at this price)
- Estate agency on the sale at ~1.5% — around £3,750
- Two lots of conveyancing — say £2,400 with outlays
- Home Report — say £600
- Removals — say £900
- Overlap bills, redirect, incidentals — say £300
Everything except the LBTT is negotiable or shoppable; the tax isn't. That's why the honest first step of any Scottish move is running the LBTT number — it decides whether the move happens this year or after another year of saving.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to move house in Scotland?
For a buy-and-sell family move, plan for £3,000–£8,000 on top of your deposit: LBTT (the swing factor — exact figure from our calculator), conveyancing both ways, estate agency, the Home Report, removals and switchover costs. Renters moving between tenancies face a far smaller bill: deposit overlap, removals and admin.
Who pays for the survey in Scotland?
The seller, through the Home Report — it must exist before the home is marketed, and buyers read it free. Buyers only commission their own survey in unusual cases or when a lender requires more than the Home Report's valuation.
Do I pay ADS if I'm just moving house?
Not if you sell your old main residence on or before the day you complete the new purchase. Own both at completion — even briefly — and the 8% ADS is due on the full new price, reclaimable once the old home sells within 36 months. Chains that wobble are how ordinary movers meet ADS.
Can I avoid estate agency fees in Scotland?
You can sell fixed-fee online or privately, but you can't skip the Home Report, and in much of Scotland the solicitor-estate-agent route is competitively priced once you compare like-for-like. Get the bundled quote before assuming online is cheaper.
When do I start paying council tax at the new house?
From your date of liability — usually the date of entry. You pay each council for the exact days you're liable at each address, so nothing is double-charged if both are told promptly. The expensive mistake is silence: bills and reminders at an address you've left don't cancel themselves.
Is it cheaper to move in winter?
Often, at the margins: removal firms discount quiet months, and sellers listing in winter may negotiate. But the school calendar and the ADS-timing risk are worth far more than a seasonal removals discount — optimise the big items first.
Related Articles
- LBTT vs Stamp Duty — how Scotland's bands compare if you're weighing a cross-border move
- Additional Dwelling Supplement Scotland — the 8% trap in detail
- ADS Refund and Repayment Guide — getting the 8% back after the old home sells
- Moving to Scotland from England: Financial Checklist — the cross-border version of this guide
- House Prices by Area — what the destination actually costs, council by council
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Tax rates and thresholds can change — always verify current rates with Revenue Scotland, HMRC, or mygov.scot, and speak to a qualified financial adviser or solicitor for advice specific to your circumstances. Professional-fee and removal figures are planning estimates — always obtain current quotes.
Sources: Revenue Scotland — LBTT rates, Revenue Scotland — Additional Dwelling Supplement, mygov.scot — Home Reports, mygov.scot — Council tax when moving