Stay here for buying and deal fees
Use the planner for product fees, surveys, legal fees, search fees, Land Registry costs, moving costs and the fee-versus-rate comparison on a mortgage deal.
Stay here for buying and deal fees → Buying Cost Planner
Mortgage fees calculator for buying costs and deal-fee comparisons
Map the buying costs around the mortgage, compare fee-paying and lower-fee deals over the initial period, and catch the charges that often surface too late.
Buying cost plannerInitial-deal fee comparisonLand Registry and SDLT context
Product Fee
A common starting range is around £1,000 to £2,000 or more
Land Registry
£150 electronic / £330 paper at £200,001 to £500,000
Comparison Rule
Compare the initial deal period before you project anything further
Calculator
Build a cost plan before a lender, broker or seller forces the timing
Use the planner for two related jobs: building the wider cost plan for the transaction and comparing fee-heavy and lower-fee mortgage deals over the initial period.
Property & Fees
These starting values reflect current public home-buying cost guidance and Land Registry fee tables. Replace them with your own quotes before treating this as a real budget.
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£
Common starting range: around £1,000 to £2,000 or more
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Common starting range: around £100 to £200
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Common starting range: around £150 to £800
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A Level 2 survey often starts around £400
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A common starting budget is around £2,000 including VAT and disbursements
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Common starting range: around £250 to £300
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Common starting range: around £25 to £50
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Current Scale 1 example: £150 electronic at £200,001 to £500,000
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Common starting range: from around £400 to over £1,000
Total Purchase Cost
Property Price
£350,000Stamp Duty
£2,500Fees & Other Costs
£4,500Grand Total
£357,000Fees as % of Price
2.00%Cost Breakdown
Stamp Duty£2,500
Arrangement Fee£1,000
Booking Fee£100
Valuation£150
Survey£400
Solicitor£2,000
Searches£250
Transfer Fee£50
Land Registry£150
Moving£400
When to switch to the full SDLT tool
The stamp duty line here is a quick SDLT estimate using the same England and Northern Ireland rules as our dedicated stamp duty tool. For additional-property, non-resident or more complex tax cases, use the full stamp duty calculator instead of relying on this planner alone.
Cost Route
Keep buying costs here, then split tax and exit-charge questions out
A clean cost plan works best when ordinary purchase costs, SDLT, property-sale tax and early-exit charges are not blended into one total.
Move to SDLT for purchase tax
If the question is first-time buyer relief, additional-property rates, non-resident surcharge or a refund window, use the dedicated stamp duty calculator.
Move to SDLT for purchase tax →Move to CGT for sale tax
If the property is being sold and the question is gain, relief, allowable costs or the 60-day reporting point, use the property CGT calculator instead.
Move to CGT for sale tax →Move to ERC for leaving a deal early
If the fee comes from overpaying above the allowance or leaving a fixed deal before the end date, estimate it as an early repayment charge.
Move to ERC for leaving a deal early →Planning Ranges
Starting ranges for common mortgage-related costs
Use these editable ranges as a budgeting baseline, then replace them with your own lender quotes, survey quotes and conveyancing estimates as the purchase or remortgage progresses.
| Cost type | Typical starting range | Budget context |
|---|---|---|
| Booking fee | around £100 to £200 | Upfront lender booking cost on some products |
| Product fee | around £1,000 to £2,000 or more | Main arrangement fee that often drives fee-vs-rate trade-offs |
| Valuation fee | around £150 to £800 | Mortgage valuation cost where it is not covered by the lender |
| Level 2 survey | around £400 | Buyer survey cost separate from the lender valuation |
| Legal fees | around £2,000 including VAT and disbursements | Conveyancing and legal work on the transaction |
| Search fees | around £250 to £300 | Local authority and related property searches |
| Transfer fee | around £25 to £50 | Electronic transfer charge for mortgage funds or completion monies |
| Land Registry fee example | £150 electronic or £330 paper | Transfer of whole at £200,001 to £500,000 |
| Removal costs | from around £400 to over £1,000 | Moving-day logistics that are easy to underbudget |
Method
How to compare mortgage deals with different fee levels
The planner compares the introductory period you select, so a short-term deal is judged on the window you are actually choosing rather than on a made-up full-life assumption.
It compares interest during the deal, not the full-life cash flow
The highlighted deal-cost line uses interest paid during the selected introductory period plus any product fee. That keeps the comparison tied to the part of the deal you are actually comparing.
It still shows the remaining balance after the deal
Two deals can have similar monthly payments but leave you with different balances when the introductory period ends. Showing the balance keeps the comparison honest.
APRC still matters once the initial comparison is done
Rate alone is not enough. APRC and the full fee structure still matter when you compare mortgage deals beyond the simple initial-period calculation shown here.
Common Misses
Costs buyers and remortgagers still forget
These are the costs that often appear late or get lost behind the headline mortgage rate.
A free lender valuation is not a free property check
The lender valuation and the survey solve different problems. A valuation supports the lender. A survey tells you more about the condition of the home you are buying.
Adding a fee to the mortgage changes the long-term cost
Some lenders let you add the arrangement fee to the mortgage, but that means you also pay interest on the fee over the life of the loan.
Registration fees depend on how the application is filed
HM Land Registry pricing varies by application type, price band and whether the submission is electronic or paper-based. Old flat-fee claims drift out of date quickly.
Stamp duty should be checked separately for complex cases
This planner includes a quick SDLT line, but additional-property and more complex tax cases need the dedicated stamp duty tool rather than a shortcut assumption inside a wider cost calculator.
ERC Boundary
Do not mix ordinary mortgage fees with an early repayment charge
Fees, exit charges and ERCs can appear near each other in paperwork, but they answer different questions.
Product and booking fees
These belong in the deal comparison because they are part of choosing or arranging the replacement product.
Exit or account closure fee
This is usually an administration line when a mortgage account is closed or transferred. Keep it visible rather than merging it into the product fee.
Early repayment charge
This usually comes from leaving a deal early or exceeding the overpayment allowance. Estimate it in the ERC calculator before adding it to a switch or overpayment plan.
Next Steps
Use the planner together with the pages that answer the next question
Once the cost lines are clearer, these pages help you move from fees into tax, buying process and remortgage timing.
Early Repayment Charge Calculator
Estimate the ERC and exit-fee line separately before folding it into a remortgage or overpayment decision.
Early Repayment Charge Guide
Check how allowance, exit-fee and redemption-figure wording differs from ordinary deal fees.
Mortgage Fees Guide
Read the longer guide behind each cost line in this planner.
Stamp Duty Calculator
Run the full SDLT calculation when your case is more complex than a quick purchase-cost estimate.
Property CGT Calculator
Use the sale-tax calculator when a disposal, relief or reporting deadline is the real question.
First-Time Buyer Guide
Use the buying guide if you are budgeting for the whole purchase journey, not just the side costs.
Remortgage 2026 Guide
Read the deal-ending guide if these fees are part of a switch rather than a house purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What buying costs does this planner cover?
The planner budgets for mortgage product fees, valuation and survey costs, legal and search fees, Land Registry charges, moving costs and a quick SDLT estimate. It does not replace your own lender, conveyancer or survey quote.
Can I add the arrangement fee to the mortgage?
Sometimes, yes. But if you add the arrangement fee to the mortgage, you also pay interest on that fee over the life of the loan.
Why does the fee comparison only use the initial deal period?
Because that is the part you can compare with the least guesswork. It keeps the decision tied to the actual introductory window instead of pretending one rate will stay in place for the whole mortgage term.
Is the lender valuation the same as a survey?
No. The lender valuation is for the lender. The survey is for you as the buyer and is about the condition of the property.
Are Land Registry fees fixed for every purchase?
No. HM Land Registry fees depend on the application type, price band and submission route. For a transfer of whole at £200,001 to £500,000, HM Land Registry currently shows £150 for electronic applications and £330 for paper applications.