The main costs of selling a house in Scotland are typically your Home Report, estate agency fee and solicitor’s conveyancing fee. At MOV8, estate agency fees start from 0.4% + VAT when paid upfront, while conveyancing fees start from £795 + VAT, with the final cost depending on your property and transaction.
Selling a property in Scotland involves several costs, including estate agency fees, a Home Report and solicitor or conveyancing fees. You may also need to budget for mortgage discharge costs, removal expenses and optional marketing or property preparation.
The exact amount varies depending on the value and circumstances of your property, the services you choose and whether there are any additional legal issues to deal with.
How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House in Scotland?
There isn’t one fixed figure because selling costs depend on the value of your property and the services required.
As a general guide, you should budget for:
| Cost | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Home Report | Survey, valuation, Energy Report and Property Questionnaire |
| Estate agency fee | Valuation, marketing, enquiries, viewings and negotiating the sale |
| Solicitor/conveyancing fee | Offers, missives, title work, settlement and legal transfer |
| Legal outlays and searches | Third-party costs associated with the conveyancing |
| Mortgage discharge | Removing your existing lender’s security from the property |
| Marketing and Production | Creating floor-plans, 360 degree tours, promoting on the key property portals and enhanced advertising or additional marketing where chosen |
| Removals | Moving your belongings to your next home |
| Property preparation | Optional decorating, repairs, cleaning or home improvements |
Not every seller will incur every cost.
The best way to establish what your own sale is likely to cost is to obtain a written quote showing the fees and likely outlays before you instruct your estate agent and solicitor.
1. Estate Agency Fees
For most sellers, the estate agency fee is one of the largest costs involved.
Estate agents may charge:
- A percentage of the eventual selling price
- A fixed fee
- A combination of fixed and percentage-based fees
The amount will depend on the firm, property, location and level of service provided.
A full estate agency service might include:
- An in-person valuation
- Advice on asking price
- Professional photography
- Floor plans
- Property particulars
- Advertising on major property portals
- Social media and digital marketing
- Enquiry management
- Viewings
- Feedback
- Notes of Interest
- Negotiating offers
When comparing agents, look beyond the headline percentage.
A cheaper fee isn’t necessarily better value if the marketing, negotiation or service is weaker.
The eventual selling price can have a far greater impact on how much money you walk away with than a relatively small difference in estate agency fees.
What Does MOV8 Charge?
MOV8’s estate agency fee starts from 0.4% of the selling price + VAT when paid upfront.
The exact fee will depend on your property, circumstances and the services required, and will be clearly confirmed before you instruct us.
This means you can understand exactly what is included and what you’ll pay before your property goes to market.
2. Home Report Costs
In most circumstances, you’ll need a Home Report before advertising a residential property for sale in Scotland.
This is one of the main differences between selling a property in Scotland and selling elsewhere in the UK.
The Home Report contains three elements:
- A Single Survey
- An Energy Report
- A Property Questionnaire
The Single Survey is carried out by a chartered surveyor and includes information about the property’s condition along with a professional valuation.
The seller normally commissions and pays for the Home Report.
How Much Does a Home Report Cost?
There isn’t one standard price.
The cost can depend on:
- Property value
- Property size
- Location
- Age and construction
- Complexity of the building
- Surveyor
For many properties, the cost will run into several hundred pounds, while reports for larger, higher-value or more unusual properties can cost more.
Your estate agent should be able to provide a clear Home Report cost before you commit to putting the property on the market.
It’s worth avoiding the temptation to choose purely on price.
The Home Report valuation can have a significant influence on your eventual sale, and buyers using mortgage finance may also need the surveyor to be acceptable to their lender.
At MOV8 we base our Home Report fee on the property value and we work closely with expert surveyors to make sure you are getting the best value.
The Seller’s Guide to Home Reports in Scotland
3. Solicitor and Conveyancing Fees
Once a buyer is found, a solicitor is required to handle the legal side of the transaction.
Your conveyancing solicitor deals with matters including:
- Reviewing offers
- Negotiating the contractual terms
- Missives
- Title deeds
- Legal searches
- Property documentation
- Liaising with the buyer’s solicitor
- Mortgage redemption
- Settlement
- Transferring the sale proceeds to you
Some Scottish firms, including MOV8, provide both estate agency and conveyancing services.
Other sellers may choose an estate agent for the marketing and appoint a separate solicitor for the legal work.
How Much Does Conveyancing Cost?
Conveyancing fees vary depending on the solicitor, property value and complexity of the transaction.
At MOV8, conveyancing fees start from £795 + VAT.
A straightforward sale may fall towards the lower end of the fee structure, while transactions involving additional title work, missing documentation, complex alterations or other legal issues may cost more.
Your quotation will explain the professional fee together with any expected outlays or additional charges, helping you understand the likely total cost before proceeding.
4. Legal Searches and Outlays
Your solicitor’s professional fee isn’t necessarily the entire legal bill.
There can also be outlays.
These are costs paid to other organisations as part of completing the transaction.
They can include searches, registration charges and other third-party fees required during the conveyancing process.
The exact outlays depend on the property and transaction.
When requesting a solicitor’s quote, check whether the figure you’re comparing includes:
- VAT
- Searches
- Registration charges
- Mortgage discharge work
- Compliance checks
- Any other supplementary charges
Comparing headline legal fees without checking what’s included can make one quote appear cheaper than another when the final costs may actually be similar.
5. Paying Off and Discharging Your Mortgage
If you have a mortgage secured against the property, this normally needs to be repaid when the sale completes.
Your solicitor will obtain a redemption statement from your lender confirming the amount required to clear the mortgage.
On the date of entry, your solicitor receives the purchase funds and uses part of the money to repay the outstanding mortgage.
The lender’s security then needs to be discharged from the title.
There may be registration charges and legal costs associated with this, which should be identified in your conveyancing quote.
Do I Need a Solicitor to Sell My House in Scotland?
6. Marketing Costs
Different estate agents structure their marketing charges differently.
Some include most marketing activity within their standard fee, while others charge separately for specific services.
These could include:
- Professional photography
- Floor plans
- Video tours
- 360 virtual tours
- Premium property portal listings
- Newspaper advertising
- Social media advertising
- For Sale boards
Ask exactly what’s included before comparing quotes.
Marketing can make a meaningful difference to how your property performs, so it isn’t always sensible to simply choose the cheapest package.
The objective should be to reach as many appropriate buyers as possible and present the property in a way that encourages them to arrange a viewing.
7. Preparing Your Property for Sale
You don’t need to renovate your home before selling.
However, many sellers choose to spend some money preparing their property for the market.
That might include:
- Professional cleaning
- Window cleaning
- Garden maintenance
- Touching up paintwork
- Minor repairs
- Decluttering or storage
- Replacing damaged fixtures
- Improving kerb appeal
These costs are optional.
Before investing heavily in improvements, speak to your estate agent.
Some work may help presentation and saleability, while more expensive renovations won’t necessarily add an equivalent amount to the eventual selling price.
Sometimes a clean, declutter and a few relatively inexpensive improvements can have much more impact than a major project.
8. Removal Costs
Unless you’re leaving the property empty, you’ll also need to think about the cost of moving your belongings.
Removal charges vary depending on:
- Size of property
- Amount being moved
- Distance
- Packing service
- Storage requirements
- Ease of access
- Day of the week
- Time of year
If you’re moving locally from a smaller property, your costs may be relatively modest.
A large family move involving packing, storage or a longer distance can be considerably more expensive.
It’s worth getting several quotations once your moving plans become clearer.
9. Do Sellers Pay LBTT?
No – Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) is not a tax on selling your home.
LBTT is potentially payable by the person buying a property in Scotland.
However, if you’re selling your current home and buying another property, you may need to budget for LBTT on your onward purchase.
Depending on your circumstances, the Additional Dwelling Supplement could also become relevant.
These are costs associated with your purchase rather than the sale of your existing property.
Your solicitor can calculate what is due.
10. Do You Pay Capital Gains Tax When Selling Your Home?
Most homeowners selling their main residence won’t pay Capital Gains Tax if they qualify fully for Private Residence Relief.
However, Capital Gains Tax can potentially arise in other circumstances.
For example, if you’re selling:
- A second home
- A buy-to-let property
- An investment property
- A property that hasn’t always been your main home
- An inherited property
Tax rules depend on individual circumstances and can change.
If you’re uncertain whether Capital Gains Tax might apply to your sale, speak to a tax adviser or accountant.
11. What About Early Repayment Charges?
One easily overlooked cost is an early repayment charge on your mortgage.
Some mortgage products charge a fee if you repay the loan before the end of a fixed or discounted period.
Whether this applies depends on your mortgage agreement.
If you’re buying another property, your mortgage may potentially be portable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the process is automatic.
Before putting your home on the market, check:
- Whether an early repayment charge applies
- When your current deal ends
- Whether your mortgage is portable
- Any fees associated with moving the mortgage
Your mortgage lender or adviser can explain your options.
What Costs Do You Pay Upfront?
Not all selling costs are paid at the same time.
Some costs may need to be paid before your home goes on the market, while others can potentially be dealt with later in the transaction.
Typical upfront expenses may include:
- Home Report
- Some marketing costs
- Property preparation
- Estate agency fees where an upfront option is chosen
Costs normally dealt with later may include:
- Conveyancing fees
- Legal outlays
- Mortgage redemption
- Mortgage discharge
- Other agreed charges
Payment arrangements differ between firms and packages, so it’s worth checking exactly when each cost becomes payable.
Worked Example: Selling a £200,000 Property With MOV8
To illustrate how the costs can build up, consider a property selling for £200,000.
Using an estate agency fee of 0.4% + VAT paid upfront:
£200,000 × 0.4% = £800
VAT at 20% = £160
Estate agency fee: £960 including VAT
MOV8 conveyancing fees start from:
£795 + VAT = £954 including VAT
This gives an indicative starting point of:
£1,914 including VAT for estate agency and conveyancing
You would then need to add any applicable:
- Home Report cost
- Marketing/Production costs
- Conveyancing outlays
- Mortgage discharge costs
- Additional legal work
- Optional marketing
- Property preparation
- Removal costs
The exact figure will depend on the property and transaction, but this example gives an indication of how the core costs can build up.
How Much Money Will I Receive After Selling My House?
The headline selling price isn’t the amount that will arrive in your bank account.
From the sale proceeds, your solicitor may need to deal with:
- Your outstanding mortgage
- Legal fees
- Estate agency fees where applicable
- Legal outlays
- Other agreed costs
For example, if your property sells for £300,000 but you still owe £120,000 on your mortgage, the £120,000 must be repaid before considering the other costs of the sale.
Your solicitor will provide a financial statement showing how the proceeds are being dealt with.
This becomes particularly important if you’re relying on the equity from your existing property to fund your next purchase.
Is the Cheapest Estate Agent the Best Option?
Not necessarily.
When comparing costs, it’s worth considering the potential return as well as the fee.
Imagine one agent charges £500 less but another achieves an additional £5,000 on your eventual selling price.
The more expensive agent has delivered a substantially better financial result.
Consider:
- Local market knowledge
- Valuation accuracy
- Photography
- Property presentation
- Advertising reach
- Buyer database
- Viewing service
- Negotiation skills
- Communication
- Conveyancing integration
- Track record
The aim isn’t simply to minimise what you spend.
It’s to maximise what you’re left with after the sale.
How Can You Reduce the Cost of Selling?
There are some sensible ways to control your costs without compromising the result.
Compare Quotes Properly
Ask for written quotes and compare what is actually included.
Discuss Your Circumstances
Fees can vary depending on the property, likely sale price and services required, so speak to the agent about the overall package rather than focusing solely on one headline number.
Avoid Unnecessary Improvements
Ask your estate agent before spending substantial amounts preparing the property.
Check Your Mortgage
Understanding early repayment charges in advance can prevent an unwelcome surprise.
Get Organised Early
Locate important property documents before a buyer is found. Missing paperwork can create additional work and costs later.
Use the Right Marketing Package
More marketing isn’t automatically better.
The right approach should be tailored to the property and likely buyers.
Consider the Overall Return
Saving £200 on marketing isn’t a saving if weaker exposure ultimately results in a lower selling price.
Why Can the Final Cost Differ From the Original Quote?
Most straightforward sales should remain reasonably close to the expected cost.
However, additional work may become necessary if complications arise.
Examples include:
- Missing title documentation
- Unregistered alterations
- Problems with planning or building warrants
- Complicated title conditions
- Multiple securities over the property
- Additional legal work
- Changes to the agreed transaction
- Delayed settlement
Your solicitor should explain if additional work is required and whether it will affect your fees.
Frequently asked questions
There is no fixed total. Sellers typically need to budget for a Home Report, estate agency fees and conveyancing fees, together with legal outlays and mortgage discharge costs where applicable. Optional costs may include additional marketing, property preparation and removals.
Estate agency fees vary between firms and may be charged as a percentage of the eventual selling price or as a fixed fee. At MOV8, estate agency fees start from 0.4% + VAT when paid upfront.
Solicitor fees vary depending on the firm, property and complexity of the transaction. MOV8 conveyancing fees start from £795 + VAT, with the final fee depending on the individual sale.
Home Report costs vary according to the property’s value, size, location and complexity. Sellers should request a specific quotation before putting their property on the market.
The seller normally commissions and pays for the Home Report when marketing a residential property in Scotland.
You normally need a solicitor or appropriately qualified conveyancer to deal with the legal side of the property transaction, including missives, title work and settlement.
Your solicitor normally obtains a redemption figure and repays the outstanding mortgage from the sale proceeds at settlement. The lender’s security over the property must also be discharged.
Fee structures vary between agents and may depend on the property, likely sale price, services required and individual circumstances. It’s worth looking at the full service and likely outcome rather than comparing the percentage alone.
No. Removals are normally arranged and paid for separately by the seller.
Conclusion
So, how much does it cost to sell a house in Scotland?
The answer depends on your property, the services you choose and the complexity of the transaction, but the main costs to budget for are your Home Report, estate agency fees and conveyancing fees.
At MOV8, estate agency fees start from 0.4% + VAT when paid upfront, while conveyancing fees start from £795 + VAT.
There may also be legal outlays, mortgage discharge costs, moving expenses and optional costs associated with preparing and marketing your home.
The important thing is to understand the full cost before committing rather than comparing headline fees alone.
At MOV8, our estate agency and conveyancing teams work together under one roof, allowing us to provide a clear breakdown of the marketing and legal costs involved in selling your home.
If you’re thinking about selling, a free property valuation is a good place to start. As well as discussing what your property could realistically achieve in the current market, we can provide a personalised quote based on your property and circumstances.
Useful Links
Free Property Valuation
Find out what your home could be worth and speak to one of our local property experts.
Selling Your Home
Learn more about selling your property with MOV8 and the support available throughout the process.
Conveyancing Services
Find out how our solicitors can manage the legal side of your property sale.
Home Reports
Learn more about what’s included in a Scottish Home Report and when you’ll need one.
Property for Sale
Search the latest homes available through MOV8 across Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond.
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