Costs associated with
Buying a House
Many buyers underestimate the total costs of buying a house the initial costs of which can be rather expensive. To help understand the main expenses you will face, here is a guide.
Deposit
For many, especially first time buyers, this is the most difficult thing to find. In the past some lenders would consider lending the entire purchase price with a 100% mortgage. Others would offer up to 95% of the value of a home and then a further 30% of the value as an unsecured loan. As a result of the significant changes to mortgage lending introduced in April 2014 that lenders now face, this is no longer the case.
It is still possible to obtain a 95% mortgage from some lenders including large High Street lenders and smaller Building Societies, but their criteria and underwriting (assessment of you and your circumstances) is strict. As borrowing a large proportion of the value of your house presents the lenders with a higher risk of losing money if a borrower defaults, the interest rates on these schemes can be higher than with lower loan-to-value mortgages.
Although lending conditions are easing you will ideally need a deposit of 10% -15% of the purchase price in order to attract more attractive interest rates. Larger deposits of up to 25% may be needed for new build flats and apartments, due to these suffering some of the greatest price decreases over the last few years. The higher the total deposit, then generally the lower the interest rates available.
Stamp Duty
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is a tax due if if you buy a property or land over a certain price in England and Northern Ireland, external.
You pay the tax when you:
· buy a freehold property
· buy a new or existing leasehold
· buy a property through a shared ownership scheme
· take on a mortgage or buy a share in a house
The amount of stamp duty you owe depends on the cost of the property, whether it will be used for residential purposes, and whether you own any other property.
At the moment, buyers of homes worth less than £250,000 don't pay stamp duty. This was doubled from £125,000 under Liz Truss's mini-Budget in September 2022.
The threshold is £425,000 for those buying their first property. This was raised from £300,000 as part of the mini-Budget.
These higher thresholds will end in March 2025, when they are expected to revert to previous levels.
· £0-£250,000 (£425,000 for first-time buyers) = 0%
· £250,001-£925,000 = 5%
· £925,001-£1.5m = 10%
· £1.5m+ = 12%
If you already own a residential property worth £40,000 or more, and you buy another (or a part of one), you have to pay an additional 3% on top of the rates above, external. This will rise to 5% from 31 October.
The single rate of stamp duty charged when firms buy dwellings worth more than £500,000 will also increase from 15% to 17%.
Legal Fees
A Solicitor will need to act for you in the purchase. They will make all of the necessary legal requirements to transfer ownership of the property to you. Depending on the property value you should budget for fees of £500 – £1500. On top of this you will have to pay ‘disbursements’ which are paid to other organisations for local, environmental and water searches, and to the Land Registry who record your new ownership of the property. Depending on your local council the range of these costs is £250 – £300.
Survey / Valuation Fees
All mortgaged property needs to be valued by an independent surveyor. A basic report is needed by the lender, but a more detailed survey known as a Homebuyers Report is often recommended for the buyer. This is especially true where the property is older or has unusual features. Fees are usually on a sliding scale based on the valuation, from around £250 for a basic report on property valued at up to £100,000, to approximately £400 for a £300,000 property.
Homebuyer Report fees are around double the basic report costs but a much more detailed survey is produced, giving information and reassurance. A full structural survey will cost you more although this is designed for properties with specific areas of concern regarding its construction or structure. These types of report are rarely needed for straightforward home purchases.
Product Fees
Product fees are often charged by the lender for specific deals, such as fixed and tracker rates. These vary between £300 to £1,500 or more. The typical fee charged is £995. Often the fee can be added to the loan and repaid over the life of the mortgage, but the fee must be factored in to the overall costs of the loan to compare whether the deal is attractive or not in relation to others with smaller or no fees.
Higher Lending Charge
Where a lender grants a mortgage above a certain amount, often 75% of the valuation of the property, they are required to arrange for their own protection some ‘additional security’. This is usually an insurance policy which would make good any losses they suffered in the event of a repossession and sale, where the sale price does not cover the mortgage debt.
Many lenders meet the cost of this insurance policy, but with tight lending restrictions in place it is possible more and more lenders will begin to pass on the charge to borrowers. Higher Lending Charges, as they are known, are usually added to the loan and repayable over the life of the mortgage and will depend on the amount borrowed above the threshold. As costs vary widely you should ask your adviser whether this fee will be charged, how much it will be and how it is payable.
Mortgage Adviser/ Broker Fees
The process of searching and applying for the most suitable mortgage is now longer, more involved and more difficult than it used to be, and many mortgage advisers now make a charge for their professional services. Mortgage brokers may also receive commission from the lender.
Typical fees when using Mortgage Tree can be £295 – £695, this is dependent on how much work is involved in your particular case and also on the mortgage amount you will be looking for. Commission is also received from the lender and is dependent on the loan size.
The total costs of buying a house will therefore vary depending on the value of the house you buy but you need to understand all of them, and when they are payable, before committing yourself.
