What it really costs to move house in Cornwall in 2026

You’ve found the house, agreed the price and worked out the mortgage. Then the other bills start arriving, and for a homeowner buying and selling in Cornwall they now add up to £15,017.

That figure comes from the annual Cost of Moving Report by comparison site reallymoving, which analysed 204,000 home moving quotes across the UK. It covers Stamp Duty, conveyancing, estate agent fees, a Level 2 RICS Homebuyer survey, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and removals.

Where the money goes

The report bases its Cornwall housing figures on a median purchase price of £350,000 for homeowners and £210,000 for first time buyers.

Stamp Duty is the biggest single cost at £7,500, almost half of the total. Estate agent fees come next at £4,260, then conveyancing at £2,082.

Cheaper than last year

The total is 9.3% (£1,532) lower than in 2025. The report puts that down to a fall in the median purchase price, which has pulled down linked costs such as Stamp Duty. Survey and conveyancing costs also fell slightly year on year. Estate agent fees went up.

Cornwall’s homeowner figure is also 13.8% lower than the England-wide figure of £17,413.

Rob Houghton, founder and CEO of reallymoving, said: “Homeowners in Cornwall will welcome a reduction in moving costs compared to last year, but a bill of over £15,000 simply to buy and sell a home is still a substantial sum to find, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.

“It leaves movers with less money to put towards their next home, making it harder for people to move when their circumstances change. Shopping around and comparing quotes, paying attention to reviews as well as price, will help buyers keep their costs as low as possible.”

What first time buyers need to find

First time buyers in Cornwall need £2,253 for moving expenses, on top of a deposit.

The median first time buyer purchase price of £210,000 sits below the Stamp Duty threshold, so there is no Stamp Duty in the report’s calculation. That makes conveyancing their largest cost at £1,364, followed by a survey at £515 and removals at £374.

📷Cost of Moving 2026: homeowners versus first time buyers by region. Credit: reallymoving

How Cornwall compares

A home move in England costs £17,413 in upfront expenses in 2026, down 2.3% from last year’s record high.

The report describes a pronounced north/south divide, driven largely by property prices and their effect on Stamp Duty and estate agent bills. The four southern regions (London, the South East, East of England and the South West) average £22,844. The North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber average £11,110.

The South West as a whole comes in at £17,292 for homeowners and £2,346 for first time buyers. London tops the table at £32,017 for homeowners.

For first time buyers the gap almost disappears. London is the only region where they face Stamp Duty based on the median purchase price. Leave it out and the cost of buying a first home varies by just £200 across the rest of England.

How to cut the cost of your move

reallymoving’s tips for keeping the bill down:

• Move mid-week. Friday is the busiest day to move, and demand peaks in late summer and around the school holidays. Many removals firms offer cheaper rates mid-week and in off-peak periods.
• Book removals promptly. The more notice you give, the better, and it helps with budgeting. Unless you have very few possessions, arrange an in-person survey to confirm the volume of your belongings, and tell the firm about any last-minute changes.
• Clear your clutter first. The less you have, the less you pay, and unpacking is easier. You could make some money selling unwanted items.
• Ask about discounts. Some removals firms offer discounts for pensioners, students, key workers or armed forces.
• Check the insurance. Most removals firms include insurance in their contract. Check the excess and the level of cover, and consider upgrading if needed.
• Shop around. Use a comparison site to compare quotes from vetted and accredited firms, checking reviews as well as prices.

How the figures were worked out

The quotes analysed were gathered between August 2025 and July 2026. Conveyancing, survey and removals costs are medians. Homeowner removals assume a property of two bedrooms or more moving under 30 miles, and first time buyer removals assume two bedrooms or fewer over the same distance.

Estate agent fees are calculated at 1.42% (including VAT) of the median selling price, a figure taken from the HomeOwners Alliance guide to estate agent fees. reallymoving estimates that 13% of the UK’s homebuyers receive quotes from its site.

📷Removal Truck Waiting To Be Unloaded Outside New Home On Moving Day