With Christmas now over and the New Year with us, many people will be looking to the future and thinking about a fresh new start.

If you are contemplating or in the process of a home move then not only is this an exciting time but it is also a time of huge pressure, tension and a lot of expense.  So where does all our money go?  This is a quick guide to make sure you know exactly what to budget before buying your packing boxes for moving:

When looking for a new home and traipsing around estate agents, remember that estate agents charge for their services.  They normally charge between 1 – 2.5% depending on where you live.

Stamp duty is the tax you pay to the government when buying your property which is based on the value of your home. It is charged on all houses valued above £125,000.  If your house is priced between £125,000 and £250,000, you will pay 1% of the property price.  For properties between £250,000 and £500,000, it is 3% and over £500,000 it is be 4%.  For first time buyers however, there is no stamp duty on properties valued up to £250,000 until 24 March 2012.

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of ownership of a leasehold or freehold property. This can be a very complex and time consuming affair.  You will need to hire a solicitor to deal with the legal aspects of buying a property.  You can be charged anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds depending on the complexity and the value of the property.  Due to the relative complexity of a leasehold sale, legal fees will be higher for homes of this type rather than a freehold property. Costs start from approximately £199.00 with online conveyancing companies.

Try to shop around to get the best rate as prices can vary and there is no standard fee.

An extra charge you should also expect from your solicitor is a local, environmental and water search charge.  Depending on your local council the range of this cost is between £250 and £300.

A survey is conducted to ensure that your house is worth what you are paying for it and to assess the condition of the property.  There are several levels of surveys to choose from.  The most detailed report is the best option as it could save you thousands in the future.  It could also help you get your home at a discount if it uncovers un-foreseen structural problems as well as giving you the option to rethink the house purchase entirely and help to avoid paying more in major repairs.  A survey can cost from £50 to upwards of £1,000 depending on the size of property and level of detail you are looking for.  Realistically, you are unlikely to pay less than £100, even on a property costing less than £100,000.

As a rough guide, the cost for a £150,000 property will be approximately £120 to £300 for a basic valuation; £300 to £500 for a homebuyers’ survey and from £600 to £800 for a full structural survey.

You will be required to have at least a basic valuation carried out, but if you do want peace of mind, then shop around for a good surveyor and ensure you have a detailed report.

Mortgage fees vary substantially.  There are those deals with a lower mortgage rate that will come with bigger fees and vice versa.  If you are tempted by a low rate, it is always worth working out whether the fees outweigh the savings from the lower monthly payments.  For an average mortgage deal you should budget for fees of about £600.

This is a government department which looks after the registers of all registered properties in England and Wales.  It charges a fee for transferring the register to the new owner and is charged according to the property price.  For houses worth between:

This can be as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it.   If you have the time and energy you can hire or borrow a van and do it yourself.  All you need is a selection of strong robust moving boxes, packing materials plus a lot of hard work, sweat and patience!  Teacrate packaging can offer you a range of high quality products to set you on your way.  If you want to get someone in to do it professionally, it will take a lot of stress out of the process however, it can be expensive.  Shop around for reputable companies and ask family or friends for recommendations.  You don’t want to end up paying someone who turns out to be unreliable!

Now is the fun time!  With all costs taken into account, you’ve made the decision to move. Start organising your house, use durable packing boxes to get prepared and set the ball in motion by beginning your search for that new exciting chapter in your new life!