Selling in Scotland
What does it cost to sell a house in Scotland?
A Scottish seller normally pays for the Home Report, conveyancing, marketing or agency fees, any mortgage discharge fee, and whatever repairs they choose to do before the survey. Pick a starting point below, then change every figure to match the quotes you have actually been given.
Expected sale price
Use the Home Report valuation if you have one, or a rough figure for now.
Home Report
Instructed and paid for by the seller before marketing. Larger and older properties cost more.
Conveyancing
Solicitor fees for the sale, charged as a fixed fee or a percentage. Quotes vary more than most sellers expect.
Marketing or agency fee
Solicitor estate agents, traditional agents and online-only listings all price differently. Compare what is included, not just the percentage.
Mortgage discharge and repairs
Your lender may charge a discharge fee, and anything fixed before the survey stays out of the Home Report.
Moving costs
Removals, and storage if your date of entry for the purchase falls after the sale.
Outstanding mortgage balance
The redemption figure your lender gives you. It is not a selling cost, but it comes off the sale price before anything reaches you.
VAT
Solicitor and agency fees are normally quoted plus VAT.
What does it cost to sell a house in Scotland?
A Scottish seller normally pays for the Home Report, conveyancing, marketing or agency fees, and any mortgage discharge fee, plus whatever repairs they choose to do before the survey. The total depends on price, property type and which professionals you instruct — this estimator lets you set every figure yourself.
Do I need to include my mortgage balance when working out what I will be left with?
Yes. The outstanding balance is redeemed out of the sale proceeds at the date of entry, so your solicitor pays the lender before releasing the rest to you. It is not a cost of selling, but it decides what actually reaches your account — enter the redemption figure from your lender rather than the last statement balance, because it includes interest to the date of entry and any early repayment charge.
What do removals cost when moving within Edinburgh?
It depends on volume, access and stairs rather than distance. A tenement flat with no lift costs more to clear than a house with a driveway, and a same-day move within the city is cheaper than one spanning a gap between the sale and purchase dates of entry — in that case add storage. Get two or three written quotes based on a survey of the property, not a phone estimate.
Is estate agency fee negotiable in Scotland?
Fee structures vary widely between solicitor estate agents, traditional agents and online-only listings. Compare what is included — photography, floor plans, portal listings, viewings — rather than the headline percentage alone.
More on the process: selling questions answered · the Seller Academy
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Lothian Property is an independent property information and introduction service. We are not an estate agency. We help homeowners understand their property, their options and their local market, and — where appropriate and only with your permission — introduce them to independent estate agents and other property professionals who can assist.
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