Closing Cost Calculator
What does it really cost to close on a home? Get an itemized estimate plus the total and % of price. For the UK, the stamp duty (SDLT / LBTT / LTT) is calculated exactly from current bands, including first-time-buyer relief.
Purchase details
Estimated closing costs
$17,765
about 2.32% of the $765,000 price (excludes transfer tax — varies locally)
- Transaction / transfer taxFrom region data; varies by state/locality
- varies
- Loan origination (~0.75% of loan)
- $4,590
- Appraisal
- $600
- Credit report
- $50
- Lender's title insurance + search~0.5% of price, varies
- $3,825
- Owner's title insurance (optional)Optional but common
- $3,060
- Escrow / settlement
- $900
- Recording
- $150
- Prepaids (tax/insurance/interest escrow)Rough prepaid reserve
- $4,590
- Total (excl. “varies” items)
- $17,765
Estimates only, not a quote. The transaction tax varies by state and locality, so it is shown as “varies”; other line items are typical benchmarks that vary by lender, property, and region.
Closing costs are the one-off fees and taxes you pay to complete a home purchase — separate from your deposit and the price itself. They typically add around 1–4% of the purchase price, and the single biggest piece is almost always the government's transaction tax, which works very differently depending on where you buy. Pick the US or a UK nation above and the calculator itemizes the costs for that market, with the total and share of price.
How this calculator works
Every purchase shares a similar shape: the transaction tax, a lender fee for arranging the mortgage, a survey or appraisal of the property, legal or conveyancing work to transfer ownership, title or registry fees to record it, and small searches and disbursements. The transaction tax is the accurate anchor here — it's taken straight from the real tax rules, not estimated — while the other lines are labelled market benchmarks.
In the United States there's no national transfer tax: it's set by each state and locality, so the calculator shows it as 'varies' rather than guess. The estimable US pieces are the lender's origination fee (around 0.75% of the loan), title insurance and search (~0.5% of price), appraisal, escrow and settlement, recording, and prepaid tax and insurance reserves.
In the United Kingdom the transaction tax is exact and splits four ways across the nations — Stamp Duty (SDLT) in England and Northern Ireland, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) in Scotland, and Land Transaction Tax (LTT) in Wales — each with its own bands and thresholds. On top sit the solicitor or conveyancing fee, a survey or valuation, the mortgage arrangement fee, the Land Registry fee, and local searches. First-time-buyer relief, where it applies, is built into the tax figure.
Canada is coming soon. A Canadian purchase's largest closing cost is provincial — and sometimes municipal — land transfer tax, and we don't yet have a land-transfer-tax calculation in place. Rather than show an inaccurate number, Canada isn't offered here until that's built.
A worked example
A UK illustration (the calculator also covers US closing costs — switch country above): a £300,000 standard purchase in England. The stamp duty is exact, from the same engine as our stamp duty calculator; the rest are typical market benchmarks:
- Stamp Duty (SDLT, England)
- £5,000
- Solicitor / conveyancing
- £1,500
- Survey / valuation
- £600
- Mortgage arrangement / booking fee
- £1,000
- Land Registry fee
- £270
- Local searches
- £300
- Total closing costs
- £8,670
- Share of purchase price
- 2.89%
Stamp duty is calculated from England's current SDLT bands; the other line items are typical benchmarks that vary by solicitor, lender, and property. A first-time buyer at this price pays no stamp duty, cutting the total sharply. Change the nation, price, or first-time-buyer status in the calculator to see how each moves.
Who it's for
- You're budgeting the full upfront cost of buying — not just the deposit — so nothing is a surprise at completion.
- You're a UK buyer who wants the exact stamp duty (SDLT, LBTT, or LTT) plus the other fees in one total.
- You're a US buyer estimating lender, title, and escrow costs on top of the local transfer tax.
Frequently asked questions
What are closing costs?
Closing costs are the one-off fees and taxes you pay to complete a property purchase, separate from your deposit and the price itself. They cover the government's transaction tax, lender and legal fees, a survey, and registration — typically adding around 1–4% of the price. The transaction tax is usually the largest single item.
How much are closing costs in the UK?
For a mid-priced home, expect roughly 2–4% of the price once stamp duty is included, though it depends heavily on price and nation. On a £300,000 standard purchase in England, stamp duty is the largest piece and the total lands near 3% once solicitor, survey, mortgage, Land Registry, and search fees are added — see the worked example above for the live breakdown. A first-time buyer at that price pays no stamp duty, cutting it sharply.
What's the difference between SDLT, LBTT, and LTT?
They're three separate transaction taxes for different UK nations: Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in England and Northern Ireland, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) in Scotland, and Land Transaction Tax (LTT) in Wales. Each sets its own price bands, rates, and thresholds, so the same purchase price is taxed differently depending on where the property is. The calculator applies the correct one for the nation you choose.
Do first-time buyers pay less?
In the UK, usually yes — first-time buyers get relief that lowers or removes the transaction tax up to a threshold (in England, no SDLT up to £425,000, then a reduced rate up to £625,000). On a £300,000 England purchase that removes the stamp duty entirely. Scotland and Wales have their own first-time-buyer rules. Tick 'first-time buyer' in the calculator to see the effect on your total.
Are closing costs included in my mortgage?
Usually not — most are paid in cash at completion, on top of your deposit, so budget for them separately. A few can sometimes be rolled in: a UK mortgage arrangement fee is often added to the loan, and some US costs can be financed or covered by the lender in exchange for a higher rate. The transaction tax, though, is almost always paid upfront.
Why doesn't this show US transfer tax?
Because there's no single US transfer tax — it's set by each state, county, and sometimes city, ranging from zero to over 2% of the price, with no national rule to apply reliably. Rather than show a misleading figure, the US transfer-tax line reads 'varies,' and the calculator totals the fees that can be estimated (lender, title, escrow, and prepaids). Your closing agent or a local calculator can give the exact local rate.
Educational estimate, not a quote. The transaction tax is the accurate anchor: for the UK it comes from the same stamp-duty engine as our stamp duty calculator; for the US it varies by state and locality and is shown as “varies.” Other line items are typical benchmarks. A Canada version is not yet available (it needs a provincial land-transfer-tax calculation).