Valuation & costs
How Much Will I Make Selling My House?
To work out what you’ll make selling your house, take the sale price and subtract your outstanding mortgage (the redemption figure), estate-agent fees (1-1.5% + VAT), conveyancing (£800-£1,800 + disbursements), any mortgage early-repayment charge, removals, and any Capital Gains Tax (only on a second home or let property). What remains is your net proceeds — usually price minus mortgage minus selling costs for a main home.
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- Net proceedsprice − costs
- No CGTon your main home
- Cash saleremoves the fees
The basic calculation
Working out your net proceeds is a simple subtraction:
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Sale price | Starting figure |
| − Mortgage redemption | Repay the outstanding loan |
| − Estate-agent fee | ~1-1.5% + VAT |
| − Conveyancing | £800-£1,800 + disbursements |
| − Early repayment charge | If within a fixed deal |
| − Removals / CGT (if applicable) | Other costs |
| = Net proceeds | What you keep |
Get your key figures
Two numbers matter most. Your mortgage redemption figure — the exact amount to clear the mortgage, including any daily interest and admin fee — comes from your lender on request (see selling with a mortgage). And your realistic sale price, from sold comparables and agent valuations. With these two, plus your selling costs, you can calculate your net proceeds accurately.
The costs to subtract
Your selling costs typically include the estate-agent fee (around 1-1.5% + VAT, or a fixed online fee), conveyancing (£800-£1,800 plus disbursements — see cost of selling), removals, and any mortgage early-repayment charge if you are within a fixed deal. For your main home there is no Capital Gains Tax, but for a second home or let property, CGT on the gain reduces your net (see taxes when selling).
A worked example
On a £300,000 sale with a £150,000 mortgage: subtract the £150,000 redemption, roughly £4,320 agent fee (1.2% + VAT), about £1,500 conveyancing, and (say) £1,000 removals — leaving net proceeds of around £143,180, before any early-repayment charge. For your main home with no mortgage penalty, the maths is simply price − mortgage − selling costs. Adjust for your own figures.
How a cash sale changes the maths
A cash sale removes the agent fee and usually the legal fee (the buyer often pays it), and saves months of mortgage payments and holding costs — but at a lower price (75-85% of value). So the net can be closer to the open market than the headline percentage suggests, especially for a home that is hard to sell or where you’d face months of costs. See cost of a cash sale.
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Written & reviewed by Lisa Hayes, Founder
Lisa Hayes is the founder of Ready Steady Sell and an independent UK home-selling expert with over a decade helping homeowners weigh cash house buyers, property investors and the wider fast house-sale industry — without pressure or hidden fees. Every guide is reviewed for accuracy under our editorial standards.
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Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, no sales talk
How do I work out how much I’ll make selling my house?
Take the sale price and subtract your mortgage redemption, agent fees, conveyancing, any early-repayment charge, removals, and any CGT (second home/let only). What remains is your net proceeds.
What costs come out of my house sale?
Your outstanding mortgage, estate-agent fees (~1-1.5% + VAT), conveyancing (£800-£1,800 plus disbursements), any mortgage early-repayment charge, removals, and CGT on a second home or let property.
Do I pay tax on the money from selling my house?
Not on your main home — it is exempt from Capital Gains Tax. CGT applies to a second home or let property, on the gain.
How do I find my mortgage redemption figure?
Ask your lender — it is the exact amount to clear the mortgage, including any daily interest and admin fee. You need it to calculate your net proceeds.
Will an early repayment charge reduce my proceeds?
Yes, if you are within a fixed or discounted deal. Porting the mortgage to a new home can avoid it. Check your mortgage terms with your lender.
How does a cash sale affect what I make?
It removes agent and usually legal fees and saves holding costs, but at a lower price (75-85%). The net can be closer to the open market than the headline percentage suggests.