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Stamp duty is one of several things that fall due around the day you get the keys, and it is the only one with a legal deadline attached. This article sets out where it sits in the timeline, then covers the packing and moving-day jobs that tend to decide how smooth the day feels.
Where stamp duty sits on moving day
SDLT is worked out on the price you pay and is usually settled through your conveyancer, so it appears in the completion figures rather than as a separate bill. GOV.UK says the return and payment are due within 14 days of the effective date of the transaction, which is normally the completion date. A solicitor, agent or legal conveyancer can send the return for you, but GOV.UK is clear that you remain responsible for filing on time and with correct information.
Say you buy a home for £300,000. Under the standard bands you pay nothing on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500) and 5% on the final £50,000 (£2,500), which makes £5,000. If everyone on the purchase is a first-time buyer, relief sets a 0% rate up to £300,000, so the same purchase costs nothing in stamp duty. The relief stops entirely above £500,000, so a price just over that line is taxed at the standard rates. You can check your own price with the calculator, and the guide explains the bands in full.
If you still own your old home on the day you complete, the position is different. GOV.UK says you usually pay 5% on top of the standard rates if you own another residential property, and that you may not pay the extra 5% if the previous main home is sold within 36 months of completing the new purchase. If your sale and purchase are not completing on the same day, ask your conveyancer how that is being handled before you move, because it changes the amount due on the day.
Whatever the figure, it is worth having it confirmed in writing by your conveyancer before completion, so the money you need on the day is not a surprise.
The week before
Most of the work is decided here, not on the day.
- Confirm the completion date and, if you can, the time the keys will be released. Completion depends on the money moving through a chain of solicitors, so the time is not always fixed in advance.
- Book the removal firm or van, or confirm the lift and parking arrangements at both ends.
- Start packing rooms you do not use daily, and keep an inventory of what is in each box.
- Arrange to be at the new home with a phone charger and a way to pay for anything that comes up.
Packing supplies that earn their place
Boxes are the main cost. A box that is too large for what is in it gets overfilled, and the bottom splits. Books, tins and tools go in small boxes, and light bulky items such as bedding and cushions go in large ones. Strong double-wall boxes cope better with stacking in a van than single-wall ones, so it is worth searching for Ad double wall removal boxes rather than reusing supermarket cartons that are already soft from a first trip.
Tape is where cheap supplies cost you. A roll that tears off in strips slows every box down, so Ad packing tape with a dispenser gun is quicker than a loose roll and your fingernails. Tape the bottom seam in a cross as well as along the join, since the base takes the weight.
For breakable items, Ad bubble wrap suits glasses, picture frames and electronics. Ad Unprinted packing paper wraps plates and ornaments without leaving newsprint ink on them. Plates are better stood on their edge than stacked flat.
Beds and sofas collect dirt in transit. Ad Mattress bags for moving are cheap compared with cleaning a mattress, and they also keep damp out if a van door is open during rain.
Labelling saves time at the other end. Write the destination room on the side of the box, not the top, because boxes are stacked and only the sides stay visible. A set of Ad coloured moving labels helps when helpers are carrying boxes and cannot read your handwriting.
Moving heavy items
Two items shorten the carrying. Ad Furniture sliders let one person shift a wardrobe or a sofa across a room without lifting, and they protect the floor as well. A Ad folding sack truck moves stacked boxes in one trip and is useful if there is a long path to the van. Check the weight rating before buying, and do not stack above shoulder height.
Take photographs of any fixed furniture you plan to disassemble, and keep screws and fittings in a labelled bag taped to the item itself rather than loose in a drawer.
The first-night box
Pack one box last, so it comes off the van first. It holds the things you need before the rest is unpacked: a kettle, mugs, tea and coffee, a few plates and cutlery, toilet roll, a towel each, chargers, bed linen, basic tools and a torch. Mark it clearly so it does not get buried.
On the day
- Walk the old property with the removal crew before they leave, checking cupboards, the loft and the garage.
- At the new home, check the contents match what the sellers agreed to leave, and compare the keys against what you were told to expect.
- Photograph the empty rooms and the meters before furniture goes in. If something is damaged or missing, a dated photograph gives you something to raise with your conveyancer.
- Keep the paperwork and keys with you, not in the van.
Your conveyancer will handle the stamp duty return, but keep the paperwork they send you. The certificate that proves it was filed is one you will want to find again later, and a separate article covers what to keep after completion.