Updated 2026-10-01
What a cottage really costs
A cottage purchase costs far more than the price: expect the SDLT additional-dwelling surcharge (5 percentage points on top of standard rates), RICS survey fees of a few hundred to over a thousand pounds, legal fees, and — for thatched or listed buildings — higher ongoing maintenance and insurance. The figures below are the publishers' own, with the source beside each one.
Stamp duty when it is an additional dwelling
If the cottage will be your additional dwelling rather than your only home, the stamp duty land tax surcharge rose from 3 to 5 percentage points on 31 October 2024. From 1 April 2025 the additional-property rates run at 5, 7, 10, 15 and 17 per cent across the price bands. Budget for the surcharge on top of the standard rates before you fall for a thatch.
The UK average house price was 273,037 pounds in August 2026, up 0.9 per cent on the year. In Cornwall, the most-searched cottage region, the average was 274,570 pounds, and detached homes averaged 419,340 pounds.
Surveys and conveyancing
A RICS survey typically costs 250 to 1,200 pounds or more, depending on the level of survey you choose. Conveyancing typically runs 1,200 to 2,500 pounds. Old cottages reward the more thorough survey: lintels, damp and drainage are where the surprises live.
The second-home council tax premium
From 1 April 2025, English authorities can charge a council tax premium of up to 100 per cent on second homes. As of the 2025 taxbase, 211 of 296 English authorities charged the premium, and 63.6 per cent of England's 267,894 second homes paid the full 100 per cent. Check the authority's policy before you buy: the premium is a yearly cost, not a one-off.
And when you sell
One widely-quoted guide puts the average estate-agent fee at 1.42 per cent including VAT, about 3,900 pounds on a 275,000-pound sale; sole agency commonly runs 1.0 to 1.8 per cent plus VAT. Our own listing fees, when the service goes live, are proposed in a band from zero to 1,299 pounds and will be labelled as proposals until then.
Sources
- HMRC policy paper (SRC-008)
- HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index (August 2026) (SRC-002)
- HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index (August 2026) (SRC-003)
- RICS consumer guidance (SRC-038)
- MHCLG / legislation.gov.uk (LURA 2023) (SRC-010)
- MHCLG, Council Taxbase 2025 (revised) (SRC-004)
- HomeOwners Alliance (guide, citing Rightmove 2025 data) (SRC-024)
Land Registry figures contain HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right, under the Open Government Licence v3.0.