Stamp Duty on £400,000 House UK (2026 Calculator)

By Wealthvieu · Updated

Stamp duty on a £400,000 house is £0 for first-time buyers or £10,000 for home movers.

Stamp Duty Summary

Buyer Type Stamp Duty Effective Rate
First-time buyer £0 0%
Home mover £10,000 2.5%
Second home/BTL £22,000 5.5%

How Stamp Duty is Calculated

Home Movers (Standard Rates)

Band Rate Taxable Amount Tax
£0 - £125,000 0% £125,000 £0
£125,001 - £250,000 2% £125,000 £2,500
£250,001 - £400,000 5% £150,000 £7,500
Total £10,000

First-Time Buyers

Band Rate Taxable Amount Tax
£0 - £425,000 0% £400,000 £0
Total £0

Second Home / Buy-to-Let (3% Surcharge)

Band Rate Taxable Amount Tax
£0 - £125,000 3% £125,000 £3,750
£125,001 - £250,000 5% £125,000 £6,250
£250,001 - £400,000 8% £150,000 £12,000
Total £22,000

Total Purchase Costs at £400K

Cost First-Time Buyer Home Mover
House price £400,000 £400,000
Deposit (10%) £40,000 £40,000
Stamp duty £0 £10,000
Solicitor £2,000 £2,000
Survey £700 £700
Total upfront £42,700 £52,700

FTB Savings at £400K

First-time buyers save £10,000 compared to home movers — a significant advantage.

Comparison FTB Home Mover Difference
Stamp duty £0 £10,000 £10,000 saved
Effective rate 0% 2.5% 2.5% saved

Impact on Deposit Requirements

That £10,000 stamp duty saving could mean:

  • Buy with 7.5% deposit instead of 10%
  • Have bigger emergency fund at move-in
  • More budget for renovations/furniture

Home Mover: Selling to Buy

If you’re selling a property to buy at £400K:

Item Amount
Sale price (existing home) £300,000
Estate agent (1.5%) -£4,500
Solicitor (sale) -£1,000
Net proceeds £294,500
Less: Mortgage balance -£150,000
Equity to use £144,500

From £144,500 equity, allocate:

  • Deposit (10%): £40,000
  • Stamp duty: £10,000
  • Purchase costs: £2,700
  • Buffer: £91,800
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