THE average cost of moving house has shot up by six per cent in the past year.

Upping sticks and transferring the lives of you and your family to a new home is said to cost an average of more than £11,500.

Rising house prices are said to be the main reason for the rise, according to experts from Lloyds Bank, who carried out the analysis.

This pushes up stamp duty, as this is typically linked to the purchase price.

The research shows major regional differences across the UK, with costs rising up to 21 per cent in the south-west of England, but in the north-east and Scotland they have fallen by eight per cent.

In London the average cost is almost three times the typical UK sum. Moving home in the capital is £32,092, on average. In London, the average mover pays just under £16,000 in stamp duty and over £11,000 in estate-agency fees.

“The cost involved when moving home has continued to rise over the past year, making it even more difficult,” said Andrew Mason, mortgages product director at Lloyds Bank.

“Those looking to move in London are facing a considerable challenge with the cost involved being nearly three times the national average.

“The combination of both higher property prices and the rapid increase in those prices in recent years results in significantly higher moving costs.”

Moving costs in Northern Ireland have fallen by £5,382 or 47 per cent from £11,513 in 2007 to £6,131 in 2017, due to the dramatic decline in house prices.

On average, British homeowners move house every 23 years, according to new research.

Analysts at property platform Zoopla found significant regional differences in this. People in Scotland were found to move most often – every 19 years – while homeowners in Wales stay put for the longest – 26 years, on average.

Lawrence Hall, spokesman for Zoopla, said: “It’s interesting to see where in Britain property is changing hands more frequently.

“Regions with a shorter time between house moves could offer better affordability than those areas where properties change hands less regularly.”