A UK property auction has more lines on the bill than a Rightmove listing. Here is every fee you will encounter as a buyer or seller, what each one really pays for, and what the actual numbers look like at the five biggest UK auction houses in 2026.
The buyer's bill: hammer plus six extras
When the hammer falls at, say, £200,000, that is not what you pay. Your full bill typically includes:
- Hammer price — the headline number
- Buyer's premium — 1.2%–4.2% depending on the house, with a minimum (usually £1,500–£6,000)
- Legal pack admin fee — £250–£1,200 paid to the auctioneer
- Stamp duty (SDLT/LBTT/LTT) — calculated on hammer + premium, NOT just hammer
- Solicitor fees — £1,200–£2,500 for a standard purchase
- Bridging interest + arrangement — only if you're not paying cash
- Special conditions — sometimes the seller's legal costs are passed to you
What each major UK auctioneer charges (buyer-side)
| Auctioneer | Buyer's premium | Minimum | Admin fee | Method | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bond Wolfe | 1.2% | £1,500 | £1,200 | Traditional | | Auction House UK | 1.5% | £1,500 | £900 | Both | | Allsop | 3.0% | £3,000 | £250 | Both | | iamsold | 4.2% inc. VAT | £6,000 | £0 | Modern method | | Pugh & Co | 1.2% | £1,500 | £950 | Traditional |
Read across the columns: the auctioneer with the lowest buyer's premium often has the highest admin fee. For a £200,000 hammer:
- Bond Wolfe: £1,500 (1.2% min) + £1,200 admin = £2,700
- Allsop: £6,000 (3% min) + £250 admin = £6,250
- iamsold MMA: £8,400 (4.2%) + £0 admin = £8,400
The cheaper-looking number on a low premium can still be the more expensive deal once admin is added — and the iamsold reservation fee is the biggest of the lot.
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What sellers pay (or don't)
Here is where the formats diverge sharply.
| Auctioneer | Seller commission | Min | Entry fee | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Allsop | 0% | £0 | £0 | | Bond Wolfe | 2.5% | £2,500 | £250 | | Auction House UK | 2.5% | £2,000 | £295 | | iamsold | 0% | £0 | £0 | | Pugh & Co | 2.0% | £2,500 | £300 |
A handful of auction houses charge sellers nothing because the buyer's premium funds the auctioneer. The traditional regional auction houses still charge sellers commission of 2–3% on top of an entry fee.
The hidden cost: stamp duty on the premium
This is the one most buyers miss. HMRC calculates SDLT on the chargeable consideration, which is the hammer price PLUS the buyer's premium.
For a £200,000 hammer with a typical 3% premium (£6,000), SDLT is calculated on £206,000, not £200,000. The difference for a main residence is small (£300 extra), but for additional-property buyers with the +5% surcharge, the premium adds £300 to standard SDLT and another £300 to the surcharge — about £600 in tax you wouldn't pay on the same headline price through an estate agent.
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Stamp duty calculator
Special conditions of sale — read every page
The legal pack will usually contain a section labelled "Special Conditions of Sale". This is where the seller's solicitor adds clauses that shift extra obligations onto the buyer. Common examples:
- Seller's legal costs — typically £1,500–£3,000 added to the buyer's bill
- Search pack reimbursement — £200–£500
- VAT on the property — for commercial lots, can be 20% of hammer
- Outstanding ground rent / service charge arrears — to be cleared by the buyer
- Indemnity insurance contributions — for title defects
A property advertised at a £100,000 guide can become a £108,000 commitment before the hammer even falls if you don't read these clauses. Get a solicitor to review the legal pack 48 hours before the auction.
Bridging finance: the cost of speed
Traditional auction's 28-day completion makes a normal mortgage impossible for most buyers. Bridging finance is the standard tool. At 2026 market rates:
- Monthly rate: 0.85%–1.10% (we use 0.95% in the calculator)
- Arrangement fee: 1.5%–2.5% of the loan amount
- Exit fee: 0%–1.0% (often £0)
- Term: typically 6–12 months for residential refurbishment, 1–3 months for chain-break
For £150,000 borrowed over 6 months at 0.95%/month + 2% arrangement: £8,550 interest + £3,000 arrangement = £11,550 in financing costs. Build this into your hammer ceiling before bidding.
The honest summary
For a £200,000 property with a typical 3% buyer's premium, paying cash, with no special conditions, your all-in cost is roughly:
- Hammer: £200,000
- Buyer's premium: £6,000
- Admin: £250
- SDLT (main residence): £2,800
- Solicitor: £1,500
- All-in: £210,550 — 5.3% above hammer
Add bridging and that becomes ~£222,000 (11% above hammer). Add the +5% additional-property surcharge and you're at ~£232,000 (16% above hammer).
These are the numbers nobody puts on a Rightmove listing. They are completely knowable in advance — you just need a calculator and the patience to read the legal pack.