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Area guide — AL1

Moving to St Albans

Homes in St Albans sold for an average of £626,000 over the last 12 months, around 55% above the wider East of England average. Roman streets, a cathedral, a twice-weekly market — and the fastest cathedral-city commute in the country, which is why London leavers make it their first stop. A typical purchase takes 12–16 weeks and costs around £25,150 in fees and taxes on top of the price.

Average sold price — 12 mo
£626,000
Year on year
-3.7%
vs East of England average
+55%
Typical cost to move
£25,150
Offer to keys
12–16 wks

Buying a property: What do I need to do?

Less than you fear, more than you’d guess — and doing things in the right order makes a difference. This is the start of a to-do list that Navo will customise for your property purchase.

Your first four steps

Navo sequences the whole 12–16 weeks and chases what’s slow.

Get a mortgage agreement in principle
Shows sellers you’re serious.
Done
Instruct a conveyancing solicitor
Do this as soon as your offer’s accepted — it’s the critical path.
This week
Book a survey
A RICS survey flags issues before you’re committed.
In ~2 wks
Submit searches & enquiries
Your solicitor orders local, drainage & environmental searches.
In ~3 wks

Start tracking with Navo, and see your personalised list

Start tracking your move

What do homes cost here?

Down 3.7% on the year, from 433 recorded sales.

Property typeAvg. price
Flat
£345,500
Terraced
£666,500
Semi-detached
£836,000
Detached
£1,292,500

Sales split fairly evenly across property types.

How much does it cost to move?

As well as the purchase price

Cost
Low
Typical
High
Stamp duty
Set by government at this price
£21,300
Survey
RICS Level 2–3, scaled to price band
£500
£800
£1,500
£500 – £1,500
Conveyancing
Solicitor fees + searches
£1,200
£1,850
£2,700
£1,200 – £2,700
Removals
Scaled to typical home size at this price
£600
£1,200
£2,400
£600 – £2,400
Total on top of the price
£23,600
£25,150
£27,900
£23,600 – £27,900
SAMPLE figures. Stamp duty uses sample bands & reliefs — rates last verified 2026-07-13. Ranges vary by provider and property.

See the full cost-of-moving breakdown for St Albans

Living there

Schools (Ofsted Outstanding / Good)
21 (4 / 14)
Stations
St Albans City (Thameslink)
Typical journey to London St Pancras
~20 min fast
Gigabit broadband availability
89%
Ultrafast (100Mbit/s+) availability
92%
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents (12 mo)
110

School counts are last ratings under the previous Ofsted inspection framework (retired September 2024).

Questions people ask

Is St Albans a good place to buy?

Prices fell 3.7% over the last 12 months, across 433 recorded sales. Roman streets, a cathedral, a twice-weekly market — and the fastest cathedral-city commute in the country, which is why London leavers make it their first stop.

What do homes cost in St Albans?

The average sold price in the 12 months to March 2026 was £626,000 — around 55% above the wider East of England average. Flats average £345,500, terraced houses average £666,500, semis average £836,000, detached homes average £1,292,500.

What are moving costs in St Albans?

Buying an average-priced £626,000 home typically costs around £25,150 on top of the price — roughly £21,300 of stamp duty plus survey, conveyancing and removals. Our moving-cost estimator breaks it down for your own price.

How long does buying take in St Albans?

A typical purchase runs 12–16 weeks from offer accepted to keys — and the biggest delays are usually avoidable ones, like instructing a solicitor late.

Where do I start?

Recommended
Start tracking your move
Set up St Albans as your move and Navo builds your to-do list, deadlines and document checklist. Free.
See a sample to-do list
Preview exactly what you’ll need to do, in order.
Work out my costs
Stamp duty, fees and removals for this price.
Find a conveyancing solicitor
Compare quotes for buying in St Albans.
Find a surveyor
Book a survey for your new home.

Nearby areas

Moving to Berkhamsted · Moving to Hitchin · Moving to Barnet