Upfront cash beyond the down payment
Other one-time costs, explained
Other one-time costs are bills you pay once when you buy or move into the home. They can include a moving truck, new locks, or a deposit to turn on water or electricity. Do not put a cost here if it already has its own field. Put recurring home bills under Other monthly costs instead.
Published and maintained by Kevin Song for Your Home Cost. Last reviewed: . How guides are reviewed.
4 cited sources
Why it changes your estimate
Moving, setting up the home, and handling immediate needs can require more cash than buyers expect. Adding those items makes the upfront total more useful and helps protect the money reserved for normal monthly bills.
What to enter
Add costs such as a moving company or rental truck, utility setup deposits, new locks, essential appliances, basic furnishings, and repairs you plan to make right after getting the keys. If a known Federal Housing Administration (FHA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) upfront program fee will be paid in cash, include it here; leave it out if it will be financed into the loan. Use quotes when possible, and do not repeat any charge already entered in another field.
Good to know
There is no useful single national average for this mixed category because every move, property, and household is different. An earnest-money deposit is usually credited toward the final cash due, but the purchase contract controls how that money is handled, so do not add it twice. Use real quotes when available, keep a separate cushion for surprises, and leave out recurring monthly bills or long-term maintenance reserves that belong elsewhere in the calculator.
Build a move-in cash timeline, not one miscellaneous guess
List each item with an expected date, written quote or basis, and whether it is required before closing, at move-in, or during the first few months. Separate refundable deposits from true expenses, and distinguish essential work from upgrades that can wait. A low, expected, and high scenario is more useful than one rounded allowance when movers, appliances, locks, travel, storage, or immediate repairs remain uncertain.
Reconcile the list against the Loan Estimate, inspection budget, association documents, and monthly-cost fields. If a program fee can be financed or paid in cash, model both treatments with the lender because financing preserves cash but increases the balance and payment. Keep an unassigned contingency outside the itemized total so every surprise does not consume money already promised to another closing obligation.
- Attach a timing, source, and low-to-high range to every planned cash item.
- Separate refundable deposits, essential move-in needs, and deferrable upgrades.
- Check the list against closing and monthly fields before adding a contingency.
Worked example
A $1,200 move, $150 utility deposit, $250 lock change, and $900 of immediate supplies and repairs total $2,500 of other one-time costs.
Sources and citations
These references support the definitions, planning guidance, and program rules above. A citation does not mean its publisher endorses this guide.
Original planning exercise
Distinguish spending, deposits and temporary housing overlap
A buyer expects $1,800 movers, $250 lock changes, a $300 refundable utility deposit, $2,500 appliances, and $1,600 of old rent that overlaps with the purchase. None is included in the closing allowance or inspection budget.
Illustrative assumptions, not quotes or forecasts. Calculations by Your Home Cost; mortgage payment examples use the calculator's shared fixed-rate formula.
| Option or step | Calculation | Planning result |
|---|---|---|
| Move and setup | $1,800 + $250 + $2,500 | $4,550 spending |
| Deposit and housing overlap | $300 + $1,600 | $1,900 additional cash needed |
| Cash to set aside | $4,550 + $1,900 | $6,450 one-time cash plan |
What the comparison tells you
The refundable deposit still ties up $300 until it is returned, so it belongs in a cash-availability plan even though it may not be a permanent expense. Overlapping rent belongs to the move period; treating it as an ongoing new-home cost would overstate later months.
Evidence to collect
Record the amount, payee, due date, refund conditions and whether each item is already included in another estimate. Check delivery and installation charges before treating an appliance sticker price as the full cost.
Apply it in the calculator
Enter $6,450 in Other one-time costs for this cash-planning scenario. Keep the deposit separately identified in your own ledger and subtract amounts already paid when checking remaining cash.
Original planning exercise added . Source-review dates above are maintained separately.