It costs £5,171 to move house in the West Midlands - £380 less than the national average.

The figure is £52 more than the price of moving in Wales, £390 more than it is in the North-east but £1,019 less than it is in London.

The statistics, calculated by Woolwich mortgage company, include the cost of removal firms, solicitors and estate agents' fees.

They were compiled from a study of 1,300 companies in March 2005. The researchers found West Midlanders spent an estimated £850 million on moving house and bought and sold 1.8 million houses every year.

Properties valued between £ 100,000 and £ 124,999 or £150,000 to £199,999 were bought or sold the most and made up 47 per cent of all transactions.

The average cost of moving has dropped by £8 in the West Midlands compared to the same period last year, but nationally it has risen by three per cent.

Andy Gray, head of mortgages at Woolwich, said: "The cost of moving could become a deterrent when looking to move home, especially when you consider that it equates to around a quarter of the average UK salary.

"And that's before you even get in the door and spend money on redecorating," he added.

"We are a generation of movers."