Rightmove reaction to the Autumn Budget
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert says: “Increasing stamp duty on additional home purchases by 2% means that, based on the average asking price for a home (£371,958), a landlord could face an additional charge of more than £7,000 from tomorrow when buying a property. In the short-term, some landlords may need to pause for thought, but in the longer-term it becomes yet another charge that landlords wanting to invest in buy-to-let will have to become accustomed to and factor into their decision making. Overall, we need more homes in the rented sector not fewer, but in recent times we have seen record levels of stock leaving the rental market.
“There was no mention of retaining the current residential property thresholds for paying stamp duty, which means we expect that the typical first-time buyer will be over £3,500 worse off come 1st April based on current prices. After paying fees, carrying out any surveys, and stretching their budget with high mortgage rates, this will be an unwelcome additional charge next Spring.
“We may now see a rush of buyers, particularly those purchasing for the first time, either bringing their plans forward or trying to get their deal done before charges go up. It currently takes a lengthy 152 days on average to complete a property transaction once a sale is agreed, which would mean agreeing a deal tomorrow to complete on time. While this is an average and many will be hoping to complete more quickly, it highlights that those who are hoping to avoid higher charges will need to act quickly.
“It’s still early days for the government and it’s encouraging to hear its wider commitments to housebuilding, but we are hoping for more support for first-time buyers and making the existing thresholds permanent would have been a start.”
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