From 1 April, fewer than 1 in 10 homes will be Stamp Duty free for buyers*.
Stamp Duty thresholds are reverting to previous levels in April, so buyers will soon pay more tax on their house purchases. First-time buyers (FTBs) currently do not pay Stamp Duty on homes up to £425,000, however this threshold lowers to £300,000 from 1 April. For other home movers, the nil-rate threshold will reduce from £250,000 to £125,000.
For FTBs, the availability of Stamp Duty free homes will fall from 64% to 44%. Existing homeowners will be the hardest hit if they are looking to buy. Now, 33% of homes for sale have an asking price of up to £250,000, meaning a third of properties are Stamp Duty free for home movers. But this will go down to 8% in April, as few homes are valued at £125,000 or lower.
* Financial Reporter, 2025