Stamp duty increases home mortgage urgency

Tuesday, 8 Sep 2009, 5:39pm
Stamp duty increases home mortgage urgency

Those looking to purchase a new house in the next few months should aim to finish their mortgage applications before the end of this month as the stamp duty holiday comes to an end in 2010.

Those looking to take out a home mortgage on a property valued at between £125,000 and £175,000 in the next few months should try and complete the transaction before the stamp duty holiday ends, according to one firm.

Santander believes that with the current stamp duty break coming to an end on December 31st this year and the average home mortgage application taking three months to be fully organised, people should be aiming to sort the loans out by September 30th.

UK mortgage borrowers could save a collective £53.7 million by avoiding stamp duty as research by the bank shows that 35,000 Brits will be looking to purchase a house in the price range before 2009 is out.

Starting in September 2008, the stamp duty holiday allows home mortgage borrowers to forego the one per cent tax on their properties.

Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, director of Abbey mortgages, said: "With a saving of up to £1,750 at stake for those people who have been considering buying a property, this impending deadline is an added incentive to move fast.

"First-time buyers have been hit hard by the costs of climbing on to the ladder and for these people this is a golden opportunity to make a big saving," she added.

Stephen Noakes, commercial director of mortgages for Lloyds Banking Group, recently said that upfront costs such as legal fees or stamp duty can discourage potential buyers from purchasing a house.

Lloyds TSB had launched its Easy Step mortgage with reduced fees in order to help first-time buyers with moving costs.


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