Government goes for Growth- SDLT Threshold raised in England
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced today a bold range of measures, which the Government believes will stimulate economic growth in the UK. It will need some luck and the ongoing rise in interest and mortgage rates will be part of the dynamic.
The most relevant to the residential property market is the rise in the threshold at which Stamp Duty Land Tax becomes payable. As a result of the Chancellor’s statement this morning, SDLT now becomes payable on the purchase of the principal home at £250,000 and for first time buyers this threshold is now raised to £425,000.
The SDLT thresholds in respect of second homes remain unaffected by the government’s announcement today.
This change in the SDLT thresholds, is just one of a very significant number of changes to taxation that the Government is making in a determined attempt to stimulate growth, and arrest the slide into a prolonged recession. Coupled with other tax reductions, income tax at the basic level and for those in the highest brackets, and the volte face on National Insurance, the SDLT threshold rise should, in the short term at least, help to support the residential property market.
Indeed, experience suggests that any favourable SDLT measure tends to have an immediate impact on the area of the property market to which it applies. Plenty of buyers will be keen to take advantage of any relief they can get in these challenging financial times.
Three Quintessential Cotswold Cottages – Full of Character & Charm
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, there’s something undeniably romantic about the idea of escaping to a cosy Cotswold cottage. Think honey-coloured stone walls, crackling log fires and soft lamplight spilling across plush sofas - perfect for long conversations, shared glasses of wine and slow, unhurried mornings. In winter, the Cotswolds reveal a quieter kind of beauty, with misty lanes, frosted fields and snug village pubs just a gentle stroll away. It’s a setting steeped in charm and warmth, and utterly quintessential in its British appeal.
Three Quintessential Cotswold Cottages – Full of Character & Charm
EPC Regulations - UPDATE
The government has made the decision to delay the introduction of the new EPC Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for rental properties. Originally scheduled to change in 2028, the government have now delayed this until 2030.
EPC Regulations - UPDATE
Snowdrops in the Cotswolds: A Winter Highlight at Painswick
As winter begins to loosen its grip on the Cotswolds, one of the most uplifting signs of the changing seasons quietly emerges, snowdrops. These delicate white flowers, often pushing through frost-hardened ground, bring a sense of hope and renewal, and nowhere is this more beautifully displayed than the snowdrops at Painswick Rococo Garden.
Snowdrops in the Cotswolds: A Winter Highlight at Painswick
Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief
This has been a hot topic since the surprise announcements in the Autumn budget of 2024 and has threatened to turn upside down tax planning for farmers and the affordability of succession. The short article below captures the key facts and implications which have been debated from farmhouse kitchen tables up to the Government in Westminster and at every level in between…
Inheritance Tax and Agricultural Property Relief
