Research by home buying platform Yes Homebuyers has revealed that half (45%) of current homebuyers would pay the full stamp duty owed on their house purchase if it meant completing now and avoiding the current market backlog.
The survey of 3,717 homebuyers found that those to have seen their property purchase delayed due to the current market backlog have been impacted in a number of ways.
A majority (68%) of those to have been delayed stated it has added stress, while 34% of delayed homebuyers have had to make alternative living arrangements because of the backlog.
Almost a quarter (24%) have seen their sale fall through as a result of the current market backlog, while 35% have had to increase their offer just to keep the seller from pulling out.
Despite this, 69% stated that they would carry on as normal and hope to complete in time when asked what they would do to secure a stamp duty saving.
Reportedly, 14% would buy a more affordable property if it meant completing in time with 9% stating they would buy a more expensive property.
When asked what they would do if they miss the deadline, 39% stated they would cancel their purchase while a further 27% said they would have to borrow more money to pay for the stamp duty.
Of those asked, 27% said they regret their decision to buy and, had they known, they would have waited until after the market backlog had cleared before buying a house.
Matthew Cooper, founder and managing director of Yes Homebuyers, said: “As with most poorly thought out government rescue plans, the stamp duty holiday has done an outstanding job of fuelling demand, while completely neglecting how the market will actually deal with such an uplift.
“Although the idea of a stamp duty saving would have been a tantalizing one, many buyers are now finding themselves stuck in market limbo, facing more stress, long delays, temporary living arrangements, or having to place a higher offer.
“All for a few thousand saved in tax.
“Even worse, the market backlog has been enough to cause purchases to fall through with more potentially having to pull out if they do miss the deadline.
“At Yes Homebuyers, we’ve seen the current backlog spur a flurry of enquiries.
“Some have been financially dependent on their sale completing before the end of March, but most just want some stability of a concrete timeframe in which they can sell and the chance to skip the queues, allowing them to move forward with their onward purchase.”
