Rightmove’s Colleen Babcock says the average bill for first-time buyers tops £4.6k extra a year after a temporary Stamp Duty relief period ended.

Rightmove is calling on the Government to reform Stamp Duty rules after it revealed first-time buyers are now paying an extra £4,600 since the temporary relief ended a year ago.

The Government has collected an estimated £307million extra in the tax from households in England, averaging £4,618 more per buyer.

And the total estimated first-time buyer Stamp Duty bill in the past 12 months was £408million, compared with £101million the previous year, the portal says.

Threshold lowered

In April 2025, the first-time buyer threshold was lowered from £425,000 to £300,000. Before the change 62% of homes for sale were Stamp Duty-free for first-time buyers, and that has now dropped to 41%.

The data shows that more than half of the amount paid by first-time buyers comes from London, with most of the rest coming from the South.

“First-time buyers are already facing significant challenges, from higher mortgage costs to rising rents while they save.”

Colleen Babcock, Head of Partner Marketing at Rightmove (pictured), says: “First-time buyers are already facing significant challenges, from higher mortgage costs to rising rents while they save, so it would really benefit first-time buyers if they could have a reduction in up-front moving costs.

“Our latest figures show just how much Stamp Duty costs have risen for first-time buyers since the threshold fell, particularly in London and the South East, where far more homes now sit above the zero-rate limit.”

Barrier

Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, joined the calls for Stamp Duty changes: “These figures underline the increasing strain on first-time buyers, with higher stamp duty costs adding to already significant affordability challenges.

“The reduction in the threshold has not only raised upfront costs, but also reduced the availability of suitable homes, particularly in higher-value areas.

“Stamp duty continues to act as a barrier to entry and wider market movement and should be reviewed, including consideration of more flexible or regionally aligned thresholds, to better support first-time buyers and improve overall housing mobility.”

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