Stamp duty reform could unlock 300,000 homes within a year: Jackson-Stop – Housing Strategy
Abolishing stamp duty charges could bring more than 300,000 owner-occupied homes off the market across England in less than a year, a report by Jackson-Stop said.
The housing movement report estimates that the number could rise to more than 750,000 owner-occupied homes within three years, which Jackson-Stops said underscores the potential impact that higher costs can have on the housing movement.
It found that greater confidence in the relocation process could open up 260,000 homes within a year.
The headline figure of more than 260,000 homes represents the first wave of sheltered homes that could be opened once the uncertainty over working hours is eased, with the number rising to more than 700,000 owner-occupied homes over the next three years.
The report comes after the government published its guidance on reforming the home buying and selling process last month, which it says could cut transaction times by up to four weeks.
Stamp duty was cited by 28% of affected owner-occupiers as a barrier to moving, highlighting the role that upfront costs play in housing mobility. Uncertainty in the economy (42%) and loan standards (29%) were also cited.
Residential transactions in the UK broadly show that completions reached more than 1.21 million in the 2024 to 2025 financial year, up from around 1 million in 2023 to 2024.
Jackson-Stop says research suggests that this activity is supported by a combination of both active life-stage and lifestyle-led decisions.
Among owner-occupiers who had moved, were considering moving, or had considered moving in the past five years, the top motivations were moving to a larger home (24%) and moving to a different location for lifestyle reasons (22%).
Millennials have been the most active generation of owner-occupiers, with 12% currently planning to move or already in the process of moving, compared to 8% of owner-occupiers overall.
Jackson-Stop chairman Nick Leeming says: “Our Housing Moves Report highlights an industry-wide challenge facing the UK housing market, which may be causing movers to hesitate before they start.”
“The government’s proposed reforms are a positive and necessary step. Measures that improve advance information sharing, strengthen professional standards and provide greater certainty early in the process should help buyers and sellers move with more confidence.”
“The key now will be implementation, to ensure that the changes are made carefully, are clearly understood by consumers and work for agents, shippers, lenders and other professionals who will need to deliver them in practice.”
“The market is active, and people continue to buy and sell homes every day. But our research indicates that there is a large group behind that activity. People can move, and in many cases would like to move, but they need a lot of confidence in the system to do so.”
Leeming adds: “Stamping is clearly part of the wider challenge of mobility. Although it is not the only factor shaping the decision to move, our data shows that it is still a significant barrier for some would-be movers. Any serious discussion about improving housing mobility must consider both the business process itself and the upfront costs people face when deciding whether to move.”
