Hypothesis over property tax adjustments is including to uncertainty within the housing market, new information from Rightmove reveals.
The property portal’s analysis reveals that homebuyers would favour staggered stamp obligation funds, whereas a separate ballot of property brokers means that spreading funds over time is most well-liked to shifting the tax burden onto sellers.
Rightmove information on rumoured property tax adjustments:
Mansion Tax
+ Gross sales agreed for £2m+ houses, that are the topic of a possible mansion tax, are down 13% year-on-year
+ Houses priced between £500,000 and £2m, which might be impacted by potential stamp obligation adjustments in England, or maybe the rumoured capital features tax, have seen gross sales agreed drop by 8% year-on-year
+ The beneath £500,000 market has been much less impacted, with gross sales agreed down by solely 4% on this time final 12 months. This mass-market sector is probably going being unsettled by normal Funds jitters fairly than particular coverage rumours
+ Lower than 0.5% of all houses gross sales agreed this 12 months have been for properties with an asking worth of over £2m
+ Round 1% of houses on the market are priced above £2m
Stamp obligation
+ Slightly below a 3rd (30%) of houses on the market in England are priced at over £500,000, and could be topic to the proposed new annual property tax which might change stamp obligation
+ In London, greater than half of houses (59%) have an asking worth of over £500,000 and could be topic to the rumoured annual property tax if it got here in, versus simply 8% within the North East
+ A fifth (19%) of agreed property gross sales thus far this 12 months in England have been for houses over £500,000 however this varies regionally:
– In London, greater than half (52%) of agreed property gross sales thus far this 12 months have been over £500,000
– Within the North East, simply 4% of agreed property gross sales have been for houses over £500,000 thus far this 12 months
Capital features tax
+ Simply over 1% of all dwelling gross sales agreed this 12 months have been for properties over £1.5m, and could be topic to the potential new capital features tax if it got here into impact. Nevertheless, the regional impression is various:
+ In London, one in ten (11%) of houses on the market are on this worth bracket, with 5% of agreed gross sales thus far this 12 months being for houses above £1.5m
+ Within the South West, 0.7% of agreed gross sales are within the £1.5m worth band, with 2% of accessible houses on the market on this worth bracket
+ Within the North East, simply 0.1% of agreed gross sales are on this upper-end bracket, with solely 0.5% of all properties obtainable on the market priced at over £1.5m
Rightmove’s Colleen Babcock commented: “Rumours of the contents of the forthcoming Funds are affecting the market, as we’re seeing a larger hesitation in gross sales exercise, particularly on the higher finish, which has been the main target of many of the dialogue. Whereas there’s additionally a normal unease at how the Funds might impression private funds, nearly all of dwelling strikes could be unaffected by the rumoured adjustments to property taxes.
“Nevertheless, we’re additionally seeing the uncertainty surrounding the Funds dent the boldness of some potential movers, and I feel most at the moment are fed up with the rumours and simply wish to see how their funds are going to be impacted.”
Stamp obligation opinions
What do home-movers need?
Analysis amongst Rightmove’s in-house panel discovered that probably the most widespread ideas to enhance the stamp obligation system is enabling the cost to be unfold over an extended time interval, in additional manageable chunks.
Different concepts embrace adjusting the thresholds by area and introducing safety for downsizers.
What would brokers prefer to see?
Rightmove invited property brokers to share their views on stamp obligation, and whether or not adjustments may have a constructive impression in the marketplace.
The bulk who responded considered the hearsay of changing stamp obligation with an annual vendor tax negatively, and most thought the present system may both be modified in a roundabout way or abolished fully.
Staggering funds, as urged by home-movers, was considered as a greater enchancment to the present system than shifting the tax onto the sellers’ aspect, as the federal government is rumoured to be contemplating.
Babcock added: “We’ve been calling for stamp obligation reform for a while now, because it’s a major barrier for many individuals transferring dwelling. Abolishing it utterly would unlock extra strikes in any respect levels of the property ladder, however there are additionally methods the system will be improved.
“Talking with each home-movers and brokers it’s clear the present system shouldn’t be working. We have to have a look at methods the upfront cost of stamp obligation shouldn’t be a deterrent for folks to maneuver. Whereas eliminating the tax utterly could be an apparent means to do that, making the cost extra versatile, fairer regionally, and growing the zero-rate thresholds would all be an enchancment on the present set-up.”
Additional Rightmove market information
Present common stamp obligation prices by area
| Area | Common asking worth | Stamp obligation paid by a home-mover based mostly on common asking worth | Stamp obligation paid by a first-time purchaser based mostly on common asking worth |
| East Midlands | £284,531 | £4,227 | £0 |
| East of England | £414,260 | £10,713 | £5,731 |
| London | £669,040 | £23,452 | £23,452 |
| North East | £194,267 | £1,386 | £0 |
| North West | £264,683 | £3,235 | £0 |
| South East | £467,271 | £13,364 | £8,364 |
| South West | £370,853 | £8,543 | £3,543 |
| West Midlands | £291,818 | £4,591 | £0 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £249,810 | £2,497 | £0 |
Common asking worth by area
| Area | Common asking worth November 2025 | 12 months-on-year change |
| UK | £364,833 | -0.5% |
| East Midlands | £284,531 | -0.8% |
| East of England | £414,260 | -0.6% |
| London | £669,040 | -2.1% |
| North East | £194,267 | 2.4% |
| North West | £264,683 | 1.9% |
| Scotland | £194,037 | 0.4% |
| South East | £467,271 | -0.9% |
| South West | £370,853 | -1.1% |
| Wales | £261,305 | 0.5% |
| West Midlands | £291,818 | 1.3% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £249,810 | 0.0% |
