National Conveyancing Week 2025 Blogs - Stamp Duty Deadline: How It’s Affecting Buyers, Sellers, and the Conveyancing Process

With the Stamp Duty deadline fast approaching on 31st March 2025, buyers and sellers across the UK are scrambling to complete transactions before changes take effect. As conveyancers, we’re seeing first-hand how this rush is impacting the property market and the legal process of buying and selling homes.

The current stamp duty relief, introduced to support buyers amid economic uncertainty, is set to change at the end of March. This means:

• Many buyers will no longer benefit from reduced stamp duty rates, leading to higher upfront costs.
• First-time buyers, who have enjoyed more favourable conditions, may need to budget more carefully post-deadline.

• Increased demand - many buyers are pushing to complete before the deadline, causing a surge in property transactions.
• Delays in the process - with higher caseloads, conveyancing departments, mortgage lenders, and surveyors are facing longer processing times.
• Potential for missed deadlines – if matters don’t complete in time, buyers could face unexpected tax costs, leading to potential renegotiations or even sales falling through.

At Thomas Flavell & Sons we are working hard to help our clients navigate this busy period:

• Managing client expectations
• Advice on options if completion before the deadline becomes unfeasible
• and a lot of coffee!