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Buy-to-Let News: What Changes Do Buyers and Renters Want in the Market?

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    The surprise announcement of a general election this year has been forecast to have little effect on the property market. But over the coming weeks, the housing market-related policies of the campaigning parties will be closely listened to by those in the industry, and depending on how popular these proposals may be, some votes could be swayed and we will see effects in the UK property buy-to-let market.

    So what do people want to see the government change when it comes to the property market?

    Rightmove recently carried out a survey of over 14,000 people, as well as estate agents and including input from the property portal’s experts, asking what sort of policies they would like to see relating to the housing market.

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      House model with stamp duty written at the bottom

      What Do Property-Owners Want to See Happen?

      When breaking down the respondents between owners and renters, Rightmove found that the top change that property-owners want the elected government to carry out is reform of the stamp duty system. This was also a popular choice among agents.

      The report states that stamp duty in higher-priced locations could be preventing thousands of people from moving. Stamp duty on investments is also a big consideration among property investors. Currently, first-time buyers in England and Northern Ireland are exempt from stamp duty provided the property is worth £425,000 or less, but this relief is set to end in April 2025.

      Rightmove property expert Tim Bannister said: “At the very least, the next government should make the current changes to first-time buyer stamp duty charges in England and Northern Ireland permanent. But there’s also a bigger opportunity to reform stamp duty to encourage more movement up and down the property ladder. With such regional differences in property prices, increasing stamp duty thresholds in line with these regional differences would seem a logical first step for stamp duty reform.”

      The second most popular answer was simplification of the home-buying process, followed by incentives for eco-upgrades, more affordable mortgage schemes, and incentives to downsize.

      Further Reading: Is it worth setting up a property buying company? Find out with the RWinvest guide on where the best places to invest in property are in the UK.

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      What Do Renters Want to See Happen?

      The top response for renters when asked what kind of changes they would like to see the government make was more support for first-time buyers. This was followed by more mortgage schemes, a simplified home-buying process, more new-build homes, and legislation to improve energy efficiency in rental properties.

      Many renters are looking to the government for more support for first-time buyers. High mortgage rates have made getting on the property ladder even more challenging in recent years.

      More new properties is also a priority for renters, as according to Rightmove, demand from buyers is up 15% since 2019, while the number of available homes is down by 6%. The supply in the rental market is even more stretched, with demand from tenants up by 32%, while available homes are down by 38%. This has rapidly pushed rental prices up by as much as 40% compared to five years ago.

      Tim Bannister commented: “One way that could help is if the next government can create smoother planning processes to transform the delivery of new homes and produce more affordable housing. Not only could this help first-time buyers, it could also open up a big opportunity to help downsizers move to greener homes with lower running costs.”

      To find out more about the UK property market hotspots, take a look at our buy-to-let area guides covering topics such as available investment property in Gloucester, and available investment property in West Bromwich.

      Why not take a look at our latest investment property, Maritime View in Liverpool!

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      Author

      Jessica Ferris

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      Jessica Ferris is a property writer at RWinvest, helping our readers stay ahead of property market trends with the latest news and statistics.

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