Ministers could be poised to hike Stamp Duty Land Tax for buy-to-let purchasers still further.
It is revealed that the Government has been under pressure for two years to increase SDLT for buy-to-let investors.
The Home Owners Alliance yesterday told EYE it made the suggestion of a 3% increase in its autumn statement submission in 2013.
The consumer pressure group said then, however, that a 3% rise could be just the beginning.
It said that “at that rate, it is unlikely to have a major impact, and it can then be increased subsequently to 5% or 7%”.
Yesterday, Paula Higgins of the Home Owners Alliance also called for more transparency over how agents price sales properties.
She said that prices should be quoted per sq ft.
http://hoa.org.uk/2015/12/why-dont-estate-agents-tell-us-the-real-value-of-our-homes/

Comments (6)
Typical yoghurt knitting do-gooder with no understanding of the real world & how it works!!!
There can’t be a set way to value. Proper agents use a variety of methods which can vary in a rising, static or falling market.
From knowing their applicants register, to what for sale, not selling, sold, to looking in other areas andapllying plus, minus %
To base simply on sq ft would be wrong. I’ve also seen Paula pushing budget agency to save £housands which is normally a false economy that cost sellers far more than it saves.
Unfortunately some voices DON’T understand proper estate agency practice.
Shock announcement; ‘more rental properties needed due to short supply’
just raise it to 50%…will that make them happy? no of course not their basic premise is that all Landlords are evil. .- bleeding hearts.
When will they understand that letting for some people is a lifestyle choice and that all they are doing is, once again, hiking rents in the long run as supply becomes less and less because owning a rental property has to be commercially viable for landlords. Short sighted idiots.
Clearly Ms Higgens has not a clue about what makes one house more special than another despite its square footage. When will all those people who know nothing about marketing houses stop pontificating