Aneisha Beveridge, research director at Hamptons and Connells Group, said: “A record number of first-time buyers are now being pulled into paying stamp duty.
“Nearly three in 10 first-time buyers across England bought a home costing more than £300,000 this year, up from 28 per cent last year and double the proportion seen a decade ago.
“Stamp duty is increasingly becoming another barrier for would-be homeowners, particularly at a time when first-time buyers are also having to save hard for a deposit amid high rents and rising living costs.
“The challenge is much more acute in the South of England, where property prices, and therefore stamp duty bill, tend to be higher.
“More than three-quarters of first-time buyers in London purchased a home worth over £300,000 this year, meaning they are now liable to pay stamp duty.
“In the least affordable region of the country, this additional upfront cost is significant, especially as mortgage rates are climbing again and rental costs remain elevated.”
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