Stamp Duty receipts jump to deliver record year for HMRC

“There is a large pipeline of sales to complete by Christmas and the 31 March 2020," says Zoopla's insight chief "– with an average 100 days to complete an agreed sale those looking to beat the stamp dut…

“A lack of homes for sale rather than a lack of desire from buyers is what is dictating the pace of the market,” says Rightmove, as the UK’s average asking price rises 2.1% in a month.

"There are likely to be some month-on-month price falls during the second half of the year," says Rightmove.