New landlords reminded of end to stamp duty holiday

First-time buyers looking to get on the housing ladder as owners or landlords have once again been reminded that they need to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday that they have been granted by the government, before it's too late.
 
The advice came from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which released its UK Housing Market survey on Valentine's Day (February 14th). It discovered that house sales edged up during January, as more first-time buyers looked to beat the deadline on stamp duty, set for March 24th.
 
It's a double whammy of possibility for landlords too, given that prices across much of the country are also dropping "albeit moderately". RICS confirmed that 16 per cent more surveyors reported a price fall rather than a rise. The West Midlands and Wales were experiencing the biggest falls in property value, where surveyors reported net balance readings of -54 and -41 respectively.
 
RICS housing spokesperson Michael Newey was nonetheless cautious, adding: "[M]any problems with the market still exist and the lack of affordable mortgage finance is still preventing many from getting onto the property ladder.
 
"Prices are still falling across most parts of the country, but expectations for future prices have become less pessimistic."