Letting & Estate Agent Podcast Is Stamp Duty ruining the housing market? - Ep. 2481
Feb 24, 2026
David Powell, CEO of a 40-branch estate and lending network in southern England, shares industry perspective. He discusses how stamp duty inflates moving costs and pushes buyers to borrow more. They explore alternatives to the tax, regional impacts concentrated inside the M25, and whether reform could unlock market fluidity and transactions.
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Stamp Duty Is A Hidden Moving Cost
- Stamp duty acts as a large barrier to moving by adding tens of thousands to typical transactions.
- David Powell explains a £500,000 purchase can feel like a £25,000 effective extra cost when rolled into mortgages and moving budgets.
Stop Short-Term Stamp Duty Fixes
- Avoid short-term tinkering with stamp duty because temporary cuts create a cliff-edge effect that undoes benefits.
- David Powell recommends a long-term structural solution rather than repeated temporary incentives.
Host Challenges Replacement For £12–15 Billion
- Christopher Watkin challenges Powell to name a direct replacement for the £12–15 billion stamp duty haul.
- Powell replies he wouldn't tax at point of sale or at the end of ownership and offers non-property taxes as examples.