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Post updated: October 21st, 2024
Yes, you can move home in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Estate agents are now open, viewings are taking place in a socially distanced manner and conveyancers are busy processing transactions.
Yes. For more information on this, look at our latest advice on Can I move during a local lockdown?
With the experience of lockdown and more time than ever spent at home, many people have re-evaluated their housing needs and are making the choice to move.
There is also reduced stamp duty in place until the end of June with tapering until October. Stamp duty cuts, alongside an increased demand for certain homes post-lockdown, has resulted in rising house prices.
With demand outstripping supply, it’s definitely a “sellers market” as newly listed homes are being snapped up. This puts sellers in a strong position to negotiate and pick from the best buyers who are able to move quickly.
Our House Price Watch report indicates that the average rate of annual house price growth is 6.9%, the highest rate in 5 years.
Want to find out how much you can borrow? Get fee-free advice from our mortgage experts at L&C
The Chancellor announced a stamp duty holiday in England and Northern Ireland lasting until June 2021. In England and Northern Ireland, until the end of June, you don’t have to pay any stamp duty if you are purchasing a property worth less than £500,000, unless it is a second home. Then, from 1st July 2021 until 30th September 2021, the rules will change so that no stamp duty will be paid on the first £250,000 of the property’s value, before returning to £125,000 on 1st October 2021.
This will save buyers as much as £15,000, if they are buying a property of £500,000 or more.
You can find full details on stamp duty rates in our guide or use the calculator below to see how much you could save.
If you’re selling, when it comes to appointing your estate agent, give them a call to speak to them. Whilst estate agents are open, some require you to book an appointment in advance.
If you’re not sure where to start, you can find your nearest and best performing estate agents using our comparison tool below.
Home viewings are permitted, but following government advice that states:
Government guidance states you are free to make or accept an offer or reserve a property as normal. But:
Yes. You should always assume that the price a property is marketed at is up for negotiation and haggle over the asking price. But be aware that, as mentioned above, we are in a sellers market. Following lockdown, people have re-evaluated their priorities and demand for the “best in class” properties, particularly those with a garden, office space and great wifi, has shot up.
When it comes to buying and selling homes, we aren’t quite back to normal.
The government is calling on “all parties involved to be as flexible as possible over this period and be prepared to delay moves, for example if someone becomes ill with coronavirus during the moving process or has to self-isolate.”
Many property professionals, from mortgage brokers to surveyors, are also experiencing delays due to high demand for their services at a time when staff are working from home or just beginning to return to the office.
Yes. You will want to get quotes from removals firms as early as possible in your home moving process to discuss availability.
The government also advise that you should:
You may want to speak to a cleaning firm for your home, or the house you are moving into. A deep clean of your onward home once it has been vacated might help put you at ease.
March 25, 2025 
