Written by guest-blogger Chris Salmon, Co-Founder of Quittance Legal Services
The stamp duty holiday introduced by the government in 2020 to boost housing sales is due to end on 31st March 2021. Thousands of buyers may find themselves unable to take advantage of the reduced rates due to delays in the conveyancing process.
Paperwork backlogs, search delays and additional difficulties caused by the coronavirus crisis have meant that sales have been taking up to five months to complete. With the nation now plunged into a third lockdown, the situation is unlikely to ease.
Fortunately, there are still several tricks that sellers and buyers can use to help prevent some delays, minimise the effect of others, and keep their transaction moving forwards.