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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIn England, the mean age of first-time buyers rose from 32 in 2019–20 to 34 in 2024–25. Stamp duty adds to the cash needed to buy, but the available figures do not show how much, if any, of that age rise it caused. Nor is reform entirely absent from the debate: a parliamentary committee called for a consultation before the end of 2026.
Are first-time buyers getting older?
Yes. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s English Housing Survey puts the mean age of first-time buyers in England at 34 in 2024–25, compared with 32 in 2019–20. In London, the mean was 35 in 2024–25, up from 33 a decade earlier. Outside London, it was 34, also up from 32 in 2019–20.
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The age distribution has shifted as well. In 2024–25, 58% of first-time buyers were aged 25–34, while 28% were 35–44. That latter share was 21% in 2023–24. The proportion aged 45 or over rose from 5% in 2019–20 to 9% in 2024–25.
These are survey estimates, not a count of every purchase. The English Housing Survey defines recent first-time buyers as people who bought their first home within the previous three years and had never owned property before. MHCLG cautions that small sample sizes mean annual age figures can fluctuate and should be treated as indicative.
Does stamp duty make it harder to buy a home?
It can make a purchase more expensive upfront. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged on property purchases in England and Northern Ireland, and the buyer must account for it alongside the deposit and other transaction costs. That can make saving enough to complete a purchase more difficult, especially for someone with limited cash reserves.
But the age trend alone cannot establish that SDLT is making people buy later. The English Housing Survey reports ages; it does not estimate the effect of the tax. No causal estimate in the available evidence says how many years SDLT adds to the age of a first-time buyer. House prices, deposit requirements, earnings, mortgage access and the supply of homes can also affect when someone is able to buy.
The tax’s broader effects are contested, too. The House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee describes concerns that SDLT can discourage people from moving and restrict housing-market activity. Those concerns are policy arguments, not a measured finding that the tax determines first-purchase age. The committee’s evidence also includes concern that a tax cut could be reflected in higher house prices.
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For purchases completed on or after 1 April 2025, an eligible first-time buyer in England or Northern Ireland pays no SDLT on the first £300,000 and 5% on the portion above £300,000 up to £500,000. The relief is unavailable if the purchase price is more than £500,000. At exactly £500,000, the SDLT bill under this relief is £10,000.
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For comparison, the standard residential rates for a buyer who will own no other home after completion are charged in slices:
| Slice of purchase price | Standard SDLT rate |
|---|---|
| First £125,000 | 0% |
| Next £125,000 | 2% |
| Next £675,000 | 5% |
| Next £575,000 | 10% |
| Above £1.5 million | 12% |
The standard nil-rate band is £125,000. Because rates apply only to the slice within each band, the rate for the highest slice does not apply to the whole purchase price. For example, an eligible first-time buyer purchasing at £450,000 would pay 5% on the £150,000 above £300,000: £7,500. A buyer’s eligibility and circumstances can change the bill, so check HMRC’s current guidance before relying on an estimate. Buyers of additional homes generally face a further 5% surcharge, subject to specific rules and exceptions.
Check which UK tax applies
SDLT is not a UK-wide tax. It applies in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), while Wales has Land Transaction Tax (LTT), with separate rates and rules. Wales does not offer first-time-buyer relief. An SDLT calculation should not be used for a property in Scotland or Wales.
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There has been a policy call, but not an adopted reform. On 9 June 2026, the House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee recommended that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Treasury consult before the end of 2026 on alternatives to SDLT. It also said that work should be coordinated with council-tax reform. This is the committee’s recommendation; it does not mean the government has committed to changing the tax.
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Options the committee said should be examined include a revenue-neutral replacement, lower rates, updated bands, and revised reliefs. It argued that reform should be part of a wider home-ownership affordability package rather than an unfunded short-term measure. The committee chair, Florence Eshalomi MP, said: “Reform of stamp duty is necessary but, especially given the public finance implications, this cannot be done in isolation or without a credible alternative in place”.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why is replacing or cutting SDLT a difficult choice?
The tax raises substantial public revenue. HMRC reported £13,885 million in total SDLT receipts in the 2024–25 financial year, including £10,380 million from residential transactions. HMRC estimated that first-time-buyer relief was worth £772 million across 155,400 transactions in that year. The year included purchases brought forward ahead of the threshold changes on 1 April 2025, so those relief figures reflect that timing as well as the rules in force during the year.
A serious reform proposal therefore has to weigh more than the amount a buyer saves on completion day. The committee identified questions that matter to buyers and the public finances:
- Revenue: How reliably would the replacement raise money for public services?
- Moving and market activity: Would the change reduce a cost that can deter people from moving, or create different barriers?
- Progressiveness: How would the tax fall across household incomes and property values?
- Fairness: How would it treat first-time buyers, existing owners who move, and people who stay in their homes?
- Local prices: Would thresholds keep pace with differences in property prices across areas?
- Prices and supply: Would a cut improve access, feed into higher prices, or affect housing supply?
Those are questions for policy design, not settled outcomes. The evidence supports saying that SDLT is an upfront cost and that first-time buyers in England are older on average than they were several years ago. It does not support assigning the age change to SDLT alone.
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