Half of consumers believe that stamp duty for downsizers should be abolished, research from the Family Building Society has revealed.
The research, the latest in a series of surveys on consumer financial sentiment, found half of the 2,300 society members who took part in the survey would like to see the abolition of stamp duty for downsizers.
Family Building Society director of marketing, Alistair Nimmo, said: “Clearly our members, as we do, believe that stamp duty is a disincentive to move and remains a real issue for all would-be house buyers, and many members would like it scrapped altogether.”
This was not the survey’s only finding as over 50 per cent of those surveyed thought that brownfield sites should be developed.
This means respondents were in favour of incentives being provided for landlords to turn empty offices, shops and warehouses into living accommodation.
Additionally, 48 per cent of respondents supported turning empty commercial properties into living accommodation before building is allowed on the green belt.
Nimmo said many wanted to see the planning process “simplified” and local residents to have a final say in certain planned developments.
The survey was conducted before July’s general election was called.
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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