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18
Jan 2021
Harrogate homebuyers fear missing stamp duty holiday over search delays
Homebuyers in Harrogate fear missing the stamp duty holiday over the delays for land searches at Harrogate Borough Council.
The stamp duty holiday which ends on March 31 and could save them up to £15,000.
With thousands of pounds on the line some are turning to private firms, even after paying the council to do the land search.
Local authority searches, which check there are no hidden surprises for buyers, are an essential part of the home-buying process.
The council told the Stray Ferret:
Read more:
- Harrogate council increases search delays to seven weeks
- Harrogate council urges homebuyers to be patient about search delays
While the council acknowledges that the land search delays are high, some homebuyers claim they are see in much longer delays.
Mr Costar put a land search request into the council on December 4 and has been told to expect it back by April 28.
He says the buyer of his home put in a search request in early September and has not received it back yet:
The Stray Ferret first reported the delays in October when homebuyers first complained to us about the issue.
Back then Harrogate Borough Council said the average search time was just over three weeks.
Just over a month later the council had increased the expected search delays to seven weeks, the council says that figure remains today.
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