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04
Mar 2021
Property searches 'down to 12 days' in Harrogate district
Home buyers in the Harrogate district have been given a second reason for optimism after the extension to the stamp duty holiday announced this week.
After months of complaints that its search process was taking too long, Harrogate Borough Council last night said it has reduced the average waiting time to just 12 days.
It is down from seven weeks, which buyers and estate agents said was causing significant delays to their purchases. However, at Wednesday night's full council meeting, cabinet member for planning Cllr Tim Myatt said:
Cllr Myatt said simple searches requiring only information from HBC were taking an average of four days. For more complex searches needing information from North Yorkshire County Council, it was taking around 16 days, giving an average of 12 days.
In response, Cllr Samantha Mearns, who represents Knaresborough Scriven Park for the Conservatives and had asked for the update, said:
Read more:
- Harrogate homebuyers fear missing stamp duty holiday over search delays
- Chancellor's budget does not go far enough, say opposition parties
News of the extension to the stamp duty holiday in the Budget this week has been welcomed by local estate agents. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the end of the scheme for homes up to £500,000 would be moved from March 31 to June 30, followed by a tapering down to £250,000 until the end of September.
Tim Waring, head of residential at Lister Haigh, said it was a "welcome move". He said:
"This will at least in part avoid the “cliff edge” scenario that has created so much pressure on the residential market in recent months. Help for those wanting to get on the property ladder, as opposed to renting, is another welcome move, all of which should stimulate the market during the remainder of 2021 as the lockdown restrictions gradually come to an end.”
Nick Simpson, co-founder and managing director of Linley & Simpson, added:
The property market in the Harrogate district was extremely busy in the autumn following the introduction of the stamp duty holiday, but prospective buyers told the Stray Ferret they were concerned delays with searches would prevent them completing in time to avoid a major tax bill.
Mr Waring said estate agents will now wait to see the impact of the news on reduced search turn-around times so local buyers to take advantage of the scheme's extension. He added:
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