If you buy a new home whilst still owning one or more, a higher stamp duty will apply. This was introduced to target buy to let investors and not innocent buyers who wished to, for example, make cosmetic changes before moving.

The higher SDLT has to be paid, however, it can be claimed back following the sale of your old home.

While you have three years in which to sell your old home, you must reclaim the extra SDLT within twelve months following the sale.

It doesn’t have to be done by the solicitor or conveyancer that handled the sale/purchase. There are two simple ways to make the claim yourself that take a matter of minutes.

You have two options: a downloadable form or an online claim through your GOV.UK account. Neither should take more than ten minutes of your time.