Stamp duty on a £250,000 house — first-time buyer
The direct answer with the rule it comes from — and the cliff-edge if you bid above £625,000.
Short answer
On a £250,000 property, UK Stamp Duty Land Tax is roughly £0 as a first-time buyer. Always confirm with HMRC or your solicitor before completing.
How it's calculated
As a first-time buyer in England / NI, you pay 0% SDLT on the first £425,000 and 5% from £425,001 to £625,000. Above £625,000 the first-time-buyer relief is lost entirely — you pay under the standard bands as if you weren't a first-time buyer.
Full calculator
Worked example
For a £250,000 purchase as a first-time buyer within the FTB relief window: the entire purchase price falls under the £425,000 FTB threshold, so £0 SDLT is due. Stamp duty is payable in cash on completion day — it cannot be added to the mortgage.
Things that change the answer
- Joint purchase where one buyer is not FTB: the whole purchase typically loses FTB relief.
- Additional-property surcharge: a 3% (soon rising) surcharge on second homes and buy-to-let stacks on top of the main bands.
- Scotland / Wales: LBTT (Scotland) and LTT (Wales) use different thresholds — this calculator covers England and Northern Ireland only.
- Mixed-use or non-residential: commercial-property SDLT bands apply and are significantly lower at high prices.