HMRC’s provisional seasonally adjusted UK property transaction count for March 2019 was 101,830 residential and 11,210 non-residential transactions.

The provisional seasonally adjusted count of residential property transactions increased by 1.4% between February 2019 and March 2019, and is 6.8% higher than March 2018.

The provisional seasonally adjusted count of non-residential property transactions increased by 8.9% between February 2019 and March 2019, and is 9.7% higher than March 2018.

Kevin Roberts, director of Legal & General Mortgage Club, said: “While existing homeowners remain largely undeterred by the current political climate – with just 12% of those who had plans to buy in the next six months delaying their decision – it’s clear there are still other barriers preventing people from achieving their homeownership goals.

“The continued support we’ve seen from the government to help those lower down the housing ladder is to be welcomed, but if we are to increase property transactions, this means helping those at the other end too.

“A Stamp Duty holiday for ‘last-time buyers’, for example, would enable these borrowers to move to more suitable accommodation – whether that be a two-bed bungalow or retirement village, freeing up larger homes often in school catchment areas for growing families.”