A study from LRG found that 31% of 700 people polled would be influenced by a buyer incentive that covered the stamp duty bill, compared to one in 20 who would want their mortgage subsidised or a lower rate.
The next most appealing incentive was being able to pay estate agent and solicitor fees, cited by 12%, while 9% would be incentivised by a part-exchange of a current property.
Lifestyle choices were less of a draw, with 4% saying they would be tempted by energy-efficient appliances, 2% by a gardening or landscaping package, and 1% by an interior design voucher.
Tim Foreman, land and new homes group managing director at LRG, said: “Buyers are pricing the whole move, not just the home. An incentive that takes a real cost off the completion statement, whether that is the tax bill or the legal and agency fees, is understood straight away and can be weighed against a deposit. A furnishing or landscaping package is harder for a buyer to put a figure on, and on this evidence, it rarely tips a decision on its own.
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“What the research also shows is that the same incentives do very different jobs for different people. A part-exchange offer and a stamp duty contribution appeal to quite separate groups of buyers. Matching the incentive to the buyer in front of you is worth more than adding another line to the brochure.”
LRG said the results were interesting, considering the clear message from the Prime Minister that there would be no change to stamp duty at the Autumn Budget.
Neil Louth, group executive director of LRG and CEO of Acorn Group, said: “With the government ruling out changes to stamp duty in the October Budget, developers now have greater certainty when planning their autumn campaigns. Stamp duty came out of our spring 2026 research as the single biggest financial friction point in the market, so it is understandable that we are seeing more developers respond with stamp duty contributions.
“However, lender criteria often cap the overall incentive package at 5% of the purchase price. This means any contribution towards stamp duty uses part of the same allowance that might otherwise fund furniture packs, legal fees or other extras. Developers therefore need to make a deliberate commercial choice about where that limited allowance will have the greatest impact.”
