With stamp duty on second homes set to increase by three per cent on each price band as of April 1, 2016, you’d best get in quick if you’re looking to buy a holiday home.
Hockwold Hall, Suffolk, IP26 4HZ, £1,850,000
10 bedrooms, a detached three bed cottage, an annexe, party barn, stables and a tennis court for less than £2,000,000 make this property sound like somewhat of a bargain when compared to what that might get you in London. Its impressive exterior, made up of towering chimneys and red brick and stone, is matched on the inside with ornate, classical décor and attractive wooden detailing. All of the bedrooms have en-suites, and the 42-acre grounds are no less impressive, with formally arranged gardens, orchards, paddocks and a number of outbuildings – once used as servants’ quarters – all within its borders.
Current stamp duty: £135,750
From 1st April (if bought as a second home): £191,250 | Savills
Pendragon House, near Bath, BA2, offers from £2,000,000
Surrounded by lush green trees on a hill overlooking the Limpley Stoke Valley, this Grade II-listed building is believed to date back to 1836. It features a six-acre garden, complete with a tennis court and ice house, alongside six bedrooms and four reception rooms. Avoncliff and Bradford on Avon are both nearby, and although it feels firmly cut off from city life, it’s only five miles from Bath. Buy now and save £60,000 in tax.
Current stamp duty: £153,750
From April 1 (if bought as a second home): £213,750 | Hamptons
Harbour Watch, Sandbanks, Dorset, BH13 7RG, £5,500,000
Located on the Sandbanks peninsula – one of the most exclusive areas in the country – this house features its own jetty, pier and pontoon alongside a cinema, games room, bar, gym, wine cellar and wet room. It offers spectacular views over the harbour and backs onto a blue flag beach, where watersports reign supreme. Blinds, music, TV and lighting can all be controlled at the touch of a button with its AMX Home Entertainment System, and it even has its own lift. There’s no shortage of car space either, with a garage big enough to fit seven of the things in. If you snap it up now you’ll save £165,000.
Current stamp duty: £573,750
From April 1 (if bought as a second home): £738,750 | Savills
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