Raising the Stamp Duty threshold to help struggling first-time buyers should be a headline feature of this month’s Budget Statement, according to 740 of the UK’s leading independent estate agents.

Ahead of this month’s Budget, the UK’s largest network of independent estate agents, the Home Sale Network, questioned their members to find out what measures Gordon Brown should include in the 2004 Budget to help home buyers and sellers, and in particular first-time buyers.

The survey revealed that over half (52%) felt that the most realistic and helpful measure that Gordon Brown could implement for first-time buyers would be to raise the Stamp Duty threshold to £150,000. A further 40% said it should be raised to £100,000.

Richard Tucker, Managing Director of the Home Sale Network, said: “The starting threshold for stamp duty has remained at £60,000 despite average house prices having soared beyond twice that figure.

“The Chancellor could make a real difference in the Budget by raising the threshold for Stamp Duty from £60,000 to at least £100,000, if not £150,000 – and extending the number of special localities where he has removed Stamp Duty.

“The current threshold is now too low to have much effect for most people, particularly first-time buyers in London and the South East.”

Other ways that Gordon Brown could provide a boost for would be first-time buyers according to Home Sale Network would be to exempt them from Stamp Duty altogether (32%) or to extend the Government’s home buying loan scheme for key workers to also include first-time buyers (24%).

Mr Tucker continued: “Stamp Duty isn’t the only rod in the back for first-time buyers. Council tax has risen dramatically for most households over the past few years and this is something that young buyers now have to factor in when choosing a home.

”We will have a crisis on our hands if the situation isn’t improved for first-time buyers and Gordon Brown is one of the only people who can have a real impact on making homes affordable again in the UK.”

When asked what Gordon Brown should do to make Council Tax fairer around the country the most popular solution was to introduce a local income tax, based on ability to pay, rather than house value.

Removing the direct link between Council Tax bills and house values to spread charges more fairly was also suggested by 24% of members.

A further 24% said the Chancellor should remove councils’ power to set local council tax charges and introduce a uniform national domestic property tax as was done with Uniform Business Rates.