Shares in listed housebuilders have leapt after chancellor Rishi Sunak used today’s Budget to extend the stamp duty holiday on house purchases for three months more than  expected.

Sunak had been widely expected to use today’s speech to extend the existing holiday for purchases of up to £500k until the end of June– and he duly delivered. However, he surprised the market by deciding that purchases of up to £250k in value will be exempt all the way through until the end of September.

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