I'm worried' The buyers facing hefty extra costs if purchases are delayed

"We just don't have the money," says Ben of the extra £6,000 to be found if the newlyweds don't get the keys to the two-bed terrace they have been trying to buy before the stamp duty cliff edge at the end of this month.

- Zoe Wood

The special needs teacher and his partner, Claire, a human rights solicitor, are among more than 75,000 buyers in England and Northern Ireland facing stamp duty bills if their purchases are delayed until April.

"Fortunately, the property we are buying is chain-free with the sellers keen to move," says Ben of the £488,500 house in St Albans. Until 31 March the couple's stamp duty bill will be £3,175 but from 1 April it shoots up to £9,425. "We have bought a property without flooring, which is already going to be a stretch to pay for."

Ben was among more than 80 people who responded after the Guardian asked readers how the end of the stamp duty break would affect them.

In England, nearly 74,000 buyers are likely to miss the deadline and complete in April, according to the property website Rightmove. In all, this group faces paying £142m in extra stamp duty, and £34m of that bill will be shouldered by first-timers. The changes do not affect Scotland and Wales, which have different property taxes.