Sellers beware – housing market is dangerous

Homeowners have been warned that selling their property now could lead to them being exploited if they use a cheap, unqualified estate agent.

The National Association of Estate Agents (Naea) has come out in support of government plans to renovate the housing industry.

"For years, the National Association of Estate Agents has been calling for an appropriate level of regulation to be introduced as mandatory in the UK housing market," said Naea chief executive Peter Bolton King.

"The sums of money are too large and the potential impact on families too great for the industry to remain liable to abuse by unqualified cowboys."

However, even those who use the best estate agent have no guarantee that they will get their house sold for a reasonable price, if at all.

Recent figures from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors show that the average estate agent now sells less than one house per week, while Wales Online reports that housing prices in Wales have fallen by a colossal 17 per cent.

The turmoil is likely to lead some into staying where they are and improving their existing property with a conservatory or more.