If buying a house is top of your list of resolutions, there’s a new way to go about it. The way we purchase property in this country has long been fraught with difficulty. Under the principle of caveat emptor (buyer beware), the dice are loaded in the seller’s favour. He or she is under no obligation to mention the rush-hour traffic, the noisy neighbours or the fact that the village shop is about to close. Having agreed an offer, a seller is free to accept a higher offer behind a buyer’s back.

Continue reading article (opens in new window).