17th November 2000

The old adage, 'honesty is the best policy' is leading the way for private house sellers as we become a nation of candid property marketeers.

New research from HouseWeb.com, the UK's leading property portal, proves that the truth prevails in the housing market, as 67 per cent of homeowners claim to be completely honest about their property during the private sale process favouring a frank approach with potential buyers.

Surprisingly, it seems that owning up to that leaky roof could actually accelerate your house sale, with two thirds of buyers revealing that their seller's honesty helped complete the deal.

Said HouseWeb.com founder and managing director, Mark Desvaux: "Honesty pays in the house moving business. Those sellers that are up front about loose tiles or cracks in the wall immediately establish a level of trust between themselves and their buyer. Not only does this remove unsuitable participants at the first hurdle but is also extremely reassuring and attractive to those buyers who want to continue with the sale." And, contrary to the traditional 'squabbling over fixtures and fittings' image, property transactions are becoming a novel avenue to make new friends with one in four sellers remaining in contact with their buyers once the deal is completed.

The study from Houseweb.com, which allows homeowners to buy and sell property directly over the internet, unearthed one friendly seller who struck up such a good friendship with her buyer that she managed to secure her a new job within her own company. Meanwhile, a family in Kent still enjoy afternoon tea at their old house with the new owners every Sunday.

Moreover, Brits are helpful house movers, with a third of vendors admitting to leaving behind useful tips about the local area, ranging from good restaurants and bars to nearby surgeries and bus stops. Some home owners even provide fully detailed welcome packs for new buyers while others leave bottles of champagne and good luck cards.

Mark Desvaux said: "Moving house is becoming a friendlier business. When people buy and sell directly the relationship becomes more honest and sincere than it might do if a third party is involved.

"At HouseWeb.com we encourage sellers to write their own property descriptions, which sets a personal tone for the moving process from the start. Vendors frequently want their new owners to settle in and feel at home straight away and it is often knowing about that great Italian eatery around the corner or the beautiful Lilac trees that blossom every Summer that can swing a sale."

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For further information, please contact:

· HouseWeb.com has recently launched the HouseWeb.com Service Centre, a free, independent service that organises all the products and services needed when moving house and for home improvement. See the Service Centre in action on the HouseWeb.com website: http://www.houseweb.com/service/

· Current services available on the site include: Mortgages, Home Insurance, Life Assurance, Personal Loans, Solicitors, Surveyors, Valuers, Conveyancers, Relocation Agents, Removals, Storage, Home Security, Central Heating.

· HouseWeb.com has launched a new Virtual Tour service called the HouseWeb.com V~Tour which provides a 360-degree, walk around video tour of sellers' homes. The premium V~Tour (£199) service includes a virtual tour on the HouseWeb.com site, one photo, a property advert and a tour in e-mail format. The standalone tour in e-mail format is priced at £152.

HouseWeb.com (http://www.houseweb.com), the property portal, is the UK's premier web destination for anyone buying and selling or renting property.

About HouseWeb.com

Launched in May 1996, HouseWeb.com created the online private sales market for homeowners allowing them to directly sell on the Internet, saving an average of £4,200 in fees. The site also includes comprehensive guides covering everything from first mortgages to finding a dream home. Whether a first-time buyer or housing professional, HouseWeb.com is an indispensable resource packed with properties, information, news, advice, discussion forums, web directories and financial services.

HouseWeb.com receives over 100,000 visitors each month and has won numerous awards and accolades, including 'Top Property Site' from Internet World. It is also featured in the Lycos and BBC Online Web guides. HouseWeb.com is owned by HouseWeb Ltd, a privately held company based in Cambridge, UK.