The following is an extract from an article which appeared in The Independent:

An increasing number of homeowners chose to avoid estate agents and sell their house privately last year, saving a total of more than £100m in fees.

A study of house sales shows that private sales are doubling each year, and now represent more than 5% of the total market. The growth in private sales has been aided internet and online service that allow people to advertise their homes for a small fee.

"It seems we're fast catching up with our European neighbours, where selling privately is considered as normal as using an estate agent," said Mark Desvaux, founder of HouseWeb.com, an online service that helps people buy and sell houses.

More than 1.4 million people buy and sell houses each year in Britain and the study estimates that this year; 100,000 homeowners will sell privately saving on average £1,500. By 2002, this is expected to have grown to 280,000, with more than half the sales taking place over the internet.

Simon Cummins had no problems selling his house in north Devon privately (on HouseWeb) and saved more than £5,000 doing so. "We only put two Sundays aside to show people round and had a buyer within three weeks. The cost was just £40," he said.

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