In My View: Moving would be easier without estate agents

Things you will never hear anyone say '“ 'Moving house is fantastic!'.

Here’s another one - “My estate agent is brilliant and really good at their job!”.

This might sound like calling the kettle black in regards to my feelings about estate agents, after all journalists are pretty close to them on the list of most disliked professions.

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I have to point out, however, they are regularly voted as more disliked than us and, from my recent experiences of buying and selling houses, I can certainly see why.

I also realise that not all are the same, but when selling my old home I came across a few underhand tricks used by some when earning their commission.

The exact details surrounding one incident are a bit vague, I think I couldn’t make one of the viewings or something and the agent came up with all sorts of elaborate tales she could tell the potential buyer.

I told her just to tell them the truth and couldn’t understand why she felt the need to embellish anything at all, it seemed totally pointless. This also made me wonder what fairytales she was spinning me.

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My biggest worry was when the agency recommended a lawyer they use – “We don’t get a commission or anything for referrals”. We’d heard this particular one wasn’t very good and chose another brief to do our selling and purchasing who has done the job with aplomb.

This other lawyer though was chosen by the couple buying our old house. It’s been nine weeks since the house sale and price was agreed and he’s still not concluded the necessary and we’re supposed to be moving tomorrow. Stressed ain’t the word.

It’s all enough to make you cynical – oh wait a minute, I already am.