Nearly 20% of homeowners have said they would be tempted to put their house up for sale to test the market if they found that their neighbour’s property was getting a good price – even if they hadn’t previously thought about selling – according to a survey by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).

But - according to the NAEA - that's about to be a thing of the past. I'm afraid, it's all about HIPs again.

Peter Bolton King, Chief Executive of the NAEA, comments: “A significant percentage of sales that go through start with a seller 'testing the water'. The lack of ability to do this without paying for a HIP first is likely to put many sellers off. This will reduce the supply of houses available, cause the market to slow down and lead to additional house price inflation. Both these factors could adversely affect the economy.

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