By getting a quick sale, you instantly solve your mortgage problems. There is still rent to be paid, of course, but no buildings insurance, maintenance and repair costs and, unless you have a habit of setting fire to your shed, as much security in the property you rent as there is in the one you own.

Quick house sale can also free up any cash secured in your home – known as equity – in order to pay off more expensive debts, like credit card and storecard debts or personal loans. Many people have been hit by the rises in credit card repayment rates, making the credit crunch even more painful.

At some point in the future earnings will catch up with property prices again, either by one rising or the other falling, and buying a home will again make financial sense. But for now, a lot of people are easing their credit crunch pain with a quick property sale.