Figures indicate that the number of home owners who are resorting to swapping their properties as a means of selling them has jumped by more than 400 per cent in the past year.

Home swaps are attractive to because property owners can save thousands of pounds on estate agent fees and enter into a chain-free purchase.

An industry expert says: “Home swapping may seem a little off-the-wall but for the savvy seller it could be the key to finding that elusive buyer.

The reality is that an increasing number of sellers, frustrated and disillusioned by the lack of genuine buyers coming through estate agents’ doors, have clearly decided it’s time to take matters into their own hands.

With many people struggling to make ends meet and worried about losing their jobs, there are a growing number of homeowners looking to downsize rather than upsize in the current economic climate. This provides the perfect backdrop for home swaps - one party looking to upsize and the other looking to downsize.”

Source: Daily Telegraph - 14th April 2009