Remember, if you complete your transaction on bad terms, or twist the vendors’ arms with a bit of last-minute gazundering, you may find yourself moving into a house in which everything has been stripped out.

Estate agents are reporting a return of gazundering as falling house prices give buyers the upper hand.

Up to 25 per cent of purchasers are attempting to renegotiate the price downwards at the last minute.

The deposit allows both sides to show their good intentions," says Caroline Lonsdale, Secretary to the Standing Committee. "It works both ways and will help reduce gazumping and gazundering (whereby the purchaser puts pressure on the vendor to accept a lower price).