Buyers are achieving discounts of up to 10% across the country reports leading homebuyer, The County Homesearch Company.

The quarterly review of house buying trends reveals that the company's professional buyers are managing to achieve frequent discounts in the region of 5% but sellers in areas such as Hertfordshire, Bristol and Somerset are for some properties having to drop prices by as much as 10%.

It is a mixed picture in the Cumbria, Lancashire and Lake District markets, reports Regional Director, Nick Elliott. "Across the region it is hard to generalise. There has been an increase in auctions and in some cases we have seen the return of the sealed bid one way an agent can try and influence buyers to be more proactive."

"Some areas are very flat, such as West Cumbria, and in other parts agents are selling properties, but there is still a shortage of good quality homes, especially at the top end of the price scale."

"I believe things remain pretty static across the area with some agents taking on more properties, which should make for a more proactive market. A lot of higher priced and indeed some middle range houses are sticking for a long time. These are either overpriced by the agent to get business or vendors are not prepared to lower prices."

Across the UK the property search agents report flat house prices of 1% to 2%. Almost all the company's home finders say correctly priced homes are selling quickly and report that clients are being choosier. Whereas five years ago, in an over-heated sellers' market, they had to make snap decisions today buyers are being more selective and taking longer to commit to a purchase.

Jonathan Haward, managing director of County Homesearch, comments: "There has been a significant change in pattern from the start of the year. House prices across the country are showing near zero growth and our home searchers are generally being able to negotiate discounts from the asking price.

"In some parts of the country there is less pressure in the market than in others. This has resulted in the length of time between the agreement of a deal and exchange of contracts taking place in a typical transaction being stretched from 24 working days a year ago to about 36 days now.

This is nothing alarming but just indicative of a market that is in some parts proving to be a bit sloppy."

In Cumbria & Lancashire prices are 'static', with buyers looking at three to eleven properties before deciding.