'Sellers are lying to offload their properties'

Cunning homeowners are lying to ensure they can sell their property swiftly, according to new research by HomeServe.

The new study showed that almost a quarter of homeowners lied about their property or attempted to hide any problems with it so that buyers would not be put off.

Some eight per cent failed to mention boiler or heating problems to potential buyers and five per cent temporarily patched up a leaky roof to push through a sale.

Jon Florshiem, chief executive officer of HomeServe Membership, said: "It has become increasingly difficult to shift property and some sellers seem reluctant to fork out money to have these problems rectified."

"Buyers should thoroughly inspect the property before making an offer," he added.

According to price comparison site confused.com, eight million Britons are inspired by DIY programs to start home-improvement projects.

Of these, nearly six million admitted having a DIY disaster, the website reports.

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