Although houses represent most families' biggest lifetime purchase, that doesn't mean that both buyers and sellers won't sometimes leave some things to fate.
Indeed, selling agents believe as many as 40% of homes come to market for reasons other than a direct need to sell such as debt, death, divorce or relocation.
Many sellers market their homes as a sort of fishing expedition. They might be considering cashing up and downsizing, or they might have fallen in love with a dream home and want to know whether they can afford it. Putting their house on the market is the first, speculative step in possibly realising a cherished aim.
However, in already uncertain market conditions, new legislation - in the shape of the Scottish government's home