How a toothbrush could knock THOUSANDS of pounds off the price of your property

A LONELY toothbrush could knock THOUSANDS off the price of your property.

Property agents will look for signs the owner is separated - and so will want to sell their home quickly.

One toothbrush in the bathroom or a single set of clothes in the wardrobe can be indicators and agents can aim to drive down the asking price.

That's the revelation from renowned property expert Henry Pryor, who told , he wants "to know what the pressure points are" when valuing a home.

Trying to get the best deal on a new home is important as many first-time buyers struggle to get onto the property ladder, particularly in the South East and London.

CRASH AND LEARN The year 2007 and the Credit Crunch cost YOU £20,000

New figures from the Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) revealed the huge North-South divide in  property prices. It found homes across half the country are now more affordable than they were before the financial crisis.

Cities such as Edinburgh and Birmingham have seen wages rises faster than property prices in the  last ten years.

But in London and the south east, the dream of owning a home is becoming more unrealistic.

Andrew McPhillips, chief economist at YBS said: “Across London and large swathes of southern England, which were already some of the most unaffordable parts of the country, it has become increasingly difficult for first-time buyers.

"The North of England, Wales and Scotland present a different picture entirely, with many places, such as Edinburgh, Peterborough and Birmingham, becoming more affordable than they were before the credit crunch."

According to the UK's largest mortgage lender, Halifax, the average price for a home rose by 1.1 per cent in August to £222,293, thanks to strong employment figures and a shortage of properties on the market.

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