a lower-than-expected purchase price - she researched nearby sales and sorted out her finances so she could faithfully tell the seller she was ready to move quickly. Websites such as mouseprice.com and houseprices.co.uk show recent local sales, providing hard evidence to show an estate agent and seller when you make a bid. "Vendors would much rather accept an offer from a credible bid than someone just throwing in a low offer with no research," says Philip Selway of The Buying Solution.