In the UK, the developers are rolling out the red carpet to grab as many sales as possible as the market slows. A Dublin family out for a stroll last Sunday morning in Sussex was lured into a swish housing development by a friendly lady brandishing a bottle of champagne.

This turned out to be the estate agent, who desperately needed a few viewers on paper to reassure the builder of the £550,000 sterling homes. The champagne was mopped up by large bowls of fancy nibbles as the tour progressed through the en suite bathrooms, the five cavernous bedrooms, the inevitable Shaker-style kitchen and the double detached garage. Ken MacDonald et al take note!