A MAJOR UK banking app is down causing chaos for customers.

Scores of users rushed online to complain they were unable to access online banking services.

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The Royal Bank of Scotland said they were experiencing “connection issues”.

An online post reads: “We have been receiving reports that the online banking and mobile app are experiencing connection issues.

“We are currently looking into getting this resolved.

“Thanks so much for your patience. We’re sorry for any inconvenience. Please try again later.”

Customer trying to access their accounts online were met with a message telling them: “Some kind of error has occurred.”

The app advises several steps to resolve the issue including checking Wi-Fi and ensuring the latest version of the app is installed.

However the tech gremlin has caused upset with bank users as they vented their frustration online.

One said: “So frustrating when it’s a Saturday and no local branch is open.”

Another said: “RBS is definitely having issues. I can’t sign into online banking or the app.”

A third added: “Smashing… full morning away to s**t thanks to the RBS app.”

The Royal Bank of Scotland was asked for comment.

It comes just over a month after similar issues on the RBS online banking service.

More to follow…

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ALDI and Lidl have confirmed the relaunch of their popular wooden toy range with prices starting at just £1.99.

The budget supermarket toys are a perfect gift for this year’s Christmas.

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Lidl’s wooden range is expected to arrive in stores across the UK from October 17 with Aldi’s range available from October 10.

Aldi has announced that they’re bringing back over 50 products to choose from, but shoppers will have to act quickly after their range sold out last year.

Parents will be eager to get their hands on the returning favourites including the Wooden Toy Kitchen, scanning at the tills for £34.99.

The discount retailer chain is also bringing back the wooden Cuthbert which previously caused a stir with M&S fans.

In 2021 M&S lodged an infringement claim against Aldi arguing the chocolate cake was too similar to its classic Colin the Caterpillar which has been around for 30 years with an unchanged design.

But Cuthbert returned to shelves in February last year after the two supermarkets called a truce in an agreed settlement. 

To complete the kitchen experience, Aldi’s Wooden Kitchen Set (£9.99) includes coffee cups, a teapot and coasters.

This Christmas, Aldi’s range includes travel-friendly toys such as the Toy Roleplay Bag costing just £9.99.

The item features a Paramedic and Dentist Set, which allows your children to roleplay their dream jobs.

Aldi is also introducing the New Wooden Horse Box and Beauty Station, scanning for £24.99 each.

Here’s a list of all the wooden toys available this year:

• Wooden Climbing Slide and Arch (£39.99)
• Wooden Climbing Triangle and Cube (£54.99)
• Three Storey Wooden Dolls House (£39.99)
• Wooden Toy Kitchen (£34.99)
• Wooden Bike and Rocker (£24.99) 
• Wooden Aldi Supermarket/Market Stall (£29.99)  
• Wooden Horsebox/Beauty Station (£24.99) 
• Wooden Double-Sided Easel (£24.99) 
• Wooden Hospital/ Airport/ Zoo (£24.99)
• Wooden Castle/ Construction Sets (£24.99) 
• Wooden Washing Machine/Fridge (£19.99)
• Wooden Tabletop Assortment (£19.99 
• Interactive Dog/Cat (£19.99)
• Wooden Baby Walker (£19.99) 
• Wooden Fold Out Playsets (£19.99)
• Wooden Activity Tree (£16.99)
• Wooden Railway Sets (£14.99)
• Wooden Dolls House Furniture (£14.99)
• Wooden Doll Accessories (£11.99)
• Wooden Toy Roleplay Bags (£9.99)
• Wooden Kettle/Coffee/Hot Chocolate/Cleaning Set (£9.99)
• Wooden Kids Tool Belts (£9.99)
• Wooden Kitchen Appliances (£9.99)
• Wooden Play Food/Food Role Play Sets (£9.99) 
• Wooden Fold Out Vehicles (£9.99)
• Wooden Animal Train (£9.99) 
• Play Mat Sets (£9.99)
• Wooden Large Vehicles (£9.99)
• Wooden Doll Care Accessory Sets (£9.99)
• Wooden Kitchen Sets (£9.99)
• Wooden Building Blocks (£9.99)
• Wooden Ramp Racer/Hammer Set (£9.99)
• Wooden Grocery Sets (£8.99)
• Wooden Activity Boards (£10.99)
• Wooden Musical Sets (£8.99)
• Wooden Musical Pull Along Animals (£8.99)
• Wooden Doughnut and Cake Assortment (£7.99)
• Wooden Birthday Cake (£7.99)
• Wooden Family Sets (£7.99)
• Wooden Biscuit Assort (£7.99)
• Plush Dolls 2024 (£6.99)
• Wooden Magnetic Box Assortment (£6.99)
• Wooden Vehicle Box Set (£6.99) 
• Wooden Meal Sets (£6.99)
• Wooden Animal Number Puzzles (£4.99)
• Wooden Vehicles (£3.99)
• Wooden Teething Vehicle (£3.99)
• Wooden 2d Wheeled Animals (£2.99)

Lidl also confirmed the relaunch of its wooden toy range, which parents will be eager to snap up for Christmas.

The popular bargain chain will offer premium toy products for shoppers willing to spend more.

The supermarket’s Wooden Play Kitchen will be scanning at tills for a whopping £49.99 and features a play oven, light-up hobs, a microwave and a sink.

Lidl will also be selling more affordable items in their range such as their Montessori Style Wooden Rainbow Puzzle (£3.99) said to be perfect for households who enjoy hours of family fun.

Here is the full list of wooden toys available at Lidl this year:

• Wooden 2-in-1 Baby Clinic and Vets (£39.99)
• Wooden Toy Tool Assortment (£5.99)
• Wooden Workbench (£49.99)
• Wooden Railway Set Farm, Fairy Land, Police, Fire Department (£7.99)
• Wooden Train Set Construction / Fairground (£29.99)
• Wooden Railway Set XL City / Dinosaur (£39.99)
• Wooden Road City / Racetrack (£14.99)
• Wooden Train Set City / Countryside (£14.99)
• Wooden Train Set (£4.99)
• Wooden Kitchen Accessories (£9.99)
• Wooden Ice Cream Trolley / Tabletop Pizza Oven (£19.99)
• Wooden Chunky Vehicles (£3.99)
• Wooden Room Play Set (£9.99)
• Wooden Kids’ Easel (£19.99)
• Wooden Food Play Set (£6.99)
• Wooden Flexible Doll Family or Doll’s House Furniture (£6.99)
• Wooden Play Kitchen (£49.99)
• Wooden Supermarket Accessories (£9.99)
• Wooden Dressing Table (£39.99)
• Wooden Vehicle Sets (£2.99)
• Wooden Train Set City / Dinosaur World (£39.99)
• 3D Wooden Learning Toys (£9.99)
• Wooden Puzzle (£1.99)
• Wooden Stacking Toy (£7.99)
• Wooden Marble Run (£12.99)
• Wooden Games (£3.99)
• Wooden Learning Games (£3.99)
• Wooden Learning Puzzle (£3.99)
• Wooden Toy Assortment Building Blocks (£7.99)
• Wooden Flexible Doll Family or Doll’s House Furniture (£6.99)
• Montessori Style Wooden Rainbow Puzzle (£3.99)
• Montessori Style Wooden Counting Set (£7.99)
• Montessori Style Wooden Light up Box (£19.99)
• Wooden Learning Games (£3.99)
• Wooden Puzzle / Pull Toy (£3.99)
• Wooden Learning Board Assortment (£7.99)
• Wooden Learning Tablet / Wooden Mobile Phone & Camera (£7.99)
• Wooden Wall Toys (£12.99)

It’s worth checking ahead with your local supermarket if they have what you’re looking for in stock before you go to avoid a wasted trip.

You can check how close you are to your nearest Aldi and Lidl supermarket using this handy store locator.

And remember to scout around other supermarkets for more toy deals – you never know what you can find elsewhere for less.

It comes after Tesco issued an urgent recall urging customers not to buy certain mince pies because they could contain glue.

And shoppers are racing to their nearest supermarket to stock up on Roses, Quality Street, Celebrations, and Heroes tubs, scanning at tills for just £3.95 each.

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NatWest’s online banking app has gone done this morning leaving thousands of customers unable to access their cash.

A report on Downdector has shown over 3,000 savers have been unable to access their money.

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Customers have taken to X, formally known as Twiiter, to complain about the tech issue.

One user said: “I just can’t log in. I have tried closing and re-opening the app”.

Another said, “How long will it be until it’s resolved? I need to access some money.”

The British bank told customers on social media that the team is “working hard to get things resolved as soon as possible but we have not been provided a time frame”.

WITH the cost of rent increasingly outstripping average salaries, young people are feeling more and more left behind.

I’m 21, and after three years of living away from home at university, I had no choice but to move back in with my parents rather than get my own place due to the rising cost of renting.

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My parents live a three-hour round-trip from my office in London – a commute that costs me £600 a month. But it’s somehow still more viable than renting a room nearer to work.

With the cost of renting ever rising, and no prospect of a rent cap happening any time soon, there’s just no way I could live comfortably anywhere near the Capital.

I certainly wouldn’t be able to budget for other expenses like travelling, setting aside savings, or maintaining any kind of a social life.

You might think 21 is a pretty normal age to be living at home. But the problem is, the prospect of moving out keeps seeming further and further out of reach.

The average age for a young person to move out of their parents’ home in the UK is now 25.

Last year, it emerged that over 620,000 adults in the UK were living with their parents.

And it’s clearly not always been this way.

In 1997, more than half of 21-year-olds had moved out of their home.

The Office of National Statistics has now ruled that anyone living at home in their 20s is an “adult child”, suggesting there is a stigma around it, too.

But it’s not that I don’t want to move out. Living away from home for most young adults just isn’t feasible, or at least sustainable, anymore.

The numbers aren’t adding up

In London, the average salary for someone aged 18-21 is currently £22,693, according to recent analysis by The Times.

For comparison, the average annual rent for a property in the Capital is currently around £2,121 – or £25,452 over 12 months, according to Zoopla.

Even for a single room, London renters pay an average of £983 a month, or £11,796 a year. That’s more than half of the average young person’s salary – before bills and any other expenses.

Of course, London is more expensive than other places.

But rent prices all across the UK are constantly being hiked up, with the average cost of rent having increased by 9% in the last year – the highest annual increase since records began.

It’s not just the cost

And it’s not just the cost of finding a room that’s making moving out even harder.

If you manage to get past that hurdle, renters face the daunting task of sifting through Spare Room, a website which allows you to “browse” rooms to rent – except the strangers you’ll be living with have to choose you, instead.

Even if you have the money, you’re now also assessed on your personality and lifestyle choices.

In one Spare Room advertisement I came across, my fellow renters requested I was “an open-minded, kind and considerate person”, as well as being vegetarian – and preferably also a “qualified musician”.

In another, they expected me to be “willing to go on nights out with them”.

Embracing being an “adult child”

On TikTok, there is a flourishing trend of people moving back in with parents, ranging from their 20s all the way up to their 30s.

One user explained that she had recently moved back in with parents to save money after living in London for two years, and that she felt “down” as she worried she had “moved in the wrong direction”.

Another woman’s TikTok gained thousands of views, recounting the reasons why she “said goodbye to London and moved back with parents at 27”.

And in the comments section is an echo chamber of acceptance, all sharing their own experiences of having made the same move in the current cost of living crisis.

One user said: “With this economy now, if your parents are okay with you living with them don’t take that for granted and use it as an advantage to save up!”

Another said: “Times have changed. We should be living at home as long as possible, travelling, working, saving. And then move out.”

Saheena Dhanda, an acount executive at Wildfire, admitted she also felt relieved to move back in with her parents.

She said: “I feel that a break from the city lifestyle, whether this is for financial or mental health reasons, can be beneficial for anyone.

“I can think a lot clearer by not being so caught up in the social aspects of London life and feel less pressured to keep up with my peers – for example, attending events that I may not have had the budget for but feeling like I’ll miss out if I don’t go.”

What’s next for young people?

But, while we may be happy to embrace living at home for a while, young people quickly grow tired of not being able to sustain living independently, and they won’t put up with the way things are now forever.

More and more people are feeling that London and the UK in general have lost their glamour and have packed up entirely, with a new flood of Brits jetting off in search of greener pastures in Australia.

Last year, it is estimated 19,230 more UK citizens migrated to Australia than emigrated here.

While the cost of living is much more expensive in Australia, the wages are also higher – British doctors can earn as much as 50% more than they could in the UK.

I am at peace with the fact that I’ve got to stay at home for a while to save.

But with my £600 a month train prices, the fear of how long it will take me to save enough money to move out is playing on my mind. I don’t want to wait another four years before I can afford to be independent.

In rebuilding our economy, Sir Keir Starmer’s government should consider why young people want to leave Britain and focus on making it feasible to live independently here instead.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

PENSIONERS are facing a tough few months after access to the Winter Fuel Payment was slashed to only those who claim Pension Credit, but thankfully, other help is at hand.

There are 12 freebies and discounts you can claim if you are over state pension age and on a low income that could help boost your budget.

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According to charity Age UK, billions of pounds’ worth of benefits go unclaimed every year, so it’s worth checking what support you might be entitled to.

The support available covers everything from help with rental costs, assistance for those requiring care, pension top-ups and discounted transport.

If you are eligible for these benefits or freebies and discounts, you could find yourself thousands of pounds better off this winter.

Pension Credit

Many people who found themselves losing the Winter Fuel Payment this year could actually still be eligible.

This is because they may not realise they could actually claim Pension Credit.

It’s estimated that more than 800,000 people who qualify aren’t claiming the benefit.

Pension Credit is a tax-free benefit that will top up your income to a minimum limit.

The weekly benefit comes in two parts – guarantee credit and savings credit – and is completely separate from your State Pension.

You can claim Pension Credit if you have reached State Pension age and your weekly income is less than:

• £218.15 if you’re single
• £332.95 if you’re a couple.

Pension Credit tops up what you are currently receiving to meet the above amounts.

If you’ve saved money towards retirement this amount is topped up further via the savings credit part of the benefit.

Pension credit is described as a “gateway benefit” because it also opens up a host of other perks.

This can include help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills and even a free TV licence if you are 75 or older.

It will also give you access to the winter fuel payment, worth up £300.

You may also get additional pension credit if you are disabled, have caring responsibilities or have to pay certain housing costs such as mortgage interest payments.

Applications can be made on the Government website or by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is a benefit which helps with extra costs if you have a severe disability that requires someone to help look after you.

It’s paid at two different rates and how much you get depends on the level of care that you need.

The lower rate is worth £72.65 a week, while the higher rate is £108.55 a week.

Those who receive the lower rate must require frequent help or constant supervision during the day, or supervision at night.

Those who require supervision throughout the day and night will receive the higher rate.

There are 56 categories of medical conditions that enable you to make a claim, including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.

You are also entitled to claim if a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live.

To apply online, visit www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/how-to-claim.

Council tax reduction

If you’re on a low income or receive certain benefits, you can get help towards your council tax bill from your local authority.

The amount your bill might be cut by depends on your circumstances.

But, if you receive the guarantee element of pension credit your council tax could be written off in full.

If you live alone, you will get the 25% reduction, even if you’re not entitled to any other benefits.

To apply for a council tax reduction you need to contact your local council.

State Pension

State Pension is paid to both men and women from the age of 66.

Not everyone gets the same amount, with the payment rate based on an individual’s National Insurance (NI) record.

Workers must have 35 qualifying years of NI to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.

You earn NI qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit.

If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary NI contributions. 

To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits. 

You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension. 

Last month, it was confirmed that the maximum payment for the new State Pension will rise from £8,814 to £9,167.

You won’t automatically get the state pension – you need to claim it once you’re eligible.

You should receive a letter no later than two months before you reach state pension age, explaining what to do.

Housing benefit

Housing benefit can cover rental costs, if you’re of state pension age or over and on a low income.

To receive the benefit you will also need to have savings of less than £16,000.

If you live with a partner you both need to be of state pension age to claim housing benefit, if not you’ll need to make a Universal Credit claim.

Housing benefit is means tested, so the amount you will receive depends on your income and how much you have in savings.

But if you get the guarantee element of pension credit, your income and savings won’t be taken into account – so you may get your rent paid in full.

To apply for housing benefit, contact your local council.

Cold weather payment

Cold weather payments are made to eligible residents in areas where the temperature is recorded at zero degrees Celsius or below, for seven consecutive days.

A £25 payment will be made for each seven day period of very cold weather between November 1 2024 and March 31 2025.

You may be eligible for the payments if you receive:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Support for Mortgage Interest

Payments are made automatically, so you do not need to apply for the benefit.

Warm home discount

The £150 warm home discount is available to pensioners and those on low incomes.

Those who qualify for the discount will have £150 deducted from their energy bills by the end of March 2025.

You’ll be eligible if you receive the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit, or are on a low income and have high energy costs.

The discount should be automatically deducted from your energy bill this winter if your eligible, but those on low-incomes living in Scotland need to apply through their energy providers.

If you were eligible for the payment last winter and did not receive it, contact your energy supplier.

If your energy supplier is unable to help write to the warm home discount scheme on 110552 Warm Home Discount Scheme,
PO Box 26965, Glasgow, G1 9BW.

Carer’s Allowance

Carer’s allowance is available to those who look after someone who would find it difficult to manage without their support.

You don’t need to be related to the person you care for to make the claim.

Carer’s allowance and the state pension are overlapping benefits, so you can’t claim both independently.

But if you receive less than £81.90 through your state pension, you can claim carer’s allowance to top it up to that level.

To be eligible you must spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who is ill or disabled.

To apply call the Carer’s Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0297

Free TV licence

You can claim a free TV licence if you’re 75 or older and either receive Pension Credit yourself or live with a partner who gets Pension Credit.

You can apply for a free licence when you’re 74, but will still have to pay until the end of the month before your 75^th birthday.

You can apply for your free licence online or by calling 0300 790 6071.

If you’re not entitled to a free licence, you could still receive a discount.

You could be eligible for a discounted TV licence if you live in residential care or sheltered accommodation, or if you’re registered blind.

If you live in sheltered accommodation or residential care and are over 60 or disabled you can get a licence for just £7.50.

Your housing manager should be able to check if you’re eligible and will apply for you.

If you’re registered blind, or live with someone who is, you’re in line for a 50% discount.

The licence must be in the name if the person registered blind, but if your existing licence is not in their name you can make an application to transfer it.

You can apply for the discount on the TV Licensing website.

Transport concessions

In England, you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age.

Plus, if you live in London, you can travel free on buses, tubes and other transport when you’re 60, but only within London.

In Wales, you can get a bus pass when you reach 60.

You get an older person’s bus pass when you’re 60 if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

You can apply for the pass via your local council’s website which will have more information.

Pensioners can also apply for a Senior Railcard to get discounted rail fares.

There is an annual cost of £30 for the card and gets you 1/3 off train travel.

People with a Senior Railcard save on average £142 a year, according to the government.

The Senior Railcard is available to travellers aged 60 or over.

You can apply for the card on the National Rail website.

Free prescriptions

Once you reach 60, you can get free prescriptions from your local pharmacy – prescriptions usually cost £9.90 each in England.

So if you usually buy a single prescription each month you could save £118.80 over the year.

This benefit is automatic and there’s no need to apply.

If you’re 60 or over you’re also entitled to a free NHS sight test, so you should let your optician know when you reach 60 if you haven’t already. 

Eye tests can usually cost between £20 and £30.

Household Support Fund

Struggling households can get help with the cost of living via the Household Support Fund (HSF).

The fund has recently has been extended for the sixth time, with £421million set to be made available to regional councils to distribute from this month.

The support you can access depends on where you live, but funds can be paid out as shopping or fuel vouchers, cash payments or other means.

Under the previous round of funding, households in Leicester could apply to receive £300 payments to help with utilities and essential costs.

In Plymouth eligible residents could receive a maximum of £740 in vouchers.

This included £240 in supermarket vouchers, £200 in energy vouchers as well as an essential item of household furniture or white goods or £300 of clothing vouchers.

Schemes vary across the country, but every council will receive funding to distribute.

To see what’s on offer where you live, contact your local council.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

James Bore and Nikki Kopelman are around £12,000 better off after ditching their estate agent and selling their three-bedroom bungalow themselves.

The couple decided they would rather arrange their own viewings at times that suited their work schedules which led James, 41, to think – what else would they need an estate agent for? 

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“It didn’t really add that much [value] to have the marketing done by the agent compared to what we could do ourselves,” said James, owner of security and technology consultancy Bores who lives in Stanmore, London. 

“I’m not saying estate agents are worthless, but they weren’t in a place to add much value to us, they just gave us added hassle and took extra fees.”

The couple had been quoted between 1% and 2% commission from local agents to sell their £650,000 home.

James and 36-year-old Nikki, a translator, used a combination of marketing techniques to get their property noticed by the local community. 

They posted their home in the local neighbourhood WhatsApp group, placed a classified advert in their local paper costing £35 and made their own for sale sign which also cost £35.

To widen their reach the couple also used Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor.co.uk – a platform for buying and selling items and sharing tips with people who live in your postcode area. 

“The sign got us more attention than anything else,” said James. 

A neighbour saw the sign and told their friend who wanted to move house.

Two months after listing their home for sale and more than 20 viewings later, James and Nikki accepted an offer of £625,000, £25,000 below the asking price. 

Their sale completed at the end of September.

Lewis Buckley, co-founder of house selling platform Hiizzy, said: “Selling your own home requires motivation. You must take responsibility for the process.

“But, those who do can benefit from significant cost savings. It is up to 95% cheaper than traditional estate agents.”

How to sell your own home for cheap

If you do decide to sell your own home, getting it noticed is your main goal. 

First you need to create an online listing that you can post on social media. 

If you’re using marketplaces such as Facebook, Gumtree or Nextdoor.co.uk you must create your property listing on their platform following some simple steps.

To maximise the number of people who see your property you can pay for extra advertising.

Gumtree, for example, charges £9.99 for a basic listing and £19.99 for premium advertising. 

Nextdoor.co.uk recommends advertising your listing in its For Sale and Free section as well as posting your property in the general news feed. Its free and can reach users in a 100-mile radius.

If, like James and Nikki, you want to advertise in the local paper and use a For Sale board as well, you can create your own online listing and add the URL link address to your adverts. The couple used a website called Canva to design their free listing. 

Your advert should include the price, high quality photos, a video of your home, floor plans and a description. 

If you lack the know-how, you can use Purple Bricks’ free service which lets you build your listing and promotes your property through Zoopla. The team also value your home.

Or, for £395, you can use new platform Hiizzy. Once your property advert is ready, you can promote it through your own social media channels as well as the Hiizzy marketplace. It provides sold price data to value your home and gives prompts to help you describe your property. 

If you are flying solo, invite three estate agents to view your property to tell you how much it would sell for. Choose the valuation in the middle. Be prepared for lots of follow up calls to win your business.

Search through the sold prices on Zoopla and Rightmove to find out how much local homes like yours are selling for.

Or, pay for a valuation. James and Nikki did all three to get the most accurate price, paying £600 for a valuation. 

The positives of DIY selling

With the average estate agent fee coming in at 1.42% of the selling price, according to consumer group HomeOwners Alliance, sellers stand to save £4,153 on a property with an average price tag of £292,505. 

You have direct contact with your buyers instead of waiting for messages to be passed through a middleman which could speed up the sale. You are also in the best position to sell your home as you will be more familiar with its features.

Drawbacks of ditching an agent

If you’re advertising your property across lots of different social media channels you will have to create multiple listings which is time consuming. 

It’s likely that less potential buyers will see your advert without using the big property portals, which private sellers are blocked from. 

Without a good grasp of technology, you could struggle to create and advertise your own property listing and keep on top of the enquiries about your home. Speedy responses are essential to avoid losing buyers.

Most buyers will want to haggle over the asking price so you need to be a confident negotiator, something not all sellers may be comfortable with. 

Paula Higgins, chief executive of HomeOwners Alliance, said DIY sellers risk missing out estate agents’ expertise.

“Only when you go through the sales process will you find that just listing a property on a portal may not be enough,” she said. “This is even more so when the market is subdued.

“Local estate agents will have a list of serious buyers looking in the area,” she said. “On receipt of your instruction, they will contact them before the listing pops up on a portal and when a sale has been agreed they will chase all parties to help get the sale over the line.”