HOUSE seller Claire Thompson believes the Land Registry figures don’t tell the whole story.

“I know that house prices in my area are not going up and they haven’t for some time,” she said.

Ms Thompson bought her new home in Banbury for £265,000 – more than 10 per cent below the asking price – before putting her existing house, an 18th-century one-bedroom cottage in Bloxham, near Banbury, on the market.

After consulting with her estate agent, she set a guide price of £175,000 and has received strong interest.

Ms Thompson, director of Cassington public relations firm Syncro PR, has bought her new home jointly with fiance Simon Verbeeten.

The couple are expecting their first child in December, which prompted the move to a larger home.

She said: “Equivalent houses are on the market for a lot more, but they have been sticking. I want to sell – that’s why I wanted to set a realistic price.

“It has only just gone on the market so I don’t know what’s going to happen. But if you are not realistic in your pricing you stand a chance of not getting people through the door.”