Sellers could have difficulty finding a buyer this year amid a shrinking housing market.

Shropshire homeowners who decide to sell up during 2011 could find there is little interest as a dearth of buyers ensures that turnover in the housing market continues to shrink drastically, it has been claimed.

Henry Pryor, housing market commentator at HousingExpert.com, says: “These are tough times for estate agents, removal firms and mortgage brokers, whose business is essentially based on turnover. Formidable pressures are bearing down on the market, with lack of lending the biggest threat.

“In some high streets, there must be a risk of agents putting up for sale signs on their own shops. Low sales volumes remain of greater concern than falling prices through the year ahead.

“In Northern Ireland, the epicentre of the property crash, total property sales plunged from 51,000 during 2006 to just 14,000 in 2010.”

Pryor’s comments followed latest figures showing the number of home sales completed in December 2010 – 71,000 – was 26.8 per cent down on the previous year.

“Life is really going to get pretty difficult for many people as the effects of the Government spending review start to filter through to everyday lives.

“As interest rates go up, there will be added concerns about buying in a falling market, while the top end of the housing market has to contend with stamp duty rising by one per cent to five per cent from the start of April.”

However, as the number of sales continues to fall, there is little doubt that some of the fees of moving home will become increasingly negotiable as firms chase business.

Some estate agents are also saying they are prepared to negotiate on fees – while solicitors might be more inflexible on charges, because they get paid even if sales don’t eventually go through.