"We are house proud anyway, but with two children and a dog it was still difficult to keep the house clean and tidy over such a long period with one or two viewings every week. Although we had loads of people looking around, it's impossible to say how many were serious."What open houses have exposed is the number of buyers who look around out of idle curiosity, only to be so taken by a property that they decide to move. Dulwich in south-east London is a particularly good example of an area where people stay put but move from one type of property to another. British buyers reacted uncertainly, but those from countries where this is the preferred model - New Zealand, Australia, United States, to name a few - saw it differently. "They would all say that it was about time it was adopted in this country," says Adams.It is also appears to be equally useful in the converse situation - for the person who turns up to view a property only to take an instant dislike to it.

If they go back for a second or third look, they then start spotting the faults - no built-in wardrobes, an out-of-date kitchen, a bit of damp here - and that's when the discounting begins. On an asking price of £500,000 they might well offer only £470,000. They are also likely to be suspicious of an agent telling them that other people are interested."Initially the reception given to the open house concept was mixed. "When someone falls for a house for the first time they only see its good points. And because they are aware that others are interested they like to go back as soon as possible with the intention of putting in an offer."When buyers look around on their own, however, they don't feel the same need to make quick decisions.

If vendors exhaust themselves buffing up their homes in readiness, then at least they know there's a good chance the performance won't have to be repeated.Furthermore, a large number of people viewing the house together introduces a competitive edge, and keen buyers are spurred into making an offer quickly at the asking price or close to it. The owner is out of the way and the estate agent is on hand to answer questions."We find that properties can sell more quickly for higher prices this way," says David Adams, the regional director who was responsible for setting up the scheme with Hamptons, two years ago. By inviting all interested buyers to look around a property on a specific day during a given period of time, everyone gets to see the house looking its best. A three-bed home near the village centre with conservatory is £185,000, and a five-bed house is £215,000 All at Fox & Co. In Grimsargh, five miles from Preston, Redrow is building three-storey homes from £148,950 (01772 703698).PenworthamBryant Homes' Elmswood development in Penwortham consists of 39 three- and four-bed detached houses from £178,000 (01772 324982).Estate agentsFox & Co (Longridge, 01772 780111); Jones Cameron 01772 888887; Property Life, 01772 725155.