A PROPERTY entrepreneur believes he has developed a concept to eliminate time-wasting house hunters.

Christian Armitage runs a system called The Fast Move Method from his Penistone home which requires buyers to pay a non-refundable deposit when their offer is accepted in an attempt to prevent them pulling out before contracts are exchanged.

The 33-year-old said the method has been successful so far he has a 1.1 per cent pull-out rate, compared to about 17 per cent across the industry.

Under the system, buyers have to pay either £5,000 or five per cent of the property price, whichever is greater, when the vendor accepts their offer.

Christian, of Bosville Street, said: "Selling a property in England, conventionally, is a very volatile thing as the buyer can pull out of their agreement at anytime in between having their offer accepted and exchange of contracts.

"They might be offering on six properties and chancing their arms. This stops that happening."

Christian has teamed up with Bishops Estate Agents and Lancasters to offer the service, with vendors given the option of whether they would like to sell their home using the method.