Down to earth

SIR, — Local residents have just received a glossy postcard from a Harpenden estate agent. The wording on the reverse is an invitation to receive a free, realistic valuation based on recent property sales on the premise that following the recent turmoi

SIR, - Local residents have just received a glossy postcard from a Harpenden estate agent. The wording on the reverse is an invitation "to receive a free, realistic valuation based on recent property sales" on the premise that "following the recent turmoil in the property market you may wish to carry out an asset check". Asset? Recent property sales? Really?

Have these guys learned nothing from the recession/depression, credit and property crunch? Why do they still speak in strange tongues? We recognised some time ago - if indeed we hadn't seen it coming - that our house is actually a home, somewhere to live, furnish, look after, worry about, eat and sleep in, insure and be taxed on.

Property sales and turnover are at present somewhere between low and zero and will no doubt remain so until confidence returns and restricted funds are made available. In the meantime estate agents should overcome their boredom threshold and properly evaluate our fundamental change in perception and understanding. Hyping up a moribund market is more likely to be counter-productive.

ROBERT HILL,

East Common, Harpenden.