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A new website enabling people to swap their homes instead of selling them through estate agents is proving popular with innovative developers.

www.EasyHouseExchange.com offers an intelligent solution for people who feel trapped in the stagnating property market, by putting them in direct contact with one another and enabling them to literally swap homes – without an estate agent in sight.

Leading developer Bovis Homes - which yesterday announced a £78.7million pre-tax loss for 2008 – has nonetheless seen a 6% increase in share values and a 22% rise in reservations in the first nine weeks of 2009 and is using the site to stay a step ahead of the market.

And Richard O’Driscoll, the man behind www.EasyHouseExchange.com believes now is the perfect time for property developers as well as homeowners to look for innovative solutions within the housing market.

"The bottom line is that Bovis Homes is getting inventive to stimulate sales," he said. "Even Sir Richard Branson is urging companies to find imaginative ways to save money and thrive in the recession. If there was ever a time to step out of your comfort zone it’s now."

www.EasyHouseExchange.com removes the middle-man from the often over complicated process of moving house by putting homeowners directly in touch with one another.

"Let’s be honest, if you can take the estate agent out of the equation, things should get a whole lot easier," O’Driscoll said, "and that’s exactly what our website aims to do."

The combination of low interest rates teamed with more affordable housing mean that now is actually a good time for people who need to move for work or family reasons to take advantage of more alternative routes to market.

"Tough markets call for innovative tactics," O’Driscoll said. "It’s no surprise that the house builders who have taken action and are trying out new ways to reach potential customers are the ones getting new business and beginning to sell more houses."

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