The last time the property market experienced a crisis, the quick house sale market didn’t exist. The slow-down being forecast in the property sector at the moment may not be as dramatic as the fall of the early 1990s, but does this new market have anything to offer as house price increases decline?

This market hasn’t yet been fully tested, but it may be soon, as an increasing number of homeowners have difficulty meeting their mortgage payments and get into arrears. The worry for many people is not just the level of debt they have on their home, but the other loans and credit cards that seemed like good deals in the time of low interest rates and 0% transfers, but now require paying at higher rates with no real appetite from the lenders to provide assistance to those who are struggling. With an estimated 1.8 million homeowners due to come off their low-interest-rate mortgages during 2008, and lenders not committing to passing reduced interest rates onto their borrowers, now could be the time when the quick house sale market sees a real rise in demand.

Although it is estimated that there are now well over 300 companies operating in the quick house sale market, there’s no guarantee that the company you pick to sell your house to has the funds to buy a large number of properties. Depending on where these companies are getting their finance from, they too may feel the squeeze put on by lenders. Those companies that put you in touch with dedicated buyers in your area, or who have access to more traditional business finance and therefore aren’t taking as much of a risk, are likely to be able to cope well with demand, providing an invaluable service to stretched homeowners.

What’s more, if these companies can help to keep the repossession numbers down and the property market moving, they may be able to carve a long-term and significant reputation for themselves and the quick house sale market within the property sector.