Bargain hunt at auction.

IF you have ready cash and some building skills, take a close look at the new season of residential property auctions starting in mid-September, because prices achieved on homes under the hammer may be falling back again. At a sale in February prices achieved were almost 50% below those recorded at the peak of the market in September 2007.

An interesting property to look out for is a fourbedroom cottage surrounded by National Trust land in Caernarfon guided at pounds 225,000-250,000 (countrywideproperty auctions.co.uk).