Owning your own home

The agent lying was hypothetical - not sure if that is the truth but the chances are when you buy that you will offer based on certain assumptions, spend money, then find out that things are not quite what you had hoped and were lead to believe. You clearly are very much anti-wasting money on advice (I don't blame you) but this will put you in a very difficult position where you are forced to try to renegotiate, or pull out or overpay.

I'm not against spending money on advice if I can't provide it myself. I can arrange a mortgage myself, so I'm reluctant to spend £600 for someone to do it for me.

As for the agent saying one thing and later revealing it to not be true, I will be asking for details in writing. If some deal later turns out to be untrue I will investigate options.

These are very odd scenarios you're throwing out there: buying can be risky if the agent lies to you, then you find out and yet buy the place anyway without taking further advice. Well, yes, it can. I won't be doing that.

I think I said earlier on in this thread that I'm posting here to look for advice/conversation on certain things, not debate whether or not house prices will rise or fall. It's pointless, and this thread keeps getting bogged down with it.