AN ESTATE agent's duty is to represent the vendor of a property - and now buyers also have someone to negotiate on their behalf.

Dave Holland, 43, is using his experience in the building industry, and as a land buyer, to set up The Negotiation Bureau.

Mr Holland, who is Tadley born and bred, has built several houses in his area, including four-bedroomed detached properties in Rays Close, which he named after the late Ray Frost, a Tadley councillor.

Mr Holland said: "The Negotiation Bureau is a totally new idea of mine. I will negotiate with the seller, or the seller's agent, and take a percentage of the money I save my client as a fee.

"If there is no saving, there is no fee."

If he were to broker a deal that reduced the asking price by £10,000, he would take a 35 per cent cut of that saving - and the buyer still wins.

Mr Holland believes a lot of people are too shy to haggle, but he is only prepared to negotiate for committed buyers who have their existing house under offer or are cash purchasers.

He said: "I have been in the building industry all my life and have a critical eye for presentation, checking the decorative order, and seeing whether the kitchen and bathrooms need refitting.

"I can see where money can be saved and where it needs to be spent."

So while an estate agent will be trying to get the best price for the vendor, Mr Holland will be haggling to make sure the price is also right for the buyer.