You are dead in the water if the price isn't right on your home.

That is the realistic prediction from estate agents as branches across the county face a tough battle to sell homes.

But it is a varying tale across Kent, with some agents seeing double the number of homes on their books - which are difficult to shift - while others have seen a huge slump in the number of homeowners signing up.

Ward and Partners Estates Agents now has a total of 1,200 properties available in north Kent - 400, or 50 per cent, more than last year.

Aldo Sotgiu, regional managing director of Ward and Partners, said: “It’s artificially high because fewer people are buying the stock.”

He said it was not all doom and gloom as some local branches were still selling better than others.

But overall compared to 12 months ago, house sales were down by 40 per cent and he stressed the key for sellers now was right pricing.

Mr Sotgiu added: “You are dead in the water if you try to price your house other than extremely sensibly.”

In east Kent, the number of properties on the market show a varying picture compared to last year.

Rob Philp, sales negotiator from the Ramsgate branch of Miles and Barr Estate Agents, said they now had half the number of properties on their books compared to last year but agreed with Mr Sotgiu that there is still potential out there for many home buyers.

He said: “If people want to sell at a low price they can buy at a low price. It’s a great time to sell and people shouldn’t listen to everyone.”

Currently, the Ramsgate Miles and Barr Estate Agents, has 144 available homes but last year there were around 300.

For its Dover branch there are 117 properties , compared to 158 a year ago.

~ Listen: to senior branch manager Ben Smith of Ramsgate’s Miles and Barr giving selling and buying advice.>>>

Mr Philp also stressed the government's stamp duty moves had had little impact in boosting the market.

“The government should have scrapped the stamp duty all together,” he added.

“That would have had a bigger impact. It’s the banks that need to sort themselves out. When they start to lend it would improve things.”

According to Cooke and Co Estate Agents, which has branches in Cliftonville, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, 20 per cent more houses are on their books than in September last year. The current numbers stand as 172 properties in Cliftonville, 155 in Ramsgate and 140 in Broadstairs.

Proprietor Damian Cooke said: “A lot of people still think that Thanet is a good place to live as there is plenty going on.”

The Turner Centre and the proposed ‘China Gateway’ industrial development, near to Manston Airport, creating up to 3,000 jobs, were the type of attractions he mentioned which continued to draw people to the Isle.

Cooke and Co and Miles and Barr estate agents both agreed that it took nearly double to sell a property than it did a year ago. It used to take six to eight weeks now it could take up to 14 weeks.