For the past decade, the property experts have been giving advice on how to make money out of property.

But since the credit crunch most of these gurus have gone to ground with the majority of home owners and first time buyers left wondering how to make sense of the market.

Perhaps it is time to listen to some alternative views about the sensible way to approach property ownership.

Presenter of Location, Location, Location and head honcho at Garrington Home Finders, Phil Spencer is clear that property buying decisions should be based on your life and your needs not the fluctuations of a market.

He was recently quoted as saying: “I maintain that if you try to pick the top or bottom of the market then you will get it wrong. Do what suits you at the time and buy as good a property as you can afford.”

He also sees an upside to the current market conditions. “If you are thinking of selling in order to buy another house which is more expensive then, yes, it is a good time to sell.

“While you could lose 10 per cent on the sale of your home, you’ll save 10 per cent on the more expensive property - and that’s the greater figure.”

Martin Roberts, the property investor and presenter of Homes Under the Hammer says on his website: “It’s not all doom and gloom.

“All market conditions throw up opportunities as much as they do challenges, and I truly believe that if you play your cards right at the moment, you can secure ‘never to be repeated’ deals and take a massive leap towards securing, rather than undermining, your future financial security.

“The key is to know what to look for, where to find it, how much to pay for it and effective ways to finance the purchase.”

Miller Homes, one of the largest house builders in the UK, have 21 live developments in the north west and exceeded their sales target in 2008.

They believe that a return to real home buying values still count in the decision making process.

Steve McElroy, sales director of Miller Homes in the north west, said: “We have seen homebuyers return to the fundamentals of the property buying decisions.

“Do I want to live here? Is this the right area for me, my family, for schools? Is this the home we can grow into? Is it our dream home? Is the deal right?

“We are glad that, so often, it is a Miller Home that fulfills this criteria.”