Buying a house doesn't always come down to who has the highest bid, with other ways you can make yourself the most attractive purchaser in an ever growing competitive market.
In our Where I Live series, the ECHO will explore one house from across the region each week, with the owner giving us an insight into how they've made their house a home.
Mary Gore, 27, and partner Ricki Valerio, 30, sold their home in Huyton and moved in with family when they were on the hunt for a larger space, which they eventually found in Childwall .
