Two start-up companies in Brighton and Hove have joined forces to offer cash-rich, time-poor professionals what they call the ultimate property service.

Sussex Property Finder, run by Sadie Ainger, promises to find a suitable property, broker a good deal with the estate agent, and even help you move.

A personal concierge company run by Claire Marshall, called bn3 Lifestyle, will help clients keep their lives on track throughout the process.

Links on the web sites will feed clients between the two operations. Claire said: "We always hear how Brighton and Hove is known as London-by-the-Sea. Well this is the type of service you could expect in the capital.

"We can take on everything from finding the property and managing the move to ensuring our clients have access to the best goods, services and tradesmen after completion."

Sadie and Claire have latched on to a growing trend among well-paid professionals to offload time-consuming chores to someone else - anything from shopping and cleaning to buying a holiday or finding an electrician.

Originating in America, the number of concierge companies in Britain has trebled in the last two years. It is estimated there are 45 in London and another 50 elsewhere in the UK.

In such a young industry, there are few fixed formats. Pricing structures vary widely from monthly fees for unlimited usage to charging by the hour for ad hoc usage.

While the concept of using a property search agent is not unusual, extending the service to include lifestyle management is thought to be unique in Sussex.

Sadie said: "I think for those people who live in the area the service could be described as a luxury but 75 per cent of my clients are relocating from elsewhere - often London or abroad."

The only shadow on the horizon is a slight fall in property prices, which some experts are predicting could trigger a crash in the market.

If that happens, affluent professionals may decide they can look for a house themselves and do their own shopping.

Monday August 23, 2004