Part Exchanging properties

[Kjohn]

Not sure if anyone has done this but would appreciate any tips or advice you may have. I want to buy a house that has been on the market for years, the price has come down & down - now it's affordable to me. I have a relatively new bungalow (no mortgage) up for sale. Not many viewings & no offers as yet. I don't want to miss out on buying the property I'm after (which is a bit of a one off), so have asked the owners if they would consider swapping, with me paying them the difference as theirs is more expensive. They have said yes and we have agreed the price that I have to pay them. My question is this: I know it has to be treated as two sales, but I'm wondering if there is anything to stop us from reducing the actual prices that we were originally selling for?e.g. Theirs was £299k & mine was £234k. Could we say £250k & £185k (thi would mean I still pay same amount but Fees & stamp duty would be less. Thanks in advance.

[ladybirder]

This is just my opinion, but I would think that your estate agents, whose fees depend on the sale price, and solicitors might have something to say about this, plus as your purpose is to defraud the IR, it also might question it. I could be wrong of course but if it is so easy lots of peeps would be doing it. Maybe they are. Have you mentioned it to your solicitor?