"I always tell my clients, 'your budget is fixed but house prices are not'. Most home-hunters look at houses in dribs and drabs. They might go to a viewing every Saturday but it can take ages to find the right home and then they lose the momentum, " explains O'Kane.

"House hunting is difficult, frustrating, stressful and most of all, time-consuming.

Particularly, when viewing times are 1pm to 2pm on Thursdays and from 3pm to 4.30pm on a Saturday. Get Sorted provides you with a service that allows you to continue to work, stick to your routine and not tear around the city viewing properties that are not right for you. We do all of that for you, omit all the unsuitable properties and provide you with a short list of properties that will be best suited to you and your requirements."

"One couple who contacted me had been house-hunting for 18 months.

I met with them for one hour and found out a bit about who they were, their lifestyle, and what they wanted in a home. He was an engineer and she was a pharmacist and they said their weekends were ruined looking at rubbish. I made them commit to taking one day off work, and on that day I had sourced seven properties for them, the fourth of which they bought."

Recognising that firsttime buyers are not always flush with cash is crucial.

"The couple I sourced the house for had a budget of 550,000, but the home I found for them was only 465,000. We have never gone over-budget with the properties we source, because we know that most first-timers don't have extra money to play around with.

It's all about speed and how to research what you're looking for."

Back in 2003, O'Kane set up www. get-sorted. com, to help homebuyers through the process of moving home.

And in the last three years this business has been very successful, with time being one of the most valuable resources for many people these days. Get Sorted provides a complete one-day packing and un-packing service. When you move house you just go off to work or out for the day, return home and hey presto, all your boxes and bags are unpacked and put away. Even the beds are made up and your toothbrush awaits you in the bathroom.

First Timers Get Sorted hopes to become a one-stop shop for first-time buyers, linking up with mortgage brokers, surveyors, builders and all the other services needed for property buying.

www. get-sorted. com; 01 4972985/086 3513196.