The magic of Christmas Day evaporated as quickly as the flames on the pud for many unfortunate families this year, according to a property expert.

Former president of the National Assocation of Estate Agents Trevor Kent estimates that 350,000 hits were made on the nation s estate agency websites on December 25.

"How sad is that," he laments, "and how many were due to the final straw breakdown of relationships fuelled by festive cheer?"

He says he made his calculation after he noticed that 25 people browsed the houses for sale listed by his Gerrards Cross estate agency on Christmas Day. "If that' s typical of the number of hits on the websites of NAEA members, it's a sad reflection of the times. Significantly 60 per cent of the visits to our site were between four in the afternoon and 8pm when no doubt lunch was over, the kids were manic and boozers' gloom had set in. Estate agents have long known that the 3D market death, divorce and debt is at its most prolific in the three months after Christmas."

The agent predicts that the fall out from "the Christmas from hell" will have additional ramifications this year. "First-time buyers will be in direct competition with first-time divorcers," he forecasts. "When relationships break down, the need for housing doubles as each partner goes their separate way.

"The problem is that these soon-to-be-formed new households will be in direct competition with traditional first time buyers. Worse still, the buying power of these splitters is often considerably greater than first-timers as they can withdraw substantial equity from their previous joint ownerships to provide deposits yet another obstacle in the path of those wishing to put a tentative first step on the property ladder."

Winkworth director Andrew Gilbert says in the 15 years he has been at the Ealing and Acton office he has noticed an increase in demand for flats and small houses because of relationship breakdowns, but not necessarily in January. "He's probably correct but I haven't been looking for it. It might not be Christmas. It could be new year, people wanting to change their lives and make a fresh start."