A four-bedroom apartment Dubai could be snapped up for as little as US$50 (Dh183) if sold successfully through an online auction.

Steve and Arti Halligan have struggled to sell their home since the start of the downturn so they have put it under the hammer on Humraz.com, a website set up in the UK that is offering a revolutionary way to sell property.

Each bidder pays between $50 and $100 for a 'seat' to take part, depending at what stage of the process they register.

When enough bidders have registered to cover the property’s value, transfer fee, commission for the website and a charitable donation, the auction begins.

But the Halligans need to attract 10,000 bidders before this can happen. Bids can range between Dh6 and Dh151,000.

Unlike a traditional auction, the home will be won by the person who bids the lowest, not the highest, with the catch being they have to choose a figure that has not been chosen by anyone else.

The National