Consumers rush to offer in 96 minutes

The survey showed the average amount of time spent choosing a holiday is 139 minutes, compared with 96 minutes spent viewing a property before putting in an offer.

But Abbey said rushing into such an important purchase can lead to problems for new homeowners, with almost half (49 per cent) of all movers experiencing some sort of setback after their most recent home purchase.

Indeed, 21 per cent of homeowners felt that – upon closer inspection – the décor inside their home suffered from poor workmanship, 14 per cent experienced problems with their neighbours and 4 per cent said that the exterior of their home also needed attention. A further 7 per cent of movers couldn’t even enjoy a decent shower due to poor water pressure and six per cent struggled to park their car.

Try before you buy

Wiser after the event, 12.3 million people wish they had done something different the last time they moved home:

• Over 1.7 million people (4 per cent of movers) wish they had been able to move in to their property for a trial weekend before committing to buying it
• 4.4 million (10 per cent) wish they’d visited their property more times before moving in
• 2.7 million (6 per cent) wish they’d spent more time in the neighbourhood before committing to a move
• 2.4 million (6 per cent) wish they’d paid for a more detailed survey
• 2.2 million (5 per cent) wish they’d spoken to their new neighbours before moving in
• 2.1 million (5 per cent) wish they had checked their local amenities or schools
• 1.4 million (3 per cent) wish they’d checked the parking situation and prices
• 1.3 million (3 per cent) wish they’d researched their new journey to work

Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, head of mortgages at Abbey, said: “It really is crucial that home-buyers do as much research as possible before making an offer on a new property. Moving is stressful enough, without having to worry about nasty surprises when you arrive at your new home."

Regional variations

Those living in Yorkshire experienced the most ‘moving regrets’, with 59 per cent reporting a nasty surprise after they moved into their new property and 42 per cent wishing they had done something differently during the moving process. Those living in the South East of England have experienced the most problems with their neighbours, with 21 per cent encountering noisy or nasty residents.