Three in 10 new home owners said that the homebuying process was too complicated, and 32% said they found the experience overwhelming, according to Moneybox’s survey.

Just under a third of the 1,500 polled said they should have been better informed during various stages of the process, and one in five said they would have used an expert for advice in retrospect.

Three in 10 experienced unexpected delays in the chain, and 15% had been gazumped or outbid when they found a property they wanted to make an offer on.

When asked what the most stressful parts of the process were, almost two in five (38%) said waiting to hear on completion date was “agonising”, and 37% said the time taken for solicitors to send documents for completion was “frustrating”.

More than a quarter (27%) said that the homebuying process took longer than expected, and finding the right property was a challenge with an average of six property viewings before finding something they liked.

The average buying process, from putting in an offer to completion, was around 5.2 months, according to Moneybox.

Top causes of stress

The top cause of stress for homebuyers was solicitors not getting back to them, at 28%, and the same number of respondents said the amount of admin was equally horrific.

Roughly a quarter said that finding a house they liked and could afford was the most stressful part, which tied with the same number who cited the lack of control in the process causing the biggest headache.

One in five (22%) said staying on top of the process while working full-time added stress, and 18% said unexpected costs were the worst part for them.

A lack of understanding around homebuying jargon was mentioned by 15% of participants as adding stress.

Cecilia Mourain, managing director for homebuying at Moneybox, said: “This important life goal for many is undoubtedly daunting, especially when trying to prepare for all the homebuying process entails.

“However, these findings show that more needs to be done to help people understand what to expect as well as practical measures to support them navigate their home-buying journey, which can be complex and very time-consuming.”

Moneybox said home buyers should be financially prepared to cover costs, they should prepare key documents as soon as possible, ask as many questions as necessary, get more quotes and secure expert advice to help with the process.