Let the ‘trained’ take the strain!

One of the principal benefits to a buyer of using a qualified and experienced search agent is in minimising the stress involved in searching for the right property, agreeing its value before negotiating the best price and making sure that all the right research has been undertaken before committing to a purchase.

New research from Which? Mortgage Advisers reveals that buying and selling a house is one of the most stressful life experiences – more so than having a child and second only to going through a divorce. As many as seven in 10 people considered buying or selling stressful, according to their research.

In a survey of nearly 2,000 members of the general public, respondents were asked to rate how stressful they found each of life’s major events, ranging from going through a divorce to buying a new car.

While going through a divorce came out on top of the list of life’s stresses, with four in five people (78%) considering it stressful, buying and selling property followed closely behind, with seven in 10 people (69 and 70% respectively) finding either process nerve-wrecking.

Buying or selling a property was considered more stressful than: arranging care for an elderly relative (68%); having a child (53%); changing jobs (49%) or getting married (40%).

Which’s research also reveals that women found both buying and selling a property more stressful than men. Three quarters (75%) of the women who were surveyed admitted they found selling a property stressful, whilst only two thirds (66%) of men felt the same. These figures were mirrored when it came to buying a property, with 73% of women finding the process stressful as opposed to 67% of men.