Buying a house more stressful than having a child

House buying tops the table of ‘most stressful life experiences' with one in four (24%) homeowners finding it the most demanding and stressful thing they have done, according to new research from Unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website.

Buying a house was listed top at 24%, ahead of starting a new job (14%), having a child (13%) and getting married (9%).  House buying remained the number one stressful life experience for all ages - rising to 37% of those aged between 20 and 29, and 24% of those aged 70 or over.

Instead of getting easier with experience, moving up the property ladder appears even more stressful than entering it, with 41% of second time buyers finding buying their second home as or more stressful than their first.  The fact they were part of a chain made it more stressful for 27% of second time buyers, which rose to 42% of those aged between 30 and 39.

Almost one sixth of second time buyers (16%) felt it was a bigger decision than their first purchase as it was a property for the long term.  7% of second time buyers separately sold their first house and rented before entering back into the property market, just to avoid being part of a chain.

Finding the right property was the most stressful part of the house buying process for over a third (35%) of homeowners, rising to 47% of those over 70.  One fifth (20%) of homeowners found moving in the most stressful, and over one in ten (12%) felt it was getting and arranging a mortgage.

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive of Unbiased.co.uk said, "Buying a house is a stressful experience. So much time and effort is invested into finding the right home; it is no surprise people find it more stressful than having a baby!  Buying a home is probably the most expensive decisions you will ever make and involves lots of complicated stages.  But there are some simple things you can do to take at least a little of the stress out of buying a home.

"With over one in ten homeowners finding getting and arranging a mortgage the most stressful part of the process, seeing a whole of market mortgage adviser is a good step in getting help and advice.  They have access to products from the whole of the market, ensuring that you find the best possible mortgage for you.  You can carry out a confidential and free search to find a whole of market mortgage adviser near them by going to Unbiased.co.uk."