Two thirds (66%) of homebuyers have said that the experience of buying and selling a house put them off moving again, the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has revealed.

The association’s latest survey of 5,000 home movers found that 20% have been "significantly put off" by the process, after navigating what the OPDA described as the "slow and stressful home buying system".

The figure rises sharply among 35 to 44 year olds, traditionally seen as second steppers, where 73% say the experience has deterred them from moving again.

When asked what the difficulty in buying or selling a home has affected, 34% said family plans, while 31% said career moves and 28% cited downsizing in later life.

The survey found that delays in exchanging contracts, constant chasing for updates and repeated requests for information remain major frustrations.

Currently, a home buying or selling transaction in the UK takes an average of 135 days to complete after an offer is accepted, up from 93 days in 2019.

The OPDA said its findings suggest a significant roadblock to the housing market, with the unwillingness of second steppers to move again creating a supply issue for first-time buyers.

Chair of the OPDA, Maria Harris, stated: "These findings are a major alarm bell for the housing sector. If so many people are reluctant to move again, it’s going to have a significant impact on housing supply, worsening mobility, particularly for those already struggling at the bottom of the housing ladder.

"The current system in the UK is broken and needs deep structural reform. Embracing smart data will transform how we buy and sell property. With more upfront information and industry wide standards, we can deliver faster transactions, fewer fall throughs, and greater transparency."

The update comes after the Government’s Smart Data Strategy found that smart data for homebuying could create £14.1bn in net social value and contribute over £2bn annually to the UK by 2043. This is set to make it the single most economically impactful smart data use case across all sectors studied.

Property expert and founder at Move iQ, Phil Spencer, added: "We all know moving home is a stressful experience. But these findings suggest the process is so bad most people would rather stay put than contemplate moving again.

"Buying a new house should be exciting, not stressful. Digitalisation has transformed so many elements of our lives for the better, and the housing market needs to move out of the dark ages. A system built on smart data would make life better and happier for buyers, sellers and property professionals."

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