British people take three times longer choosing a sofa than deciding on a house, finds survey

Other purchases people mull over more than their property include a car a laptop or computer and a smartphone

Over half of homeowners said they made an offer on the same day they viewed the property (Getty)

British homebuyers take three times longer choosing a sofa than on the decision to buy a home, according to new research.

The average house hunter makes a decision on buying their new pad within just 27 minutes of walking through the door while almost a quarter (24 per cent) knew it was for them in 10 minutes or less. This compares to 88 minutes selecting the perfect sofa.

The survey from property website Zoopla also revealed that buyers take twice as long deliberating over a home appliance (59 minutes), as they do choosing the home itself.

Other purchases Brits mull over more than their property include a car (89 minutes) a laptop or computer (71 minutes) and a smartphone (46 minutes).

Regionally, buyers in the East of England appear to be the most considered, taking the longest to make their property purchase decision, closely followed by those from the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. House hunters in the East Midlands are the speediest, where they take just 26 minutes to decide.

Over half of homeowners said they made an offer on the same day they viewed the property.

The research found that despite the snap decisions people make when they see their dream home, most people are still meticulous about the research they put in beforehand.

The average house hunter now spends a total of 75 hours over the course of 15 weeks in their search, and attends an average of eight viewings before they find "the one", the survey found. Residents of Wales take the longest, with buyers searching for an average of 83 hours over 18 weeks, while the quickest property hunters are those in the East Midlands, who take 62 hours (over 12 weeks).

Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla said: “The process of buying a home is a hugely emotive one and whilst a quick decision can help secure a property in a fast-moving market, it's essential to keep a strong head and do as much research online and with your local agent to help build knowledge prior to viewings and making an offer.“