Home buyers are increasingly turning to the internet to find their dream property, research has suggested.

A study by Halifax Estate Agents found that 40% of people who had bought a home during the past year had used the net to search for properties.

People aged between 25 and 34 were most likely to use the net when house hunting, whereas people over 45 were much less likely to use it.

Despite the increasing use of the internet, the survey found that more than half of respondents still used the traditional method of registering with a local estate agent.

Convenience

The study found that 7% of respondents used the internet, but this figure jumped to 40% when looking at those who had bought a property in the past 12 months.

The Halifax said the internet was becoming increasingly popular, as people could not only search for potential homes but also use the net to download the full details on a property.

"It's the convenience factor," said Emma Maker at the Halifax.

"People are able to carry out searches in their own time instead of the estate agent's time."

The property website Right Move - which was set up by four estate agencies, including the Halifax - has also seen a dramatic increase in use.

Right Move's Liz Barrie said the number of property pages viewed on the site had increased by 320% over the past year.

Another property website, assertahome.com, also said it was benefiting from the trend.

It said it is currently receiving over 700,000 visits per month, which is more than double the visits the site received six months ago.

Green fingers

The survey by Halifax Estate Agents also studied what people look for in a new home.

Topping the list was a garden, with nearly a third claiming it is the most important feature of a home.

In second place was the number of bedrooms, with 19% saying space was the key factor when it came to making a decision.

Fifteen percent looked for a garage, with the same proportion after a property in a good location, near schools, shops and transport links.