House buyers spend on average 18 minutes looking around a property before putting in an offer, a survey suggests.

Many house hunters spend more time picking a vacuum cleaner than viewing a potential home

Jonathan Turpin, Fish4homes.co.uk

Properties may be one the most expensive purchases, but people spend more time picking a suit than choosing a home.

According to the survey by property website Fish4homes.co.uk, shoppers spend 22 minutes looking at an expensive item of clothing, such as a suit or �150 dress - four minutes more than buyers spend viewing a property.

In addition, more than half of all buyers put in an offer on a property worth �150,000 after just one viewing, compared with 50% of clothes shoppers who will go away and come back to have a second look.

Plumbing and electricity

First impressions are the most important factor for homebuyers, the survey suggests.

What buyers miss

Damp patches on ceilings or walls Storage space or lack of it Security What the neighbours are like Evidence of mice and rats Whether the plumbing works

More than three quarters of homeowners, regardless of their age, said they bought their property because they liked the look and feel of the place, and not because everything was in working order.

Almost half did not bother to check the plumbing or electricity, and one in four admitted they encountered one or two major problems after moving in that could have been spotted before the purchase went through.

Many homeowners regretted buying in haste, with 45% saying they would have spent more time looking around the home that they had bought.

London buyers*

67% bought after one viewing in London compared with 55% on average across the UK *Based on houses worth �150,000

Jonathan Turpin, chief executive of Fish4homes.co.uk, said: "From personal experience I know many house hunters spend more time picking a vacuum cleaner than viewing a potential home."

But he warned people to avoid superficial details and concentrate on important issues, such as plumbing and central heating.

"It's better to ignore the aesthetics and concentrate on the practical details. Changing the decor is often cheaper, not to mention much more enjoyable, than having to deal with a leaky roof or a central heating system that doesn't work."