AROUND half of house buyers end up finding their property through “traditional” methods such as spotting a for sale sign or browsing an estate agent’s window – despite the growth in house-hunting apps and websites, research suggests.
Some 55% of homeowners who bought their property within the last two years said they had found it this way, including seeing an ad in a local paper, finding it at an auction, or hearing about it from friends, family or neighbours.
Another 45% of people found their property on a website or through an electronic alert such as a notification from an app, the research from Which? Mortgage Advisers found.
Just over one in 10 (11%) people surveyed had found the home they went on to buy after seeing its details in an estate agent’s window, while a similar number had seen a sign outside their property advertising it for sale.
And 6% had found their home after seeing it advertised in a local newspaper.
Meanwhile, 9% had found their home through word of mouth, while 1%, perhaps inspired by shows such as the BBC’s Homes Under The Hammer, had found their property at an auction.
David Blake, principal adviser at Which? Mortgage Advisers, said: “Despite the rise in online property portals, it seems many of us are still traditionalists when it comes to finding a property.”
He said that while apps and websites are a good place to start a property search, speaking to a local expert can also help house hunters to get a feel for the house and the area.
Some 2,000 home owners who had bought the property they lived in within the last two years took part in the survey.
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