A new study shows that most people in Wales who have recently bought or sold a home have no desire to go through the process again.

The research found 64 per cent of those who took part in property transactions are reluctant to move house again, with lengthy contract exchange periods, constant chasing for updates, and repeated requests for the same paperwork being the main gripes.

Carried out by the Open Property Data Association, the investigation uncovers mounting frustration with Britain’s home buying and selling system, which currently takes an average of 135 days to complete after an offer receives acceptance — a notable rise from the 93-day average recorded in 2019.

OPDA chair Maria Harris said the findings should act as a serious wake-up call to the property sector.

With so many people unwilling to move home, housing supply will be severely impacted, limiting movement particularly for those already struggling to progress on the property ladder.

The current setup in Britain is broken and needs fundamental reform.

The impact of these drawn-out timescales proves considerable, with a third of respondents saying the process affected their decisions about starting a family, a comparable number experiencing effects on job moves, and 30 per cent having their plans to move to a smaller home derailed.

The OPDA is calling for the adoption of smart data approaches to boost efficiency.

Property analyst Phil Spencer, who founded Move iQ, noted that moving house is widely understood to be one of life’s more stressful experiences.

Yet these figures suggest the transaction process in Wales has become so difficult that most people would choose to stay where they are rather than move again.

Buying a new home should be a positive experience, not something that causes worry and stress.