Securing a mortgage was the top worry mentioned by aspiring owners, followed by hidden costs, finding the right home for the right price and the conveyancing process.

But only a quarter of existing homeowners saw finding a mortgage as a stressful part of buying a home. Instead, in reality, finding the right home, Stamp Duty, surveying costs and the conveyancing process were the biggest problems.

HomeOwners Alliance chief executive Paula Higgins said: “The difference is the aspiring homeowner is going into the unknown. It is quite normal that once they have been through the process it is easier.”

Aspiring first-time buyers and homeowners also showed a different attitude to housing market professionals. Only 35% of potential buyers trusted mortgage lenders, but this rose to 40% among existing homeowners. Aspiring homeowners were also more likely to trust surveyors.

However, both groups displayed a similar lack of distrust for estate agents, with only 20% of those surveyed expressing even a fair amount of faith in this service.

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Other stresses raised by homeowners included understanding the implications of different types of mortgages, financing a self-build home, accessing bridging finance and incompetent financial advisers.

Among those who had bought a new build, other concerns included dealing with the property developer and installing amenities like broadband internet.