Alex Gosling, CEO of online estate agents HouseSimple, has warned would-be buyers to ask as many questions as possible when viewing a house.

“Buying a home is a bit like a game of poker and you don’t want to give your hand away too soon,” he told Your Mortgage.

“What you do need to do is ask the right questions because the more information you have about the property, the more informed a decision you can make.”

Gosling said the more questions that were asked of a seller, the better informed a decision the buyer would be able to make.

“It’s always worth asking the agent how long the property has been on the market,” he added. “If it’s been on the market for more than three months, ask the agent why they think it isn’t selling and whether the vendor would consider a lower offer.

“Ask how long the current owners have lived there. If the seller is moving out after a short period, find out why. It might flag up a problem such as noisy neighbours.

“Make sure you check what you are paying for as well. For example, are the sellers leaving all the fixtures and fittings and the garden shed?

“There is nothing worse than finding out that there are no lights and curtain rails on the day you move in.”