THE Government is asking estate agents, solicitors and mortgage lenders for ways to help make the house buying process "cheaper, faster and less stressful".

Ways of tackling time wasting, mistrust and gazumping - when sellers accept a higher offer from a new buyer - will be looked at as part of the consultation launched by the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid.

As part of its drive to make the housing market "work better", the Government says it wants to hear from everyone with an interest in home buying.

"We want to help everyone have a good-quality home they can afford, and improving the process of buying and selling is part of delivering that," said Mr Javid.

"Buying a home is one of life’s largest investments, so if it goes wrong it can be costly. That’s why we’re determined to take action to make the process cheaper, faster and less stressful.

"This can help save people money and time so they can focus on what matters –-finding their dream home. I want to hear from the industry on what more we can do to tackle this issue."

Research from consumer body Which? shows people find moving house more stressful than having children.

Meanwhile, recent figures shared by the Government suggest 69 per cent of sellers and 62 per cent of buyers experienced stress and worry from delays. Almost half of sellers had concerns about a buyer changing their mind after making an offer.

As part of the research, the Government says it has also looked to other countries, such as Denmark and the USA, where home buying and selling is perceived to work much more smoothly.

The call for evidence will run until mid-December. Buyers and sellers are being reassured the exercise is not about adding extra work or seeing a return to Home Information Packs, but will look at how the home buying experience can be improved.