ONE in nine neighbours have admitted to contacting estate agents to snoop on a nearby house, a survey has found.

Six per cent have gone even further by booking a viewing, according to research by interiors company Hillarys.

The survey results suggested a large number of UK home owners are regularly browsing online property listings for homes up for sale in their neighbourhood, yet have no intention of moving themselves, according to new research conducted by a home interior specialist in the UK.

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) said they checked websites at least once a month, but just one in eight (13 per cent) were planning to a change of address.

Hillarys contacted 2,234 people for its survey. When asked why they browsed properties with no intention of buying, the top five reasons were given as:

1. I want to see what house prices in other local areas are like for when I am ready to move home – 71 per cent.

2. I like to see what else I could have got for my money– 58 per cent.

3. I am intrigued to see how my neighbours have decorated their homes when I see their houses go on the market – 34 per cent.

4. I am looking for properties as a friend/relative wants to buy a new home - 26 per cent.

5. I like to see what I could buy locally if I came into a large sum of money/won the lottery - 23 per cent.

Some 88 per cent of people admitted they had searched online for a property listing after noticing a For Sale sign outside a neighbour’s home. The average time between noticing a house for sale and researching it on the internet was 48 hours.

Eleven per cent of home owners confessed to contacting an estate agent to enquire about a house on their street. Six per cent had gone as far as to book a viewing.

Tara Hall, of Hillarys, said: "It’s always interesting to see what else is out there and what other people have done with their homes. However, it’s surprising to see how many people are bold enough to snoop on their neighbours’ homes."