It is said to be as stressful as suffering bereavement or the trauma of going through a divorce, but that did not deter almost 80,000 people buying a new home and moving last November. And sadly many of them will have horror stories to tell ranging from protracted delays for a chain free purchase to a seller who accepts a higher bid at the eleventh hour.

Although it is impossible to guarantee a totally pain free experience, experts believe there are a few steps that should be followed to smooth the entire home purchase process.

It may sound obvious but when looking to buy a house, the first thing to do is to work out where you really want to live. "Get to know the neighbourhood," advises Karen Bevis, mortgage product manager at Coutts. "Visit potential locations at different times of the day and at weekends."

Streets that are busy during the week, for example, might be deathly quiet at weekends while that pretty local pub, with the wisteria growing around the doorway, may turn into a den of iniquity at night.

Paul Williams, head of Savills, Islington, adds: "If you identify where you want to live, then you become more focussed on what you want. It allows you to give clear and specific instructions to estate agencies."

Coutts has an association with Garrington Home Finders, an independent property search and buying consultancy, founded by Location, Location, Location host Phil Spencer.

Spencer agrees that research is key. "Few people adequately prepare for the transaction. We always sit down with new clients for an hour or so to closely establish what it is they want to achieve with their move. "I always think of it as a triangle between space, location and price. A buyer needs to figure out the point at which these all meet. Usually, they don't meet where you want them to."

Both Williams and Spencer believe that making friends with local estate agencies is important. For example, when a new property comes onto the books an agent is unlikely to make 20 calls. But he might make five. Having a pre-existing relationship should ensure that you are the recipient of one of those calls.

"An asking price is not a valuation. It is the final price with the hopes and dreams of the vendor added on top."

Keeping in regular contact with local agencies will also provide useful intelligence on both asking prices and the final prices at which deals are being done. "An asking price is not a valuation," explains Spencer. "It is the final price with the hopes and dreams of the vendor added on top."

Keeping abreast of other transactions also provides the buyer with ammunition to be used in negotiations. Knocking £20,000 off the asking price may seem a great deal, until you discover that similar properties in the area are selling for £50,000 less.

But the price is academic if the buyer cannot afford it, which is why all experts recommend sorting out the financing as soon as possible. Indeed, the best advice is to get an indication of how much you can borrow from your mortgage provider before starting to look. "It helps narrow down the search," explains Williams. "You know from the outset what you can and cannot afford."

It also speeds the process along because an offer can be made in good faith that, subject to satisfactory searches and surveys, will be honoured. It reassures the vendors, who are more likely to take you seriously as a result.

Coutts offers a wide range of mortgages to existing clients, including buy-to-let loans and loans in foreign currency which are tailored to clients individual requirements.

"Don't rely on the estate agency, surveyor or solicitor to do all the work. By micro managing, you can make the process much more efficient."

While a minority of buyers look to personally handle the conveyancing, experts recommend that a good solicitor is employed to handle the legal aspects of a home purchase once an offer is accepted. Estate agents may recommend local ones that they have worked with before. There is no guarantee that a solicitor in a major law firm will prove more efficient than one sitting in a small local office.

"Check out the prices different solicitors charge," recommends Bevis. "It is a good idea to get an indicative quote. It is not an exact science but it helps to understand the costs involved."

It is at this point that problems and delays can start to arise with the purchase. Although it will vary on a case-by-case basis, it can take between six weeks and three months between an offer being accepted and contracts being exchanged. Completion can take a further six to eight weeks.

The agreement between the buyer and the property's vendor is not binding until exchange. Spencer believes that deals usually fail when there is a lack of communication. He recommends that would-be buyers start to micro-manage the process at this point. Keeping the vendor up-to-date with developments gives them confidence that the deal will go through.

"It is your deal, your property and your money," he explains. "Don't rely on the estate agency, surveyor or solicitor to do all the work. By micro-managing, you can make the process much more efficient."

While it is impossible to protect against gazumping, having a good relationship with the vendor should make it harder for them to accept a competing offer. "You have no recourse," adds Spencer. "But if you are communicative, decisive and organised with everything ready to go as soon as the offer is accepted then it makes them less likely to be meeting other potential buyers."

It is also possible to request exclusivity for a period of time, when the vendor does not show the property to any more potential buyers. "An agent is legally obliged to put all offers to clients," explains Williams. "But that does not mean they will always accept them. I once had a client turn down an additional £100,000 from someone trying to gazump an existing agreement.

"If somebody is willing to gazump another buyer, then you have to question the way they operate. And there is no guarantee that once the vendor agrees to sell to them instead, they won't then try to chip away at the price."

Once the deal is completed, there is only the move to consider. Coutts even offers a property service that helps buyers move and settle into their new homes – and finally relax after all those stressful months.

For further information on Garrington Home Finders visit http://www.garrington.co.uk/.

By Helen Dunne