The stress of buying or selling a house can cause premature ageing, a study has revealed.
According to the research by In-Deed, the pressures associated with moving house makes people feel and look two years older.
Psychologists questioned 2,000 participants and discovered that those who were buying or selling their home suffered age-related symptoms throughout the average 15-week moving period.
Among the symptoms, 10% suffered from hair loss, 14% short-term memory loss and 19% admitted to lack of sex drive and general anxiety associated with moving house.
The main worries during this stressful period included mortgage approvals, inept lawyers and bad solicitors.
"Periods of prolonged stress and anxiety - such as when buying or selling a home - can seriously take their toll on our wellbeing, with depression, weight loss and even premature ageing a likely outcome," says psychologist Dr Glenn Wilson from the study.
Are you feeling the stress of moving house? Find out how to make stress work for you.