SELLING OR BUYING a house is so stressful that the experience ages people by two years, according to new research in the UK.

Psychologists found that seven out of 10 people who bought or sold a house in the past three months said it had accelerated the symptons of ageing. One in five reported diminished sex drive, while one in six suffered short-term memory failure and one in 10 experienced hair loss. In Ireland, the strain is more likely to have been confined to vendors who have had to drop the asking price by up to 50 per cent in order to shift the property. For those buying at rock bottom prices, the experience is likely to have been less stressful . . .