Buyers are becoming increasingly choosy when making a property purchase in the wake of the recent credit crunch, it has been claimed.

Recent figures from both Halifax and Nationwide have indicated that house price growth is slowing down, with the International Monetary Fund raising concerns about the possibility of a housing market crash.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has also reported that it is becoming more difficult for some buyers to afford to get onto the property ladder.

Liam Bailey, of estate agency Knight Frank, told the Times that now "people are looking for a reason not to buy" a house.

"If there is the slightest problem with a property people will walk away. The only exception is with very desirable properties, which are still selling well and seeing competitive bidding," he said.

However, many sellers are reluctant to lower the price of their property in order to sell it, with Mr Bailey commenting: "Unless they have to move they will just take their property off the market if they can''t get the price they want."