And we’re not talking about a lover, a fish or a bargain. The sale of your dream home falling through can hurt just as much.

House-hunting in many ways is like a turbulent love affair – the highs can be euphoric but the lows can be surprisingly devastating. It may sound melodramatic but losing a property you had your heart set on takes time to get over.

“When I decided to buy a flat in August 2002 I didn’t anticipate it being such an emotional experience,” says Kathy La Brooy, 29, a teacher living in West Wimbledon.

“I was looking for a two-bedroom flat in south west London so I could be close to school. I saw countless places and I’d been serious about one until I got the survey done. I was frustrated at it falling through but it was nothing in comparison to the devastation I felt when I lost the flat of my dreams in Southfields.

“It was like love at first sight when I went to the viewing. It was split-level with an attic style bedroom. It was bright, friendly and it was all too easy to imagine entertaining my friends in the open plan kitchen/living room.

“I put in an offer and as all the details were taking shape I’d mentally moved myself in. However when I showed it to my dad, he didn’t share my enthusiasm for it.

“He strongly discouraged me from buying it because it was above a restaurant. I was devastated. I couldn’t face going house-hunting again and I would constantly compare everything I saw to that flat.

“It was impossible for anything to match up. My enthusiasm for the flat I’ve now bought was non-existent well after I moved in. Now that I’m settled I’m much happier and I know that I’ve bought the right one. It was just surprising it took time to get over something like that.”

Kathy isn’t alone in her feelings of loss for a property. “It’s a very common experience,” says John Woosley director of Surrey Independent Agent. “So much about buying a home is how the buyer feels when they see it. So when the sale falls through, particularly one they’ve set their heart on, it’s devastating and recovering from that disappointment takes time.”

It just shows how important our homes are to us. “The saying ‘home is where the heart is’ sums up the way we feel about where we live,” says consultant psychologist Professor Robert Edelmann from the University of Surrey Roehampton.

“Like any relationship house-hunting is a long process and something we care deeply about, so often when people house hunt they look for ‘the one’ for them rather than using their foresight into turning a suitable property into a home they’d be happy in.”