When choosing a new home, consulting an estate agent and a residential conveyancing solicitor with local knowledge may prevent the potential purchaser making an expensive mistake, especially if the buyer knows little about the area, such as where the most burglaries occur.

Surveys by the Yorkshire Bank and Moneysupermarket show that, although nationally burglary rates are down slightly, London is still the city where residents and homeowners face the highest risk of being burgled.

According to the bank, in the City of London in 2008-09, there were 370 burglaries, a drop of 74 since 2002-03, but this equated to a rate of 46.35 per 1,000 people – nearly twice more than the next riskiest areas, Burnley and Manchester at 24.

The bank's survey was aimed at highlighting the lack of household insurance cover as was the similar report by Moneysupermarket.

The comparison company's survey showed an area of Manchester was just slightly worse than Blackheath, London, in terms of number of burglary claims at more than 8%.

Hammersmith and Finsbury Park are the next London postcodes to feature in the list, with districts of Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester, followed by W4 in the Chiswick area, then Battersea. Also in the list are N19, Forest Hill, Enfield and Brixton.

Buying a home in an area with a high burglary rate is likely to mean the need for greater security measures to protect the property and more costly insurance premiums than for a quiet rural or seaside area such as Brighton where there are fewer crimes. As well as being a factor in living costs, it should also make a difference to the initial cost of buying a property and be subject to negotiation by the potential purchaser before signing the contract through a conveyancing solicitor.