What puts off buyers looking at a property?
Interiors’ brand Inspired Wallpaper surveyed 1500 people in the UK to find out what was most likely to turn them off when they were viewing a property. They’ve published the top 10 list and it’s not very surprising!
- Unpleasant smells
- Bad layout
- Botched DIY jobs
- Poor quality fixtures and fittings
- Clutter
- Garish décor
- Mould
- Lack of character
- Disappointing garden
- Lack of natural light
More than a third of those questioned in the survey said that ‘bad smells’ would be their biggest reason for cutting a viewing short. It seems like the age old ‘put a pot of coffee on’ seems to still be valuable advice! Homey, familiar smells are much more inviting than strong floral scents, so masking pets or other smells with litres of air freshener is not a solution.
How well laid out rooms are in a home is subjective – different families use rooms in different ways. However, there are a multitude of ‘layout’ sins which can be easily fixed. For instance: using a spare bedroom used as storage; cluttering a hallway full of things so an entrance isn’t appealing…think about the little things that you can approach easily, there’s no need to panic and start knocking down walls!
The décor of a house is also extremely subjective. Head of Design at Inspired Wallpaper, Christine Westcott, said that while you should never be afraid to stamp your personality on your home, it’s worth keeping one eye on how your choices might impact the future resale value.
“It is possible to create a unique, welcoming ambience that reflects elements of your personality without putting off future buyers. While some prefer to work with a blank canvas, any buyer will be able to appreciate the amount of pride you’ve shown in your home, even if they have very different tastes,” she commented.
Sarah Beeny, TV star and owner of estate agency Tepilo, recently ran a survey that focused on what people like when viewing a property.
“When it comes to selling a property, there are so many simple things sellers can do to achieve a quick sale at, or above, asking price. Top of the turn-on list were a neat, well-kept garden (48%), and cleanliness (43%)” she remarked.
As for the list of turn offs above, she said: “These are all pretty easy things to address, and sellers need to also make sure they give their property a really good deep clean and de-clutter ahead of putting it up for sale.”
