Could owning a pet knock thousands off your house price?

Pets and clutter have been revealed to be the biggest turn off for house-hunters when viewing a property.

Related topics:  Property
Rozi Jones
31st August 2018
pug dog
"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all do, and buyers will look at the front of a house and immediately create perceptions of the entire home"

ScS has conducted a survey to help house sellers discover what features can turn people away from buying a property and what features are a must.

The top five turn offs when viewing a property were found to be clutter or obvious lack of storage (41%); pets, bad smells and general mess (40%); old/damaged carpets (36%) or kitchens (35%); and being located near a main road (33%).

More mature buyers (45+) were the most concerned with pets, while half of people in Liverpool said inconsiderate neighbours would be the biggest issue to deter them from buying a property.

The right number of bedrooms was considered the biggest must-have feature, according to 57% of people, while a converted cellar was voted the lowest consideration on the list with only 6% of the vote.

Other must-have features include off-street parking (40%), a well maintained garden (32%), new windows (31%), and a new kitchen (30%).

Over a third (39%) of males were put off by pets, bad smells and general untidiness, whereas clutter or obvious lack of storage came up as the biggest bugbear for women.

Farren Murphy, head of flooring at ScS, said: “As the results have shown, flooring can have a huge impact on first impressions when viewing a property. To add value to your home before selling, it might be worth investing in some new flooring to freshen-up the look and feel of your home. High quality flooring can deliver a lifetime of value and will allow potential buyers to more easily envisage their own items in the property.”

Aaron Cambden, managing director at Fairview Estates, added: "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all do, and buyers will look at the front of a house and immediately create perceptions of the entire home before viewing it. If your front door needs a fresh lick of paint, sort it out quickly, those first impressions help buyers and estate agents understand how they should be viewing and evaluating a home from the offset.

"Colours are key in the home for helping to sell the property. Red is scientifically proven to raise heartbeats and evoke an energetic atmosphere. Yellows and oranges are perfect for creative thinking and kick off trails of thought when seen. These colours can, therefore, be considered to be distracting to viewers, there is science behind sticking to simple tones and colour choices, so think first before picking up the paint roller. Decorating is a key part of presenting your property adequately.

"If your property doesn't offer broad appeal and has too many quirky design features and impractical pieces throughout the home, it's not going to be viewed positively."

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