Biggest Property Viewing Turn-Offs

When putting your property on the market, it’s crucial that you do everything possible to ensure it reaches maximum appeal. A Gocompare.com Home Insurance study showed the 10 biggest buyer turn-offs that sellers need to consider.

Damp

The biggest turnoff is damp, which a whopping 70% of people said they’d be turned off seeing. This is due to how generally unpleasing it is to see and how expensive it can be to fix. It may also indicate further problems throughout the property.

Property in a poor state

The next biggest is a property that’s in a poor state of repair, which turned off 63% of viewers. This shouldn’t come as too much of a shock since repairs are often very expensive and take a lot of time to complete.

Garden (or lack thereof)

It seems that 57% of viewers see a garden as a deal breaker. Inconsistent UK weather aside, there are still plenty of buyers that are after the chance to at least grow vegetables and plant flowers.

Poor smell

Unsurprising to many, 56% of homebuyers are turned off by poor smelling homes. This could be caused by lingering odours of food, cigarettes or even pets.

Lack of parking space

56% of homebuyers also selected parking as a deal breaker. It’s both convenient and can help lower car insurance premiums.

Poor lighting

Next were poor lit homes, which put off 54% of viewers. No one is keen on coming home in the summer months and still needing to turn on the lights, which is why you need to ensure your home is well lit so it feels more welcoming to viewers.

Unfinished work

Around 54% of viewers found unfinished building work off-putting. Viewing a property that feels and looks like a building site isn’t appealing to many.

Small rooms/kitchens

Approximately 51% of viewers stated that a property with small rooms was off-putting, perhaps due to the growing popularity of open plan areas. 44% thought the same for small kitchens, as it is the hub of many homes and won’t be considered unless it’s large enough to wine and dine guests.

Bad DIY

Poor DIY is off-putting to 43% of homebuyers. An unfinished skirting board or curtain rail can have buyers second guessing, provoking the feeling that maybe the property itself isn’t cared for. We suggest putting the tools away whilst conducting viewings.

Here are the rest of the top 20 things that put off homebuyers:

11. Dirty house: 37%
12. Stone cladding, render or pebble dash on outside walls: 31%
13. Outdated bathroom: 25%
14. Outdated kitchen: 25%
15. Artex or textured ceilings: 18%
16. Plastic windows: 18%
17. Overgrown garden: 16%
18. General untidiness: 16%
19. Cluttered rooms: 15%
20. Dated or over the top décor: 14%