Damp, pests and noisy neighbours – the top features that put off British house-hunters

Damp, pests and noisy neighbours – the top features that put off British house-hunters, according to research and analysis by Hammonds Furniture.

Key findings:

• Two in five (39%) people would think twice about purchasing a house with messy neighbours
• Pet smells, poor water pressure in the shower and ugly wallpaper also put people off purchasing a house
• A garden, a conservatory and driveway can add up to 25% to your house price
• Hammonds Furniture offers top tips on quick ways to make your house more appealing

Noisy neighbours, pet smells, pebble dash, being near a pub and the notorious Japanese knotweed are among the features that would tempt house-hunters to offer under the asking price or put them off purchasing a property altogether, according to research by Hammonds Furniture, which polled 2,000 UK house-hunters.

With peak ‘house-hunting season’ underway – typically starting from Easter bank holiday according to estate agents – Hammonds asked potential buyers to reveal what they’d be looking for in a new home, and what they’d avoid or see as being very off-putting.

Features that put off potential buyers

The two things most likely to put a potential homebuyer off are mould or damp on the walls (62%) and signs of a pest infestation (57%).

Top five most off-putting home features:

Michael Patterson, Managing Director of WeBuyAnyHouse, claims these issues can knock a huge 20% off a property’s value, or £55,400 off the average house price of £277,000.

Patterson said:

“Mild cases of mould may not affect value too dramatically if all that is needed is a dehumidifier and some mould-resistant paint, but very severe cases can reduce a property’s value up to 20%.  

“Pests can also cause extensive damage, especially rats that are prone to chewing through electrics and wooden beams, which you would need to repair. Depending on the damage done, you could be looking at between 5-20% of a decrease in value.” 

However, while it may not be unusual to be put off by signs of disrepair and neglect that could cost a significant amount of money to fix, many homebuyers are also seeing other quicker and cheaper-to-remedy issues as being very problematic too.

Even easy-to-fix issues can turn buyers off

A third of people (33%) would be put off a house if it had a messy garden and neglecting an outdoor space can also knock off up to 20% of a properties price too, according to Michael.

A quarter (24%) of people would also look elsewhere if the house they were viewing had ‘ugly wallpaper’, and two in ten (19%) people would be say ‘no thanks’ to a home with any holes in the walls from hanging pictures or paintings.

A huge 37% of people said they’d also find pet smells off-putting, and 28% would reconsider purchasing a house poor water pressure in the shower(s).

Pesky neighbours pose a problem for many

Even if homeowners overcome all the above issues to prepare their house for sale, neighbours could still do them a disservice, according to the survey.

Four in 10 (39%) would reconsider a house purchase if the neighbouring house looked ‘messy’ (39%), and almost half feel that noisy neighbours are no-go (48%).

Plus, nearly a third (30%) would be put off by proximity to a pub (32%), while one in seven (14%) would reconsider buying a house if it was located on a road with a rude street name!

‘Popular’ features aren’t always popular

Some features that may seem attractive, can also be problematic. For example, one in 10 people (10%) wouldn’t choose a property if it had a swimming pool or hot tub, and 13% dislike laminate flooring.

And according to another recent study by Hammonds, some popular interior styles can also put off potential buyers. Despite Google searches for maximalist interiors increasing 125% in the last three months, nearly a third (32%) of UK house hunters would offer less for a home decorated in this loud and colourful interior style.

Features people will pay more for

When it comes to features that house buyers would pay more for, a garden tops the list with almost half of all homebuyers (45%) claiming that they would pay more for outside space. This is closely followed by a garage (37%) a conservatory (31%) and a loft conversion (27%).

Top five home features that house hunters would pay more for:

Only 15% would pay more to be close to public transport and just 13% would pay more for a log burner. Plus, only 8% of people would be swayed by having smart meters in their potential new home.

Ready, steady, stage

While there isn’t much that homeowners can do to add the most attractive features without spending a fortune, according to Hammonds’ data, ‘staging’ your home for sale by redecorating in a minimalist interior style can help sell your home quicker, and for up to 10k more.

To ‘stage’ your home for sale, Property expert Nick Neill, Managing Director, EweMove Sales & Lettings Ltd offers this advice:

“We recommend moving personal mementos into storage and reducing what some people might consider clutter.

“If a home is decorated with bright colours, sellers may consider muting this with some neutral colours in the interest of maximising the number of interested viewers.

“You can leverage this to secure the highest bidder and achieve a quicker sale.” 

Holly Herbert, Head of Content at WeBuyAnyHouse, also offers her advice to sellers on how to present the best house possible:

“In general, to get a house in a good position to sell I would say decoration is key – freshly painted walls make a big difference, even if it’s the same colour as before, as it will make the place brighter and remove any scuffs and marks. 

“Gathering all information about the house for viewers is also important; general running costs, council tax band, local transport links. Getting it all in one place so you have it to hand with no hesitation is something buyers appreciate. And don’t forget to take the best possible advertising photos.” 

Kirsty Oakes, Head of Product and Marketing at Hammonds Furniture, added:

“We all have something in mind when we begin a search for our next home, but there are certain features that for many people could be an absolute dealbreaker. However, some of these features are surprisingly quick and simple to amend if you are looking to sell your house. 

“If you’re selling, you can make your house look much more appealing by making some small changes, such as filling in holes in the wall or switching to a neutral colour pallet. A deep clean can make a huge difference to how your property is perceived, and well as clearing away extra clutter (even if you just store it in your car). Don’t be afraid to ask your neighbours to clean their garden as well!” 

Kindly shared by Hammonds Furniture

Main article photo courtesy of Pixabay