House-hunters reveal just how important “kerb appeal” is when buying a home

House-hunters reveal just how important “kerb appeal” is when buying a home, according to research carried out by Evolution Money.

Key findings:

68% of house-hunters could be persuaded to offer more money for a home with ‘kerb appeal’
Three in ten (30%) house hunters would pay up to £5k more for a property with a well-maintained exterior
Two-thirds of Brits (64%) find cracks in outside walls the most off-putting exterior feature when viewing a potential new home
37% of Brits would pay more for a house with a well-maintained roof and no missing tiles
One in ten (10%) even said that a nice clean car on the driveway would give them a more positive first impression of a property and even add to its potential value
Property expert comments on how much additional value ‘kerb appeal’ can achieve
More information can be found here

We all know that first impressions count, and it turns out that when viewing a potential new home, this is just as applicable to the exterior as it is the interior.

New research from established lender Evolution Money has revealed what features give prospective buyers a strong first impression of a home before even stepping foot inside it – and there is plenty to take note of!

A massive 93% of those surveyed said they pass judgement on a property by how it looks from the outside, and that ‘kerb appeal’ really does matter.

The things that put Brits off a home ‘at first sight’ the most include cracks in the exterior walls (64%), damaged windows (61%), and a roof with missing or uneven tiling (57%).

Several simple and low-cost things to fix, such as an unmown lawn (26%), visible rubbish bins (21%), a very brightly coloured front door (19%), a lack of outdoor lighting (9%), and washing hanging outside (7%) can also put off many potential buyers.

External property features that can negatively affect that all important ‘first impression’ with potential buyers:

Crack(s) in the outside walls – 64%
Damaged windows – 61%
A roof with missing/uneven tiling – 57%
A damaged front door – 54%
Leaky gutters – 49%
Missing pointing between brickwork – 43%
A shabby front door – 42%
Old-fashioned/single glazed windows – 35%
Dirty windows – 28%
An unmown lawn – 26%
A dirty wall colour i.e., yellowing – 24%
Weeds in the garden – 23%
Wonky/wobbly flagstones – 21%
Visible bins – 21%
Messy gravelled driveway/path – 19%
A rusty front gate – 19%
A very brightly painted front door i.e., bright pink, bright yellow etc. – 19%
Dirty flagstone path/driveway – 14%
Dirty car in the driveway – 10%
Lack of outdoor lighting – 9%
Washing hanging outside – 7%
Unpolished front door handle – 7%
A security camera – 6%
Visible children’s toys (such as a swing) – 6%
A ‘no cold callers’ sticker – 6%

First impressions can also work favourably, as some external features can enamour potential buyers to fall in love with a property before they’ve even passed over the threshold.

Two-thirds (68%) of house-hunters said they could be persuaded to offer more money for a home with ‘kerb appeal’, with three in ten (30%) prepared to offer an extra £5,000 or more.

So, what is most likely to impress potential buyers into offering more money for a property? Well, double glazed windows (37%), a well-maintained roof with no missing tiles (37%), and well-maintained plants or trees (25%) all came out on top.

While making these three changes could be expensive for the seller, there were a few lower-cost options that make a difference too. A freshly painted front door appeals to one in five (19%), alongside a neat lawn (19%), and freshly jet washed walls (13%) or paths (12%).

One in ten (10%) even said that a nice clean car on the driveway would give them a more positive first impression of a property and add to its ‘kerb appeal’ and even its potential value.

External property features that can positively affect that all important ‘first impression’ with potential buyers:

A well-maintained roof with no missing tiles – 37%
Double glazed windows – 37%
Well-maintained plants/trees – 25%
Freshly painted or pointed wall(s) – 24%
A freshly-painted front door with decorative knocker – 19%
A freshy-mown garden with no weeds – 19%
A security camera – 18%
Lighting around the front door – 14%
Freshly-jet-washed/sand-blasted exterior walls – 13%
A bin storage unit – 13%
A jet-washed driveway/path – 12%
A freshly-combed gravel driveway – 12%
A clean car in the driveway – 10%
A bespoke house number next to the front door – 8%
A house name – 6%

Hannah Dearden, Operations Marketing Executive from Evolution Money, said:

“Even if we’re not looking to buy a property, we all know that we form our opinions of any home as soon as we see it.

“Our research shows that for homeowners looking to sell, making small home improvements will help them achieve the best price. However, following the recent pandemic, it may not always be easy or straightforward to find the money to do the work and so a second charge mortgage can be a quick and cost-effective option.”

Property experts agree with the findings, suggesting that simple changes can seriously boost the chances of selling a property at a higher value.

Craig Bray, Divisional Director at Yopa estate agents, said:

“Would-be sellers can really boost the value of their property with some simple, tactful renovations. At Yopa we estimate that simply improving your property’s ‘kerb appeal’ with a freshly painted exterior, clean windows, clear gutters, a tidy driveway and a freshly painted front door can boost the value of a property by up to 10%.

“First impressions count, and the outside of your property is the first thing potential buyers will see, both when browsing online and in person at a viewing.”

For more information on Evolution Money’s research around ‘kerb appeal’ please visit: https://www.evolutionmoney.co.uk/news/why-kerb-appeal-really-matters.

Kindly shared by Evolution Money

Main photo courtesy of Pixabay