Homeowners should think about how their property looks to potential buyers before they put it on the market, according to new research.
If a home is presented well and buyers can visualise themselves living there, they may be more likely to make an offer.
A home with offputting features, on the other hand, could cause sellers to walk away without even viewing the entire home, according to the data by eXp UK.
They shared the factors that play the biggest role in making a bad first impression and what could cause potential buyers to lower their offer or walk away altogether.
A bad first impression can be detrimental when selling a house
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Things that make the worst first impressive
Overgrown or poorly maintained garden
Noisy neighbours
Dated exterior – Poorly rendered etc
Shabby windows and window frames
Disused vehicle blocking the driveway
Shabby front door
Blocked gutters
Shabby garage
An overgrown garden and noisy neighbours are the biggest turnoffs. Some 26 and 25 per cent of people said these factors give them the worst first impression.
Blocked gutters and a shabby garage were also offputting, but more buyers were willing to forgive these errors as only one per cent of people said it was enough to put them off entirely.
Of the people surveyed, 29 per cent said they would leave a poorly presented property if they got a bad first impression “without viewing the rest of the home”.
Some 70 per cent of Britons said this would impact their view of the home overall and 93 per cent said they would reduce their offer if the home had a poorly kept exterior.
As a result, homeowners have been urged to ensure their home is well presented before putting it on the market.
Head of eXp UK Adam Day commented: “We all know that first impressions are important when selling a home and the front of your property is the first thing that will influence a buyer’s perception of your property.
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“Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do if you have a nightmare neighbour, however, other factors such as an overgrown garden can be easily rectified with a little elbow grease.
“Buyers are less concerned about small tasks such as cleaning gutters or a quick lick of paint on a front door, but other core features that require more work, such as new windows or a fresh render, can act as a more significant deterrent.
“So if you are preparing your home for market it not only pays to invest in its curb appeal, but it also pays to know where and how to give your home a springtime spruce up.
“Failing to do so could see you not only reduce the level of buyer interest in your property but also achieve a lower sold price when you do manage to secure one.”
