Biggest House Viewing Blunders
When you go to view a new home, chances are, you’ve braced yourself for some dodgy décor or a bit of damp that needs fixing, but that’s about as far as it goes. So, spare a thought for these poor people who had to put up with a whole lot more than some dated, floral wallpaper!
Coming in first place, over 36% of our survey* respondents had viewed properties that had a really bad smell. Whether it’s caused by damp, animals or cigarettes, foul odours can be extremely off-putting – with many viewers concerned about the smell lingering long after they’ve moved into the property.
Dirty, damaged carpets are the second biggest blunder viewers have seen, which can cost hundreds of pounds to sort out.
More shockingly, a staggering 18% of house viewers in Glasgow have walked into a property, only to find human faeces smeared on the floor and walls; and 37% of viewers in Manchester have found animal faeces!
Blood, sick and pubic hair have also made appearances in many a house viewing – most seen in Manchester, Newcastle, and Edinburgh, respectively.
But perhaps the worst of all, is poor Newcastle, where 13% of viewers walked into a property only to find a dead animal, and 9% discovered a corpse. If that doesn’t put you off purchasing a property, we don’t know what will!
If you want to avoid any nasty surprises when viewing a property, then it’s time to start your search in Sheffield, where 32% said they hadn’t seen anything off-putting when viewing a potential future home.
How to make your home more attractive
With the average person taking just 16.5 minutes to view a house, if you’re the seller, you don’t have long to leave a (good!) lasting impression in the viewer’s mind.
Start by banishing any bad odours by taking the rubbish out and opening any windows before a viewing. While you may not have time to bake some bread, you could consider lighting some candles or brewing some coffee, to entice viewers in.
With another common blunder being bad DIY, make sure you get any blemishes fixed. Once you’ve lived in a home for a few years, you might see past the cracks or dents in the walls, but it’s definitely something viewers will pick up on. If you can’t get the job done to a high standard yourself, then call the professionals in – it’ll be worth it, in the long term.
If you’re still wondering why your house won’t sell, then take a look at our suggestions on how to make your property look more attractive to buyers. Alternatively, if you’d like to sell your house fast, get in touch with us today.
*Survey of 1,000 UK respondents who have viewed a property in the last 1-2 years undertaken in June 2020 by TLF.
