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The greatest selling points of your home may be beyond your control
A recent study by conveyancers My Home Move has shed light on the qualities most sought after by UK property buyers – and despite your greatest efforts, there’s very little you can do to change them.
We’ve all been there – maintaining your house to showroom quality at the off-chance you’ll get another viewing – after all, this time they might make an offer! However, research has shown that the most desired attributes have very little to do with what you as a seller do to your property.
Most British home buyers take a very subjective approach to purchasing a new home, with more than half claiming that the main motivation for their acquisition was that they fell in love with the house. So what exactly do they fall in love with? Well sadly, it isn’t that expensive remodelled kitchen and dining room you spent so much on a few years back, nor is it the limited edition wallpaper you bought to add a bit of class to the living room… it is, however, more related to qualities outside the boundary of your home.
It comes as no surprise that location was the most in-demand factor for 58% of those browsing the market, whether analysed from the perspective of its proximity to the potential buyer’s job or simply the number of local facilities or services in its vicinity and their accessibility. Coming a distant second was price, with 35% of those surveyed agreeing that fiscal responsibility made a huge difference in their approach to a purchase.
These considerations are, for the most part, outside of a seller’s control. The availability of local services or facilities can increase and decrease based on the strength of the economy, while development of roads and their management are in the hands of various government bodies. There’s also the risk of a neighbour’s behaviour impacting negatively on the value of your house, whether it be a neglectful attitude to their own home or unsightly extensions that make your house less desirable by proxy.
So what can you do? Luckily, the third greatest factor was the external façade of a home and its accompanying garden – so in the pursuit of a quick house sale and a quick move, it’s worth diverting more capital towards the state of your rose gardens and lawn as opposed to that expensive new lighting in the hallway.
Of course, negative factors inside the home such as damp and mould can heavily dissuade a buyer, but if these issues are dealt with before hitting the market, it is clear that the average buyer sees the interior of your home as a blank canvas. Ultimately, the greatest thing you can do for your house is to remember why you bought it in the first place, and use that knowledge to make your home a more attractive purchase.
If you’d like to sell your house quickly, ask National Homebuyers for advice, as we guarantee to buy any home. Call 08000 443 911 or request a call back to find out how much you could get for your property.
