Love at First Sight When Buying Property

Home buyers may spend plenty of time researching their next move, but many of them know instantly when they've found the right property. New research has shown that often buyers only visit a house once, and it also highlights what some of the biggest property turn-offs are.

The study, carried out by Ocean Finance, looked at the attitudes of homeowners when it comes to choosing a property. It found that a third of those looking to move spent nearly three months researching the local property market. This included using online searches, speaking to estate agents and booking viewings. Once they start booking viewings and looking in earnest, the decision-making process is often extremely swift. Around a quarter of people take under a week to find their dream property.

Quick Decisions

When they find a house they want, and whether it's the kitchen, living space or balcony with a steel balustrade that sways it for them, they often know straight away that it's the house for them. 17% of house buyers said they only need to look at one property, and 25% only have one viewing. More than two-thirds of those questioned said they knew at the end of just one viewing that the home was for them. Some home buyers, though, are slightly more cautious, with 60% saying they'd need two or three viewings before making a decision.

What Puts Buyers Off?

Even though buyers are quick to like the look of a property, they're also quick to notice areas that they don't like or where improvements are required. One of the biggest factors that would put them off buying a property was if it was on a busy road. Other things that would put them off include a lack of sunlight coming into the property, electricity pylons close by, limited local amenities and very little storage space.

The garden or an outdoor area of some type is also a critical factor for many buyers, whether they're looking for a large open space or a contemporary balcony with a steel balustrade. If a property has a particularly small or untidy garden, this would be likely to put them off buying.

When it comes to apartments or maisonettes, those above fish and chip shops or other takeaways are likely to put off buyers, purely due to the issue of food smells.

Not all areas that you would think would put a buyer off are always a problem. Some elements, such as coloured bathroom suites, can be overlooked or changed in time.

Buying a property is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, as well as an extremely expensive one for most people. Therefore, it's crucial that you make the correct choice for you and your family. There is always the possibility that you'll fall in love with your home as soon as you step foot inside it. However, it's always worth looking more deeply into a purchase before you make the final commitment.