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Buy To Let

Revealed: What buyers hate about your home

Paloma Kubiak
Written By:
Paloma Kubiak
Posted:
Updated:
28/04/2016

What tops the list of turn-offs for potential buyers? We find out

Damp, poor maintenance and nasty smells are the three things that really turn-off potential homebuyers according to research from Gocompare.com.

The comparison site found that damp was the biggest area of concern for househunters. Most of those surveyed (71%) said that evidence of damp patches on walls or ceilings would put a stop to them buying a property, while 65% said they would avoid homes that had been poorly maintained.

Awful odours were also cited as deal breakers with 61% saying that bad smells from pets, damp or cigarette smoke would turn them off a property.

Other deal-breakers were no parking space (59%), no garden (57%), unfinished building work (55%) and poor natural light in the house (50%).

Matt Sanders, mortgages spokesperson for Gocompare.com, said: “Many homebuyers want a home that’s ready to move into and are put off by properties requiring repairs or maintenance work. Damp is a particular area of concern – a musty smell, black mould, stained ceilings or crumbling plasterwork are all warning signs of problems which, depending on the cause, can be costly to remedy.

“Interestingly, while many buyers are put off by poor maintenance and bad DIY, only a quarter would shy away from properties which have outdated kitchens or bathrooms – two of the most expensive rooms in a home to update.”