Bad Smells And Wooden Windows: Just Two Of The Things That Put Buyers Off

The time has come for you to sell your home, but are you doing everything right? Probably not: after all, you’re not a property expert, just somebody who wants to pass their house on to someone else.

Fortunately, Gocompare, the online price comparison website, has done some research for you. They’ve spent some time and money finding out what buyers like and what they hate when looking for a new home. Their survey suggested that in general, people want a home that is ready to move into immediately and are put off when they have to carry out repair work or when there is a lot of maintenance to do.

Those findings might sound obvious – and they are – but the cool thing about the Gocompare survey is that we finally got some hard numbers about what buyers hate most about new homes. Take a look at this.

Wooden Windows

With energy prices so high, many people prefer to buy houses that have double glazing so that they can retain more heat in their homes. So the prospect of buying a house with wooden windows isn’t always very attractive. Wooden window frames can’t be double-glazed, meaning higher energy bills.

On top of that, wooden windows are harder to maintain. They can warp and rot if they aren’t regularly treated with varnish and protective products. 27 percent of buyers said that wooden windows were a big turn off.

Damp Patches On The Walls

Damp is widely considered to be the main problem when trying to sell a home, at least according to the respondents of the Gocompare survey. 71 percent said that they would consider not buying a home if it had damp stains on the walls or ceilings.

Damp is a big concern for those buying a home since black mold and crumbling plasterwork are a potential danger to their health. Plus, although damp is often cheap to fix, there’s no way of knowing the real cost of repair work until a surveyor has inspected the property. It’s a good idea, therefore to get in touch with foundation repair contractors to find out whether the damp is being caused by some undiagnosed problem in the foundations. Often water can get through cracks that form lower down and then water percolates through the brickwork, eventually showing up as damp patches on interior walls. This is a big problem in areas that have moist soil and needs to be sorted out before putting a home on the market.

Bad Smells. Including Cigarettes And Pets

Dogs and cats both stink, especially for people who aren’t used to being around them. The Gocompare survey found that a whopping 61 percent of people were put off by bad smells in houses they looked around. It’s a good idea to smoke outside, replace cat litter trays and give your smelly dog a wash before viewers come to your home.

No Parking Spaces

Finally, people hate it when there’s nowhere to park the car. According to Gocompare, 59 percent of people were put off buying because of a lack of parking space.