5 Things That Instantly Scare Home-Buyers Away

1) Front door colour

First impressions are a big deal when it comes to property, so it’s important to get the aesthetics right. Afterall, if you can’t get people through the door- how are you going to sell?

A recent survey by Co-operative Bank Mortgages discovered that the least desired front door colours are pink, orange, yellow, purple and grey.

The survey also revealed that the most appealing and welcoming colour is.. *drum roll, please* … white! No real shock there.

If you happen to be some kind of fruity arty-farty individual trying to sell a house with an obscure door colour, perhaps it’s time to conform to the social norm just this once by painting your door white.

2) Bad smells

This one’s a no-brainer! No one likes a bad smell.

Properties that host unpleasant odours are like the slow, overweight kid on the football team, always left behind.

If a prospective buyer walks into a musky property that smells of death, they’re unlikely to want to 1) stay around for long 2) vision themselves living in the property 3) wonder what other hideous features plague the house, planted by the homeowners.

The main problem is that ignorance is bliss. What do I mean by that? I mean that most people are immune to the smell of their own environments, so they wouldn’t have a clue whether or not they have an odour problem.

The solution? Get a neutral friend through the doors and ask for honest feedback on the presentation of the property. Let’s just hope you choose a friend with a backbone.

3) Small Kitchens

According to the same folk that provided the door colour results, they also discovered that 29% of buyers LUUUURVE big kitchens.

Physically creating extra space isn’t the most practical or obvious solution. But one solution is to declutter where possible, maximizing the available space; tuck those stacked utensils away neatly, put the kids’ toys away and draw in as much natural light as possible.

Think clean, think big!

4) Dirty Surfaces

Spring cleaning before viewings is always a worthy investment. Buyers take note of features like stained carpets and scuffed walls.

Much like the bad odour scenario, buyers will wonder what other morbid features the property possesses if there’s a mess on display.

The market is currently swamped with buy-to-let investors, so you know what that means don’t you? It means that a lot of landlords want to buy properties that are ‘fit for rent‘, so little investment is required beyond the purchase of the property.

I know from personal experience that if carpets need changing and walls need completely stripping, it can often make me think twice.

Solution? Roll up your sleeves, get on your knees and start scrubbing, or better yet, call in the professionals for a thorough scrub.

5) Property Exterior

Finally, a survey by Propertyfinder.com revealed that 38% of buyers are put off by exteriors that are in poor conditions.

So if you’re trying to sell a property by luring people into your home by strategically placing overflowing trash cans on the driveway — stop it. If the front door or brickwork is haunted by peeling paintwork, put on the overalls and open that tin of paint. You know it makes sense!