How to achieve a successful sale - even if your home has a ‘top property turn off’

As West Sussex estate agents, we have accompanied hundreds of viewings in Chichester, Bognor Regis, the ‘Six’ Villages and across the region. The White & Brooks team can tell whether a potential buyer likes a property by their body language and facial expressions alone.

We recognise the features that please and the aspects that deter, so White & Brooks was interested to read a new piece of research on property turn offs. The results of a survey among 1,000 UK homebuyers were recently published by Property Reporter.

It quantified just how influential property negatives are. Of those questioned, 75% of buyers would walk away from a property if it contained a major turn off. Some 17% would not be deterred from making an offer if there was a negative but they’d lower their offer as a result.

Buyer actions can be affected

Having a negative in your property could cost you dearly but by how much? The survey went on to find that one in five buyers would reduce their offer by up to 15%. That’s equal to £40,361 based on the UK’s average UK house price of £269,079. Worryingly for sellers, 57% said they would drop their offer by more than 15%.

What puts purchasers off?

Property negatives were grouped into two: internal and external. Signs of damp or mould and high crime rates were the top negative in each category. The others were:

Internal negatives

• Very small rooms or poor layout
• Lack of natural light
• Strong odours, such as pets, smoke or cooking smells
• Poorly converted garages or lofts, often seen as liabilities
• Outdated kitchens or bathrooms, costly to modernise
• Neglected gardens or outdoor areas
• Unusual flooring choices, for example, carpet in bathrooms
• Taxidermy or unusual collections on display
• Overly themed décor, such as novelty wallpaper or sports team colours

External negatives

• Noisy neighbours
• Lack of parking or contested street spaces
• Busy roads and traffic noise
• Neighbours with large or aggressive pets
• Homes under flight paths or near railway lines
• Poorly maintained neighbouring properties
• Strong political or religious signage, including placards or murals
• Too many short-lets or Airbnbs nearby
• Excess flying of flags, regardless of type

What if I can’t change the negatives?

Surveys of this nature can be very unfair as many negatives mentioned are circumstantial or environmental and can’t be changed by the owner. After all, not much can be done about a flight path above!

Improve your prospects

Don’t worry if you are affected by any of the negatives listed above. White & Brooks has sold properties in Chichester, Bognor Regis and the wider West Sussex area in all sorts of locations and conditions. There will be a buyer for your property but there are some steps you can take to improve your chances of selling:

• Make the most of your property’s positives and ensure they appear in your listing. In the catchment of an excellent school or within walking distance of a train station? Mention it!

• Attend to any issues that are within your power to fix, such as treating damp, removing divisive items, tidying gardens and neutralising bold decorating choices.

• Pay attention to your property’s internal presentation. A neat, clutter-free, freshly-decorated home will catch the attention of buyers for the right reasons.

• Don’t neglect kerb appeal. Make sure the front of your property is free of litter, shrubs are pruned, any grass mowed, recycling hidden and the exterior in good condition.

• Seek to mediate with neighbours ahead of coming to market if they, or their property, is one of the negatives.

• Take onboard the advice of local estate agents. White & Brooks always prices to sell, taking into account nuances, property condition, locale and what other similar properties have recently sold for.

White & Brooks has a successful track record of selling properties in Bognor Regis, Chichester, Pagham, Felpham, The Witterings and across West Sussex. Book a valuation with one of our estate agents and we’ll also supply you with a local market update.