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Original poster

If buying a house, what would make you want to walk straight back out?

354 replies

JMSA · 07/11/2025 16:41

I mean it lighthearted-ish, as we probably wouldn’t be quite so rude! But what is an absolute dealbreaker for you?
For me it would be the presence of a Saniflo/macerator toilet. Evil things.

OP posts:
Cherrysoup · 07/11/2025 17:29

tapaw · 07/11/2025 16:58

Keeping snake(s) or similar

Anyone in the vicinity using front garden as rubbish tip or having derelict vehicles parked so long that plants are growing up through them.

The property looking as though it was not cared for/looked after.

Evidence of smoking inside.

Are you phobic with snakes? My DH is. I’m not sure it would put me off, tho, I mean, they’d be going with the sellers (hopefully!)

TheLivelyRose · 07/11/2025 17:28

Pets.

Jamesblonde2 · 07/11/2025 17:28

Dog smell.

germanshepforever · 07/11/2025 17:27

Smell of fags

Jk987 · 07/11/2025 17:27

Minging beds and filthy rugs

Cherrysoup · 07/11/2025 17:26

JudgeBread · 07/11/2025 16:58

The neighbours being dicks.

My husband and I went and walked around the block outside the house we were thinking of buying at night, on the weekend, very early in the morning... Just to see what the neighbours were like noise and activity wise lmao. I couldn't be doing with dickhead neighbours.

We sat in the parking bays for hours when we bought our current house. We’d had a year of peace following the year from hell with a violent, druggy neighbour (who was fine til he lost his job). We wanted to be 100%.

So many nods on this thread-stinking of cigarettes would be a hard no (my mum’s place stinks, apparently several of her friends now refuse to visit), derelict cars-we saw a property recently which looked great until we visited the street-broken down vehicles, house next door in a state. No thanks.

Damp on the ceilings/walls/roof needing replacing unless the price was really good. Chicken farm nearby, once a month there’d be a lot of noise.

deepseaargyllfish · 07/11/2025 17:26

A massive barking dog in the neighbour’s garden.

Getamoveon2024 · 07/11/2025 17:23

Only things that I couldn’t change, like hideous neighbours or it definitely needed an extension but no chance of planning.
Nothing much else puts me off, I’ve bought some total shit pits 🤣🤣 Got some great bargains though. If you can (literally at times) hold your nose, it’s often worth it.

Zempy · 07/11/2025 17:20

Kitchen island. I hate them.

Terraced garden. I am dyspraxic so they are lethal to me.

Smell of fags.

Hot tub, although can they be moved?

FionnulaTheCooler · 07/11/2025 17:19

We once walked out of a house viewing because next door had a big dog that barked the whole time we were there. Fuck living next door to that.

snoopyfanaccountant · 07/11/2025 17:19

The smell of damp. MIL never ventilates her house and it smells damp. PIL looked after our DDs on the occasional afternoon before they started school and they always came back smelling of damp. Everything that comes out of the house smells damp. I have warned DH that if she ever decides to move, selling it is going to be an issue.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 07/11/2025 17:18

Any bad smell, eg: cigarettes, wet dog, damp, food smells.

DiscoBob · 07/11/2025 17:18

Low ceilings
Poky rooms
Tiny/not enough windows
No outdoor space
Up a really steep hill
No shops within a five minute walk
Mouldy walls
Evidence of vermin
Very obviously hostile, criminal, prejudiced and noisy neighbours

HappyToSmile · 07/11/2025 17:16

My neighbour's house has just sold and it absolutely reeks of cigarettes, weed and grease. So much so that if they open the front door, we can smell it. I am interested to see Who has bought it because I wouldn't have been able to look around it, let alone buy it

itsthetea · 07/11/2025 17:15

Smell - cigarettes, cats, damp, scented things

and yes I was rude enough to walk straight out once

NewsdeskJC · 07/11/2025 17:14

No bath

ShesTheAlbatross · 07/11/2025 17:14

Oh and I’d never buy a house with astro turf. I know it can be removed but I just hate it. When I’m queen of the world (any day now) I shall ban it.

Hortesne · 07/11/2025 17:13

Noel Edmonds

Whammyammy · 07/11/2025 17:12

Cigarette smoke
Anti social neighbours
Damp
Lack of natural light

Wonderwhyibother · 07/11/2025 17:12

Unless its been listed by the agent as a doer upper with matching pictures (which i have no issue with, my house needed work but it was made know from the outset), walking up to the front of the house to find it in a poor state (ie, front fence is rotten through and hanging on my a single nail/rubbish that hasn't been cleared etc that could easily be rectified by a couple of cheap panels from b&q and an hour to tidy the front), i wouldn't even go throigh the front door. It instantly makes me think, if they cant spend half a day and less than a £100 to present the house they want to sell, what else have they been neglecting.

TattooStan · 07/11/2025 17:11

That very pale, 2000s, cheap laminate flooring in every room. I'd be happy to rip it out, but I'd want to do it straight away because I hate it and couldn't live with it for a second, and it's such a big and expensive job.

A very recently fitted high gloss, modern kitchen, with marble worktops and built in spotlights at kickboard level. Because I HATE them, but couldn't rip out an almost new kitchen, and the owners would want to recoup their costs so would be expecting more for the house because of the kitchen, but id hate it every day!

Allthesnowallthetime · 07/11/2025 17:07

A bad smell.

Bouncy floors

NotsosunnyShropshire · 07/11/2025 17:06

Smell.

MrsMoastyToasty · 07/11/2025 17:06

Poor DIY.

ShesTheAlbatross · 07/11/2025 17:05

I once walked out of a house viewing after only one room because it stank so badly of cigarettes. It was two parents plus two adult children living there so I think they maybe all smoked. i just felt like it would be steeped into the walls and carpet