Asking what puts you off when viewing a house to buy?

[DarkGreen]

We have had our house valued but we are just getting the house ready to sell. Touching it up bits and tidying up.

For context its a 2 bed terraced house on a country lane with no driveway but space on the Road to park outside the house. It is an old house.

What areas and things should we focus on? What would you look for and what would put you off?

Clutter and messy garden would put me off.

Dog or cigarette smells
Kitchen so small that the fridge is in another room
Boxroom so small it can't hold a single bed
Open plan
A house that has been "modernised" so much that every hint of character has been removed - I want a home, not a sterile box

High asking price
High maintenance charges
Asbestos outbuildings
Obvious structural issues
Tiny living room or tiny bedrooms

Bad smells, dark rooms, neighbours gardens/houses looking scruffy or dodgey, poor maintenance/lack of care taken would make me think the house wasn't well looked after

I looked at a house once that had put stickers of tiles all over their cracked ancient kitchen tiles and an old bit of carpet over cracked floor tiles. Oh, and there was chewing gum trodden into some of the bedroom carpet and a stain which I wouldn’t like to have to identify. So as long as things aren’t that bad...

Only one toilet.
Dh spends hours in there.
I need 2 toilets 🤣🤣🤣

No bath or space to put one in.
Stairs that are very steep and narrow.
Small landing and bedroom/bathroom doors very close to top of stairs.
Shared driveway.
Next to or very close a pub.

Dirty cat litter trays, kitchen smells, dirty carpet and kitchens and bathrooms that ALL need updating

Dog smells, sticky floors. Dirty ovens. Minging integrated dishwashers. Old heating systems/ any heating system with no fsh avail at viewing. Electrical safety certificate not avail at viewing. Dirty stained showers. Manky carpets. Poor fencing on own boundary and neighbours. Clutter everywhere. Lack of cleaning. Poorly maintained garden. Patio/driveway riddled with weeds and dull, not jet washed clean. Stairs the minute you open the front door with no hallway. No parking, overlooked, properties and too close together. Any unresolved DiY issues. Low water pressure. Broken or missing window handles. Windows that don't open. Chimneys that have not been swept and fireplace cannot be used and shown to be working on viewing. Smell of damp. Smell of fresh paint , gloss or mastick -what has recently been disguised? Walls that will need re plastering . Artex a big no. Old conservatories with plastic ridged roofs.

Near a sch, near a pub, near a sports stadium, near a business trading from home that is near to property and will directly impact my enjoyment of it- footfall, traffic/ noise/ deliveries etc. Loose roof mortar, loose/crumbling brick mortar.

Horrible carpets, cheap laminate with beading. The rails around the middle of the room because I’d be pulling them off and they’d potentially need re skimming.
Chrome or gloss kitchens.
Houses with ‘original features’ which mean they needs really good lick of paint

No bath would be a game chsnger

Near a school
Near a pub
Near a supermarket
Near a garage (mot etc)
Overlooked or lack of privacy. I'd like hedges/nice tall fences
Subsidence
Large trees either in my garden or adjacent
Bamboo ground planted anywhere
Plastic grass
Japanese knotweed
Dogs anywhere near
Trampolines in adjacent gardens
Funny smells
The sellers trying to be my friend. The house is on the market, not them.
Parking issues
Noise
Large families adjacent possible noise, weed smoking, loud drunken gatherings, fights, hysteria, screaming kids, barking dogs, loitering outside my potential home due to Insufficient space in their property.
Bangers on the driveway, could mean mechanics business lots of exhaust fumes
Playground opposite
Low fence or wall at front... People will sit on it
Shingle drive. kids love it and cats shit on it.
Cul De sacs
Main roads
Bus stop outside
Bottom of a hill
End of a sewer run
Too many iron inspection covers on my grounds

I'm sure there are more. I've a couple of these in my current home. Experience!

I'm very solitary and it's better than I'm not too near people.
Sadly my budget is average so I must lower my expectations. Money buys space and peace IMHO.

OP hasn't posted on this thread since 15 January. The house may have sold by now

Dog smell, it lingers and is really difficult to get out. Same for cigarette smell.

Other houses we discounted were those where the only space for a dining table is in the lounge (kitchen diner is much better), those that are completely open plan downstairs and those without a downstairs toilet.

As long as its clean and tidy so I can see my furniture in it then I'm open to most house styles. On viewing day make sure that:
Windows are open on all rooms
Floor space is clear so I don't tread over things
Kitchen & bathrooms are clean & loo seat is down!

I went to a house that stank of cigarettes and wet dog, the utilities cupboard was full of cobwebs and the main bedroom was painted Cadbury purple with a navy blue ceiling 🤦‍♀️. I didn’t go back for a second viewing 🤣

@heLacksnotluster

Overlooked in garden / Clutter /dirty / dogs / train line at back of garden / busy road with no parking / Flags waving outside neighbours houses / houses nearby that are generally unkept or have obvious hoarder occupants / roads with lots of houses that are rented to multiple occupancy

This in the end is what matters, isn’t it? 😕

At your place, the lack of parking would be a deal=breaker. At least make sure there aren't any other cars parked in the lane when viewers arrive.

Otherwise; overhead powercables/ masts/ pylons. Evidence of dry rot.

Proximity to noise nuisances like commercial kennels, busy junction, pub, restaurant, school playground, club /music, football stadium and tennis courts.

If the location and size/layout of property ticks all the boxes, then I'm not remotely put off by superficial problems like terrible decor, smells, clutter, bad kitchen/bathroom, messy garden. All those are easily changed.

Direction
Parking
Scruffy neighbours' houses
No space for a full length bath
Any structural issues I couldn't afford to put right.
Too far from good transport links
No good local schools
Previously owned by a serial killer

Top tips
Replace environmental friendly light bulbs with high wattage
Have all windows professionally cleaned inside and out
If curtains restrict light, replace with sheers
Immaculate front garden and paint the front door
Minimise furniture to maximise space

@Neron

The owners being there, especially if they lead/follow you around

Definitely this. I had a viewing where the owner showed us round and got really defensive every time we asked a question or made any passing comment (even amongst ourselves, not to her directly). It was really offputting.

When looking for home, we were totally ok with redecorating the first thing - it was the best opportunity as we will never again have the space empty. Fixing several small holes after hanging stuff was just a part of it, not really a big deal.

We wouldn't want to pay extra for brand new kitchen/bathroom which wouldn't match our taste. However, we appreciated both in reasonable working order, so we can get some feeling living there before planning the replacement.

Similarly to some on the thread, I want the viewing to confirm my understanding of the property. If I get surprised, it is a negative thing. Good photos, floorplans, realistic descriptions.

I wouldn’t buy a house with no external windows in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen. I like plenty of light but not too open plan. Separate rooms are cosier. Piles of dog poo in the garden would put me off. Open staircases from the living room to upstairs is a no no. All the heat would travel up and be so hot in the summer and not cosy enough in the colder months. I dislike wood burners but I like a gas fire in the lounge.

Clutter.

Overwhelming evidence of hobbies and interests. Except books of course. Sport, spiders, Warcraft stuff especially. Anything that stops me seeing and getting the feel of the house and imagining my stuff and my life there.

Smells. Pet, smoke, damp, general 'what IS that?'

Neglect and dirt.

People standing around awkwardly.

Uncared for front of house and front garden.

My to do list:

A once and for all Marie Kondo / Sort Your Life Out-style declutter

Weed, prune and plant the front garden

Renovate and paint the front

Replace crap kitchen lino

Astroturf, clutter on top of the kitchen units, dated floor to ceiling tiling in bathrooms, kitchen units which have been painted by their owners as they never look right and a few tins of french chic doesn't give you a new kitchen.