What puts you off a house?

[kerrymucklowe2020]

Thought this might be if interest to anyone putting their house on the market.

I hate strong artificial smelis/ plug ins / insrmse sticks etc ( what are you trying to hide ?)
Dogs. 2 houses I viewed I spent less than 5 mins in as they had barking / in your face dogs
( Plus I was thinking of one I viewed that had a new puppy that maybe it had had "accidents' on the carpets). If you have dogs - take them.out fir the viewing ( also hide pet beds / feeding bowls ).
Houses that lacked tlc ( scuffed paintwork / dirty windows )
What puts YOU off a potential house?

What puts us off when actually viewing -

Vendors being home
House being a mess or piles of clutter everywhere
Animals being in the house, especially ones barking at you!
Estate agents pics being taken with a dick camera (ie makes the rooms look massive) then when you see them it’s disappointing

Things that would put us off a house -

Right of way across the back door
Non attached garden
No parking
Tiny 3rd bedroom
Lack of parking
Recently changed bathroom or kitchen not to our taste

Oh god, yeah, right of way is a nightmare!

xing my mum is putting her house on the market soon. Its dated decoratively speaking but very clean, no pets, non smoker, fantastic location so I think it'll sell as will your mils.

Smokers!!! Major major turn off!

Decoration rarely puts me off tbh

Its more structural, access and long term neglect that seem the issues above ^

Tacky Live laugh love crap around the house

Messy garden

see I just don't get this.
That is like being put off by someone's choice of curtains. They are going, you put your own stuff in.
Same with garden, really?
We had very specific requirements for garden around size. One house we went to had a massive set of interconencting ponds. Everything else was fine. We wnet home and worked out it would cost £500 to get rid of ponds, and then factored that into cost of house.

The only things that shoudl matter are ones like
no parking
structural things like no table in kitchen and requires building work to extend/ knowck down wall.
no downstairs loo, and nowhere to put it.

I understand not wanting to do building work. But all houses will need redecorating sooner or later, so why stress about a bit of wallpaper?

@XingMing

All interesting thoughts. But what about a house that's been lived in for 20 years by elderly people? We're just putting DMIL's house on the market as she now needs full on care and will never be able to live independently again. The ILs refurbed 25 years ago for their tastes and expectations, and it's now tired decoratively. But it's clean and tidy, everything works, and it's in a very sought after area, close to a beach, a station and shopping centre. There's tennis and golf within a few minutes walk. We live a long way away so are not planning to do more than clear it out.

I think if it isn't over priced, most people are happy to move in and redecorate. the sticking point may be kitchen and bathroom, how dated they look and how fixable.

We bought with dated kitchen, replaced handles, painted cupboard doors, removed a twee shelf, added cool shelf elsewhere, removed twee frilly blind, repainted walls.

Didn't take much, kitchen looks fab now

@steppemum. there aren't any really offensive elements and nothing is ott, but the layout could be better for modern lives. DMIL always reckoned someone like her, 25 years ago, would buy it and she is completely right... but now we are those potential buyers, and we would change the bathroom fittings and tinker with layout a bit, but given the saving on stamp duty until March 21, those alterations could be nearly free.

@XingMing

All interesting thoughts. But what about a house that's been lived in for 20 years by elderly people? We're just putting DMIL's house on the market as she now needs full on care and will never be able to live independently again. The ILs refurbed 25 years ago for their tastes and expectations, and it's now tired decoratively. But it's clean and tidy, everything works, and it's in a very sought after area, close to a beach, a station and shopping centre. There's tennis and golf within a few minutes walk. We live a long way away so are not planning to do more than clear it out.

Sounds like my dream. I’d be all over it as long as there was the money to sort it out.

My parents’ house was too far gone to just clear it so I did a quick refurb - windows, kitchen, bathroom, completely redecoration and recarpet. It made the difference between nobody wanting it at all and getting top dollar for it.

If you’re selling it as is you’re going to take a hit on price.

Non-detached
No kerb appeal
Small driveway
Shared access of any kind
Overlooked garden

As long as a house was in the right location and didn't have the above issues, I think it would mainly come down to the road. We'd need to feel we were going to get decent, considerate neighbors. There are signs of crap neighbors as others have alluded to but it's the biggest unknown, and so important in the actual enjoyment of the house!

Oh and cramped plot/position would be a big turn-off.

No parking.

But the worst for me is a semi done up place or a place that is obviously recently done but not to my taste. Seems such a waste to rip it all out.

I half agree with you @AlsoHuman, but the windows, wiring and plumbing were all sorted out in the refurb DPILs did 25 years ago and are sound. We live too far away to manage tradesmen on a regular basis, so it makes sense to sell at the lower end of the local rate and leave the purchaser to decide on their priorities and style. DSIL did suggest it could be done up to get a higher price, but the aggravation and interruptions would have ruined her life for months. So we shall sell it for a little less than market rate to reflect condition.

I thought I wanted:

Character. Fireplaces. Beams. Rustic. Big garden. Detached.

I thought I didn't want:

Identikit new build. Small garden. Attached.

Went to view a few character properties and they left me cold. The agent suggested a semi detached new build (well, 10 years old) with a tiny garden. Walked in, overwhelming feeling that it was mine. Bought it. Very happy.

The only thing that would really put me off is no parking and stairs in the living room/ outside door opening straight into the living room. Oh, and if it was clear the neighbours were gross.

Signs of shoddy workmanship
No afternoon/evening sun in the garden
Unkempt neighbouring property
Rooms that feel cramped or dark
Decking and artificial grass if I didn't have budget to completely re-do.

Makes total sense XingMing, if my parents’ place had been in that condition I’d have done the same. Unfortunately it had an avocado bathroom suite with a cracked basin, the kitchen was literally falling to bits and the windows were rotting. Add the swirly carpets and that dreadful washable carpet stuff in the kitchen and it frightened people.

Once it has been cleared of furniture, we may get the walls painted over. from magnolia to white. Carpets are clean and neutral, not keen on the peach bathroom suite personally, but it's an easy fix. I will leave it as is, and let the buyer decide rather than overthinking what they will want.

Older houses where the sitting room and dining room have been knocked into one.
Smaller new builds where there is a single room downstairs so you're basically sitting in your kitchen all the time.
A garden that isn't: concrete, decking, astroturf or tarmac are complete no-nos.
Decaying lean-tos or outhouses. Sooner or later they are going to cost ££££ to pull down.
Any flood risk at all.
Obvious need to spend more than £5K updating.
Being miles from a bus route that runs daily because I don't drive.
Being in a 'close' where everyone will see every single bloody move you make.
Built-in mirror wardrobes.

In your shoes @Alsohuman, I would have done likewise. Happily the house is clean and tidy and in good order, so it's all about the decor bits, which is the fun part for the new owners to enjoy. It's a great retirement house, with a private manageable garden. In a naice neighbourhood, with easy access to London -- as long as it's not a daily flog. To WAH 3 or 4 days a week, it ticks lots of boxes right now.

It sounds right up our street. Could you dm me and tell me where it is?

I tried, but you don't accept PMs apparently.

The location is East Sussex. Not Hastings, but not far away.

That’s weird, must check my settings. Wrong part of the country for us sadly because it sounds really lovely.

Sorry, but location is a bit fixed!

@XingMing

Sorry, but location is a bit fixed!

🤣

Clutter
Pets
Dark/weird wallpaper/painted walls
Broken/damaged kitchen units
Carpet in bathrooms
Old man/old woman wee smell
Noisy/unkempt neighbour houses

Clumsy layout, small or north facing garden. Not at all bothered by decor or smells, that can all be fixed!