What puts you off when viewing a property?

[Sittingonasale]

I find smells really off putting.
I viewed several properties last week and I was put off two straight away walking through the door.
I'm not against having pets indoors and have had my fair share in the past but both these houses stank of cat and dog.
We DID view properties which clearly had pets and they didn't smell at all.

I have very allergic children and one with asthma which probably doesn't help the way I feel but I just can't do smells including tobacco smoke ( I used to smoke!), strong smells of food or cheap, sweet air fresheners. I'm the same if I have a lift with someone in their car. 😤

Another thing I find really irritating on pictures or at viewings is a nearly empty toilet roll hanging off the holder or toilet lids open. 😆

Another one was a suspiciously cheap house in a really great road. We were informed that it had previously housed a religious order which had crowbarred en-suites into every bedroom without it making sense. The agent described this as 'wrecked by priests'. We never viewed that one either as when we met on the drive, the agent 'checked' that we knew it was a cash only purchase as there was Japanese knotweed in the foundations.

In Scotland almost all viewings are done by owners....it's awkward.

Smells - cooking, air-fresheners, dogs, cigarettes, damp, etc.
Clutter - lots of stuff all over the place, untidy places
Too many personal things - photos, ornaments, etc
"Live, Laugh, Love" signs
Untidy garden - weeds, long lawn, dying plants
Magnets on the 'fridge

Neglected repairs
not clean
any kind of scent, including those meant to be appealing

neighbors with unkempt gardens or homes

We bought a house with a builders depot at the back of the fairly large garden. Fine for several years and then just got busier so lorries starting up at 5.30am waking us all up.

Thankfully it was in the right catchment area for a decent primary so when we could move up the ladder, it sold without too much issue but I made sure the next house was gardens only at the back and surrounding areas.

Like a PP says stairs in the middle of the room. Mainly in small terraces which appeal to FTBs but really dislike these.

Also seen a few where the walls either side of the staircase had not been removed so you have a dark, narrow, usually steep staircase.

Messy gardens (including the near neighbours). Wheelie bins by the front door, a lot of things already mentioned plus…..my pet hate, neighbours with vans, big motorbikes camper vans and worst of all caravans on the driveway.

I suspect this is much like getting 'the ick' whilst your head may say that clearing up dogshit or ripping up really grim carpets can sometimes save you tons on price , once you've seen it then some people find it hard to feel positive about a place.

Yes, I think this too. A bit like how one mediocre meal in normally-great cafe will stop you ever returning there.

It’s a form of cognitive bias.

Is that you, Hyacinth?

A caravan is marvellous: neighbours are away a lot and unlikely to be party animals.

We discounted an absolutely perfect house, exactly what we'd been looking for inside but unfortunately 2 allocated parking spaces and no actual "spare" places to park. It was a close of new build properties off a country lane.

The way the spaces were lined up meant that if the people opposite had more vehicles than spaces and parked the other side of their property line there was a huge probability that you'd end up trapped in your space and unable to get out.

We viewed mid-morning and there were already several cars parked where there wasn't an actual space, plus a car parked on the space of the other vacant property.

Vans on neighbouring drives a huge no-no, also barbecue sets in adjoining properties and a yapping dog/ loud music anywhere you can hear from the property you are viewing.

@TennisWithDeborah absolutely. My H has refused to consider certain rented houses on such stuff as

Didn't like on street parking
Artificial grass
Radiators looked old
Water pressure
Oven looked a bit crappy
Single glazed windows
The aforementioned dog shit in garden
No thermostat
Thin blinds at windows and no curtains or poles in bedrooms
Didn't like the particular built in wardrobes

I can tell immediately if he likes somewhere as he asks sensible questions and checks the boiler place and switches on taps!!

Jeez how short sighted. Totally baffled by posters like this, same as dog smells or grey walls. They're trivial, cosmetic, easily fixed. Bad neighbourhood, definitely not. Half the stuff on here mentioned is just weird ...

Sorry, I haven't written back yet. Just got in from work so will wade through the replies now. :)

I agree it might be shortsighted but you can't turn off first impressions with a switch.

We're looking at the moment and what's pissing me off is seeing a nice house, good price, then getting to the pictures of the garden and it's just all paving slabs. I know it's fixable, but that's not a garden it's just a giant patio!

PPs being put off by towels and dog shit obviously have far more money than sense.

I don't agree. I saw a house with dog shit everywhere and was really put off. I thought if they can leave it like that for viewings, they can leave it in a mess when I move in.
Also, I lived in a house before where we were the only house without cats. Neighbours had multiples each. Every day there was cat shit in the garden, on our path and it stank. My kids would step in it and take it into the car and house. It drove me nuts and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

Oh if the shitting animals are staying that's different

Evidence of mould or damp. Other smells don't affect the fabric of the building and can be dealt with.
Acoustics. In my parents' house, if someone sneezes anywhere in the house or puts the kettle on to boil in the kitchen you can hear it in every room. I would hate that.
The area looking neglected; neighbours outside smoking in their onesies.

Argh bloody phone!
Also inside the house is a bit much, I was talking about the garden that was mentioned.

Low beams. I appreciate that they give a house character and can be original and authentic. And I’m a shortarse so it’s not like they get in my way. But I like the feeling of space above my head.

PIL’a previous house had the steepest staircase I’ve ever seen. I had to go down it sideways, and when he was little, DS went down backwards. They never noticed it! But poor PIL did fall down it and really hurt himself not long before they moved.

Small bland astroturf gardens with little or no plants. I like mature gardens that have some life in it and I wouldn’t buy a house that’s going to take years to get to that point.

@HaveWeGotAnyCake

Live, Laugh, Love" signs

This reminded me of the time I was interviewing with our CEO via Teams for a new employee. One candidate had a sign like this behind them and additional ones that said 'home' and 'relax'. Afterwards my boss said ' I'm not hiring anyone who needs reminders of how to function as a human being written on their wall. Might as well write 'breath, eat, shit'. Very un-PC comment but I almost spat my tea across the room 😂

We once viewed a house that had an enormous man sat on a chair in one of the bedrooms wearing just his pants. It was a really hot day...

See what you mean… waste of money on the first refurb.