Buyer Perspective – property features buyers seek and avoid

Carpet retailer, Tapi, surveyed Brits to reveal what home features buyers find attractive and features they detest when viewing a home.

Sellers hoping to attract prospective buyers can use these findings to understand how to make popular features the centre of attention during house viewings.

Attractive property features

Over half of the participants (52%) revealed that private outdoor space is the most attractive feature for a home. The carpet retailer suggests that fencing, hedges, and trees, around the garden can create a more private space. 

As an area of the home where family members gather to cook meals, it is no surprise that the kitchen was the second most popular area of the home. Around 51% of those surveyed shared that a new kitchen is what they look for when viewing a home.

In third place, with 42% of participants picking this as the most attractive feature, is a new bathroom.  

Touching up paintwork in the bathroom or kitchen can help to create a fresh and clean feel. 12% of those surveyed also real that they valued new appliances in a new home so incorporating these in the bathroom or kitchen could also help to attract buyers. 

Natural daylight came in the fourth position, with 42% claiming natural daylight is the most appealing factor to them when viewing a home, sellers should try to maximise light in their home.

Unattractive property features

Before taking images of a home for the online advert and before every viewing, sellers must ensure their home is clean and tidy. Around 28% of participants agree that clutter and mess put them off when viewing a home.

A further 45% agree that a property that requires a large amount of work is off-putting to them. During this time of year people want to move into their homes ahead of the summer months, so homes that need an entire facelift can be off-putting

Home renovations can be expensive, yet there are small but effective DIY tasks that sellers can make to the home to make it more appealing. 

Johanna Constantinou, brand and communications director at Tapi, further explains: “With the surge of springtime property buyers just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start making changes in your home to ensure your property has the best chance possible when it comes to market. From new flooring, to cleaning the space and modernising it, we hope our tips will help sellers make their home more attractive to buyers.”