Property owners in the UK may be struggling to sell their homes because of damp and mould, according to new research.
Obvious damp patches are one of the biggest turn-offs for would-be house buyers, according to OnePoll research commissioned by Foxtons.
Some 60 per cent of Brits saying they would leave a viewing for this reason, according to the research.
Damp and mould can be hard to remove, and sellers should be aware of the importance of solving this problem before putting properties on the market.
Another property no-no for four in ten Britons is cracks in the walls. The same number said finding a house was on a main road would put them off.
A Foxton representative said: “As the research indicates, house-hunters have a very clear idea of what they want in a property, and are extremely decisive in the process. Listings are crucial to a home selling quickly – they need to be accurate detailed representations of a property.”
“The need to physically visit a property will remain strong for the foreseeable future, but new technologies such as Matterport 3D virtual tour are making it possible to view interiors and exteriors in much greater detail, helping house-hunters to narrow their property search quickly and efficiently.”
Further details which put people off buying homes including tiny utility rooms and awkward layouts.
Six in ten complained of not buying able to see how big rooms are when viewing static pictures online.
A further 52 per cent said they couldn’t tell if the property was overlooked, while one in ten said they couldn’t tell the colour of rooms.
Overflowing bins, ashtrays, dirty toilet pipes and yellowed paintwork were also named as turn-offs for house buyers.
The Foxtons spokesperson added: “House-hunters are understandably particular when it comes to buying a new property – as they should be over one of the biggest investments they’ll ever make.
“We’d always encourage people not to dismiss a property over attributes which can be changed; it’s really important to look past the dirty dishes or garden gnomes and more towards the shape, size and structure of the property.
“Our new 3D virtual tour can give those searching for a home a really great idea of what to expect when they visit a property in person.
“The 3D tour allows those with little time to visit properties the ability to virtually walk through from room to room, while sitting at the computer or using a smart phone.”
It was recently revealed homeowners are wasting £107 billion worth of space in their homes.
In fact, the study – carried out as the housing market slows down – found the clutter can take up to £3,066 worth of space in the average home.
The survey also revealed 49 per cent of us point to the lounge as their favourite room in the house, with the TV being the most common focal point.
Despite this, adults across the UK have widespread dissatisfaction with their living rooms, with over half feeling they are not utilising the space they have.
The research, commissioned by Samsung, revealed demand for large screen televisions is soaring, with analysts seeing 38 per cent growth in sales of screens 65″ or larger, in the last year.