It takes just EIGHT minutes for house-hunters to know whether a new property is for them, according to a study.
After less than ten minutes inside a property, buyers know whether they should be getting out their chequebooks or turning around in the car.
Six in ten adults will make their decision not to buy before even stepping through the front door – after just four and a half minutes of standing outside.
In contrast, 15 per cent of homeowners admitted they had already decided to buy without seeing the inside of the house, while 18 per cent have bought the first home they saw.
When viewing a property online, the average person takes eight minutes to choose whether to visit or not – as long as the advert is authentic.
More than three-quarters confessed to irritation at a property profile that did not reflect the true state of the home on offer.
A spokesman for Foxtons, which commissioned the research via OnePoll.com to launch its new 3D virtual tour, 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.”
The average house-hunter requires a mere two visits on average to choose a new home – but not before seeing nearly 40 other properties; 28 online and 10 in real life.
The study reveals the top 40 list of things which effect their decision to buy, and for 15 per cent of those polled a scruffy front door will make them turn on their heel.
Obvious damp patches would signal an early exit for six in ten Brits, while a house on a main road or cracks in the walls would send 40 per cent of house-hunters home.
As for the finer details, there are some decisive deterrents for adults once inside – ashtrays in rooms, dirty toilet pipes, overflowing bins and yellowed paintwork all feature in the top 40 list.
As do bad DIY, wheelie bins out front, untidy rooms and a bar in the living room.
Some of us would be put off by a utility room which was the size of a cupboard, a dining room which can’t fit a table big enough for a family of eight and awkward layouts.
When viewing properties online, six in ten people find it impossible to see how big the rooms are, and 49 per cent can’t tell how light they are.
More than one in ten complain they can’t tell the colour of rooms from static pictures, and 52 per cent find it difficult to tell how overlooked a property is.
A third of people would welcome the opportunity to see if their furniture would fit the space, while 36 per cent want a clear view of the layout of the rooms when looking at a property online.
The spokesman for Foxtons 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.”
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