Some Britons are spending less time viewing their next home than test driving a car – and they are also honing in on all the wrong things.
A fifth of us spend less than 20 minutes looking around a home before putting an offer in, according to Zoopla.
The property portal has also used heat map technology to show where potential buyers focus their eyes most during a house viewing, with surprising results.
> When will interest rates fall again?
Snap decisions: Zoopla found that homebuyers spend just 34 seconds looking at a bedroom, and just 1.2 minutes in the kitchen on average
Given that the average home is worth £265,000, a 20-minute viewing could typically equate to a £13,280-a-minute decision.
A test drive at a car dealership will last up to an hour, according to Auto Trader, with many being completed within 30 minutes – less time than it would take these buyers to look around a property.
> What next for mortgage rates in 2024 – and how long should you fix for?
But some agents think 20 minutes is enough to get the feel of a place – especially if they have already done their research online.
Amy Reynolds, head of sales at Richmond estate agency Antony Roberts, says:
‘The majority of people end up being very happy with their property purchase, suggesting they know what they want and when they see it, they can make a quick decision.
‘Before a viewing, the majority of people will have seen the property online, looked at the floorplan and layout and already made a preliminary decision as to whether the property looks good for them.
‘After that, it’s just confirming the space and the feel of a house – and yes, the feel is critical.’
More important: A test drive at a car dealership will last up to an hour, according to Auto Trader, with many being completed within 30 minutes
Home buyers focus on decor – not details
Using eye-tracking software on groups of real home buyers, Zoopla was also able to reveal where people are focusing their attention during viewings.
Incredibly, homebuyers spend just 34 seconds looking at a bedroom, and just 1.2 minutes in the kitchen.
But perhaps more interestingly, the technology showed what things buyers are focused on in real-time, showing which items and areas home buyers are drawn to, and which are the most neglected.
Techy: Zoopla is trialling world-first eye-tracking software during the viewing process, to see where real home-hunters focus their attention
Rather than focusing on important things such as the condition of the boiler, water pressure or signs of damage or damp, homebuyers were more likely to spend time admiring items that wouldn’t even be there when they moved in, such as furnishings and decorations.
Mirrors, plants and pictures proved particularly popular, according to Zoopla.
In hallways, while the coat rack, rug and ornaments were viewed for more than one second on average, structural elements of the property like the ceiling, flooring, radiator and walls were looked at for under a second, or not at all.
Many home buyers were also distracted by feature walls in the bedroom, returning their gaze up to 19 times in various rooms.
Stand-out feature: Many participants were distracted by the feature walls in the bedroom, returning their gaze up to 19 times
Trial participants were least interested in flooring, the roof and the ceiling – all important parts of a home to inspect before making a purchase.
Meanwhile, people didn’t look at radiators for longer than 0.5 seconds in any room, despite being a crucial component of a home’s heating system.
Zoopla also revealed that while buyers were checking out the bath and shower, they tended to ignore the bathroom ceilings, which are most prone to damp and condensation.
These were looked at for the lowest period of time at just 0.34 seconds, taking up just 3 per cent of the share of attention in the bathroom.
Posh handwash: While viewers were checking out the bath or shower – and the toiletries – the ceilings were looked at for the lowest period of time
The trial follows separate research from Zoopla based on 2,000 homebuyers who attended house viewings in the past five years.
This research found that only half of prospective homebuyers check something as important as the boiler and only a quarter check the water pressure.
Just under a quarter check wifi strength and a similar proportion check the attic.
However, when it comes to cosmetic features and furnishings, once again, these were found to garner a lot more attention.
Related Post
A quarter admit to looking at pictures of the family that live there and a similar number their home technology.
It’s all about the decor: Mirrors, plants and pictures proved particularly popular among homebuyers, according to Zoopla
Almost a third look at their flowers and 37 per cent admire their furniture. One in eight even admit to seeing how comfortable the owners’ bed and sofa is.
The study also found that two-fifths don’t check for damp and three fifths don’t check for condensation.
Jonathan Handford, from Fine & Country estate agents thinks cosmetic factors play a crucial role in a property’s appeal.
‘Well-presented homes with modern kitchens, stylish bathrooms, and fresh paintwork are significantly more attractive than those in disrepair or with outdated decor,’ said Handford.
‘Carefully chosen furniture and decor can effectively showcase a desirable lifestyle, making the property more appealing to potential buyers.
‘This attention to presentation also enhances marketing materials, allowing agents to better convey the property’s potential through high-quality images and descriptions.’
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel
Source link
