House-hunting - A quiet street and ample parking top list of property priorities

Peace and quiet is top of the list for Brits when it comes to finding a new home, research has revealed. A survey carried out among 2,000 adults who have moved in the last two years or who are currently house hunting revealed a string of plus points and no-no’s for those hoping to sell a house, with a quiet street topping the wish-list.

Good parking, a nice car on the driveway and a well-manicured lawn are also big attractions for potential homeowners- a garden shed and big double glazed windows are also likely to help in improving opinions on a property.

The study, commissioned by Planitherm glass, found the biggest turn-offs include garden gnomes, overgrown hanging baskets and bins left out.

Craig Dodsworth, market manager for Planitherm glass commented on the findings: “It’s clear that when it comes to finding the right place to live, noise levels and outside appearance are the most important factors’

“It seems certain items can have a big influence on the feel of a house and whether people warm to a place or not.

“First impressions are always crucial and the results show that there are many pitfalls that can lead a person to feel they don’t like a house before they even step in the door.”

Seeing a pebbledash exterior or security bars on the windows of a house are also likely to have someone turning back up the garden path.

While other housing grumbles that just missed out on the top 20 were big satellite dishes, garden windmills and missing cat signs.

The survey also revealed that a proud six in ten Brits worry about what the outside of their home looks like – and most were worried that others might judge them.

In fact, the majority of people surveyed regarded the outside of a house as more important than its interior – with seven in ten reasoning that this is because the inside can be improved much more easily.

Indeed, 63% believe it’s the view from the curb that creates the strongest impression when first viewing a home.

And that impression doesn’t take long– the average house hunter knows if a place is for them within just five minutes.

Those currently house hunting had already dismissed at least four properties purely because they didn’t like the look of them from the outside.

Many Brits will also suss out the quality of the neighbours’ properties when weighing up a new home – a fifth rated the standard of nearby houses as crucial.

Craig Dodsworth from Planitherm glass continued: “Of course, everyone has different tastes and varying ideas of what they think is and isn’t appealing.

“What matters most is the look of a home, as it seems most people feel that this is a good representation of the tastes of the person living there.

It seems that good quality windows are one of the most important factors in making the outside of a house look more desirable, with half of those surveyed placing them at the top of their list.

Craig commented: “New windows not only make a home look more appealing, they can save homeowners money in the long term too. Fitting new windows with a next-generation, energy saving glass like Planitherm can cut a home’s energy bills by up to 28% – a homeowner could look to using those savings to spruce up the inside of their new house!”

Biggest property positives

A quiet street
Good parking
Big windows with double glazing
Neighbours house looks well maintained
Neighbours seem friendly
Well-maintained lawn
Conservatory
Patio
Flowers and hanging baskets in the garden
Fruit trees in the garden
A garden shed
Large trees in the garden
Garden furniture
A nice car on the driveway
Barbecue
Solar panels
Recycling bins
Vegetable patch
A big chimney
Water butt in the garden

Biggest housing turn-offs

Security bars on the windows
Sheets hanging in windows instead of curtains
Long or untidy lawn
Caravan in the garden
Overgrown bushes
Caravan in the neighbour’s garden
Beware of the dog sign
Bins left out
Fading or broken exterior lights
Stickers in window
CCTV camera
Trampoline in the neighbour’s garden
Pebble dash
Overgrown hanging baskets
Emergency service sirens audible nearby
Garden gnomes
Old car
Posters in window
Trampoline in the garden
Net curtains