A quarter of potential buyers are put off by small kitchens

The kitchen is regarded by many as being the hub of the house, a place where friends and family can socialise over good food, but this trend seems to be dying out as houses continue to get smaller.

In a bid to uncover what the British public are looking for in the kitchen when it comes to buying a house, an online kitchen worktop specialist conducted a survey to find out what factors put people off from making an offer on a property.

The study, conducted by MayfairGranite.co.uk asked 1,006 UK residents over the age of 18, who were currently looking at properties, what it was in the kitchen that put them off when deciding whether or not to put in an offer on a house. The results showed that kitchen size was the most determining factor when choosing a property, with a lack of natural light also featuring on the list. Other more superficial deterrents included grease and fat stains and a lack of storage space.

The survey asked participants: “What do you find most off-putting in a kitchen when buying a house?” and asked respondents to choose from a list of possible answers...

1. Kitchen size (too small) – 25%
2. Grease/fat stains/mould – 20%
3. No natural light – 17%
4. Lack of storage – 13%
5. Outdated cabinets and worktops – 10%
6. Awkward kitchen layout – 8%
7. Broken fixtures and fittings – 7%

Looking at the results in more detail, Mayfair Granite found that Londoners were most likely to be put off a property because of a small kitchen (38%), while a fifth of the city’s residents were put off by a lack of natural light. 18% of Londoners also said that grease and fat stains would make them think twice about a property.

Other interesting results of the survey found that 18-24 year old first-time buyers were more likely to overlook outdated and badly laid out kitchens if the size was right, but they did vote grease and fat stains high up on the list of turn-offs. Meanwhile, those aged between 55 and 64 voted that a lack of storage and natural light would put them off a potential property.

Those respondents who chose out-of-date cabinets and worktops and an awkward kitchen layout stated that they were more likely to put in a lower offer, even if they liked the property on the whole, with some stating that they would offer up to £15,000 lower than the asking price if the kitchen needed replacing.

Neil Beard from Mayfair Granite says: “From the survey, it’s plain to see that people still regard the kitchen as one of the most important rooms in the house when it comes to buying a property, and in many cases a bad kitchen can put people off putting in an offer entirely. In this volatile housing market it is important that sellers create the right impression to potential buyers.”

He added, “Sellers cannot do anything about the size of their kitchen, but simple things like cleaning the kitchen, removing any clutter and fixing broken fixtures and fittings can make a big difference to potential buyers and can help them achieve an offer on or as close to the asking price as possible.”