UK's weirdest property purchase deal-breakers and turn-offs

New research by online estate agent easyProperty has revealed the most unexpected and unusual things that turn people off when viewing a property.

The study, involving a nationally representative sample of 1,000 UK adults, asked participants about the things that would make them lose interest in an otherwise suitable property they were viewing, aside from the condition of the property itself.

A number of the responses indicated that home-hunters care as much about the prospects of the surrounding area as they do about the property itself.

The biggest deal-breaker however was rather intangible. More than half of British adults said they’d lose interest in a property if they could detect a ‘bad vibe’ at the viewing.

A number of the UK’s property deal-breakers were based on economic signifiers in the surrounding area, such as presence of pound shops (a third of people said that was a deal-breaker) and fast food shops (almost one in four). A small proportion of participants (6%) said that charity shops and vintage boutiques, which are commonly considered a sign of gentrification in neighbourhoods, would put them off. Nearly a fifth (18%) cited another intangible factor, saying they’d lose interest in an otherwise suitable property if they disliked the owners.

Rob Ellice, CEO of easyProperty says: “A home is more than just bricks and mortar and finding the right property can be emotionally taxing. Before deciding on a property most people try to picture themselves living in a certain house or area. What’s the neighbourhood like, would we want to go for an evening stroll? Who are the neighbours, can we imagine inviting them over? How do the schools perform, can we see our kids enjoying it there? There are many things that may sway our vision and make us become emotionally attached to a property or put us off completely, and these can be quite unexpected.”

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