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The most appealing feature to potential home buyers by a ‘long shot’ is a good neighbourhood – particularly when it comes to family buyers aged 35-54 and to women in general, according to a survey conducted by Aussie Home Loans.
“We undertook the survey feeling confident that we would know the outcome, but were surprised to find some things were not as much of an issue for homebuyers as we expected,” says Aussie general manager for marketing and product, Stuart Tucker.
He says the survey of 1,000 people ‘smashed’ some real estate myths, with a modern kitchen only coming third with 63.4% and a modern bathroom way down the list at number seven, with just 50.2% rating it a top priority.
In second place was a garage with 63.7% rating it their top priority. Perhaps unsurprisingly, men (65%) rated it higher than women (62.4%).
Storage, ensuite, outdoor entertaining and light and airy atmosphere rounded off the top ten, but all with below 50% of respondents rating it highly.
Cigarette smells ranked number one by a country mile in terms of turn offs for house hunters (69.1%) with the younger generation aged 25-34 finding it most offensive (71.9%.)
In second and third place for home buyer turn-offs were a busy road location at 65.8% and a dirty house at 61.6%.
Despite real estate agents telling vendors otherwise, pet smells came all the way down at number seven with only 53% citing it a major turn-off and a dated kitchen or bathroom didn’t even make the top 10 with only 45% and 42% respectively.
While a light and airy house was only number ten in good home priorities (43.7%), a dark and dank house rated higher in turn-offs coming in at number five with 56.6% of respondents put off by that.
“With the real estate market heating up this spring, this list should help canny sellers get a head start on the competition,” says Tucker.
