Posted on
Monday, July 15, 2019
Home buying trends are constantly changing, therefore for sellers who are considering the best way to market their property, it’s important to think about the latest must-have features on a buyer’s wish-list.
Similar to previous results, data from the portal revealed that we’re a nation of car lovers who also crave extra space – whether that be in the form of a building out back or an acre of land.
Rightmove’s Keyword Sort feature – which lets house hunters prioritise the properties in their search results that best suit their wish-lists – first launched back in May 2018. The three most popular search terms this year have been ‘garage’, ‘annexe’ and ‘acre’.
Properties with annexes, which are self-contained units that are generally a building or part of a building that is used as separate living space, accounted for just 2% of resale properties on Rightmove. However, the term has been searched over 100,000 times since May 2018.
Along with the top three most-searched keywords, ‘garden’, ‘detached’ and ‘cottage’, made up the top five, followed by ‘character’, ‘bungalow’, ‘freehold’ and ‘rural’ to complete the top 10.
Other unusual requests on Rightmove were from those hoping to find a ‘castle’, ‘chapel’ or ‘coach house’, plus some who were on the hunt for a ‘library’, ‘thatched roof’, ‘tree house’ or ‘sauna’.
With these results in mind, here at Keys & Lee we outline some top features that potential buyers are likely to consider when purchasing a home in Romford and the surrounding areas.
A contemporary home
More and more, potential buyers are preferring modern fixtures and fittings. If your interior is looking dated, consider sprucing it up to make the space more appealing.
This can include decluttering, cleaning, adding a fresh lick of paint, and other cosmetic enhancements.
It’s also worth going through the home and noting down any quick fixes that can be made. Try to put yourself in a viewer’s shoes and look for anything such as holes in walls, cracks in plaster, broken tiles and torn carpet – making sure they’re sorted before your first viewing.
Garages and parking
Once again, garages topped the list of must-have features in the home according to house hunters, highlighting the importance of having a guaranteed place for people to park their cars.
According to research from the British Parking Association, the average motorist in the UK spends 91 hours (nearly four days) every year looking for parking spaces.
This underlines the fact that parking of any kind – particularly off-street parking – will boost the value of almost any property. As a seller, consider creating or enhancing existing parking, if possible.
A revitalised garden
Today’s prospective buyers’ favour plenty of outdoor space and a garden, with this ranked fourth on the table of most searched keywords on Rightmove.
If your property is fortunate enough to have a garden, you will want to utilise this space to attract would-be buyers as much as possible – particularly during the warm summer months.
Ensure that you do a thorough spring clean, clearing away any debris and clutter. Then, evenly mow the lawn to make sure it’s well-manicured and sale ready. Consider putting out some potted plants to bring more vibrancy to your garden, as well as adding a fresh lick of paint on the decking, shed and fence.
As a seller, it’s important to understand what you can do to make sure your property is in its best possible condition before putting it on the market. With the help of your chosen estate agent, you can spruce up your home and entice would-be buyers sooner.
For more information about selling your home in Romford and the surrounding areas, please get in touch with Keys & Lee today.
We also offer a free instant online valuation so you can check how much your home could be worth on the current market.
