What do house buyers really look at in a house viewing?
Some ingenious eye tracking technology put into use by Anglian Home Improvements revealed some fascinating insights.
A range of house hunters donned eye tracking glasses which showed exactly what caught their eye in a viewing and, crucially, what was the most distracting.
INTERIOR FURNISHINGS
It was revealed that the furnishings and decor took up to 27 per cent of the house hunters’ focus during the viewing, with a similar amount of time being spent on looking at clutter left out around the home.
LAYOUT
Interestingly, the layout of the house took up just four per cent of their time during the viewing.
CLUTTER
Clutter around the house was most distracting for the female house viewers, who spent 28 per cent of their viewing time focusing on it, compared to 20 per cent for male buyers.
BUILDING STRUCTURE AND PERSONAL TOUCHES
Overall, men spent more time than women looking at the structure and features of the grounds and building (32 per cent versus 22 per cent), while women honed in more on the personal touches such as photos, decoration and furnishings (16 per cent compared to 13 per cent).
THE GARDEN
Looking at exterior features and the garden took up 22 per cent of the participant’s focus.
HOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN MAKE A SALE
The survey reveals that its worth making an effort with your interior furnishings when it comes to sell.
Invest in slip covers for tired looking furniture or new cushion covers if yours are looking faded. Put out some nicer rugs or throws. Even reposition your furniture if it looks a little cluttered.
TIDY HOUSE, TIDY PROFIT
Tidy up and tidy away as much as you can. Leave surfaces clear and uncluttered. Pack away items on overflowing shelves. Put away family heirlooms, children’s drawings and toys. Anything that sticks out, store away.
CLEAR UP THE GARDEN
Sweep any leaves, throw away garden debris, make it look as big and clean as possible. Put out a small bistro table and chairs. You want to make your buyer feel as though they can sit there after a long day at work and have that first gin and tonic of the evening. Do that and your house is sold.
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