10% of homebuyers don’t conduct checks
By |Published On: 4th September 2015|

Home » Uncategorised » 10% of homebuyers don’t conduct checks

10% of homebuyers don’t conduct checks

By |Published On: 4th September 2015|

This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.

Astounding survey results from Which? Mortgage Advisors shows that 10% of home purchasers did not conduct any checks when viewing a property that they went on to buy.

In addition, young people and first-time buyers were found to have spent on average less than an hour viewing a property.

Checks

The mortgage advisors asked people who had either bought or sold a house during the past five years what checks they had carried out before buying a property. 11% did not conduct any checks during viewings, while unbelievably, 5% of those questioned said they had not viewed the property at all![1]

Of those checks actually undertaken, 70% were for any signs of obvious damp or mould growing within the property. 69% looked at the conditions of windows or for cracks in the walls (68%). However, just 36% checked conditions of chimneys, 35% whether light switches worked and 28% if there was water pressure.[1]

Findings from the survey also show that the time spent viewing at a property increased with age. Those aged between 18-34 view a property for just 49 minutes on average, with over 65’s increasing their time to 74 minutes. First-time buyers spent an average of 53 minutes viewing their property.[1]

10% of homebuyers don't conduct checks

10% of homebuyers don’t conduct checks

Timely pricing

Viewing time also appears to extend when property grows in price. The longer people spent viewing seem to be reflected in them paying less than the asking price. Of those that spent more than 2 hours viewing a property, 71% made an offer of lower than the full-marketed price. In comparison, of those that spent less than 10 minutes viewing, just 48% paid less than the asking value.[1]

David Blake of Which? Mortgage Advisors, said, ‘if you’re looking to buy a property in a highly competitive market, it’s easy to get carried away and not make all the essential checks. However, acting on impulse could mean that you don’t spot maintenance issues that could cost you dearly later on.’[1]

‘When looking for a new home, it’s important not to rush and to carefully consider whether the property is right for you. Having a checklist that prompts you to look at things like the condition of the boiler or whether there are enough power sockets can really help, and will also highlight the questions you should be asking yourself or the estate agent,’ Blake added.[1]

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/10-dont-bother-to-check-the-property-they-buy.html

 

 

About the Author: Em Morley (she/they)

Em is the Content Marketing Manager for Just Landlords, with over five years of experience writing for insurance and property websites. Together with the knowledge and expertise of the Just Landlords underwriting team, Em aims to provide those in the property industry with helpful resources. When she’s not at her computer researching and writing property and insurance guides, you’ll find her exploring the British countryside, searching for geocaches.

Share this article:

Related Posts

Categories:

Looking for suitable
insurance for your
investment?
Check out our four
covers for landlords