It seems that people would rather buy a house where a murder has taken place than one that has signs of damp or cracks in the walls.
Regulated property buyer, Good Move, has revealed the top ten problems that would deter a potential buyer from making an offer on a house.
Nearly three in five (58%) would be put off if there had previously been a murder at a property, and more than two in five (44%) would reject a house if there had been reports of paranormal activity.
However, it is the more day-to-day, practical faults that seem to put Brits off the most when it comes to buying a house.
The top ten things that would put buyers off a property:
1. Noisy neighbours (85%)
2. Short leasehold remaining (76%)
3. Signs of damp (75%)
4. A shared garden (73%)
= Signs of cracks on the walls (73%)
6. Front Door opening onto a main road (70%)
7. No parking (69%)
8. No garden (66%)
9. Smelly (63%)
10. Busy or high-speed roads nearby (62%)
The top five features that buyers would expect the biggest discounts for:
1. Existing tenants (34%)
2. Murder (32%)
3. Paranormal Activity (30%)
4. Pets left behind in the property (26%)
5. Being next door to a cemetery (25%)
Whilst over 40% of UK homebuyers say they would not be put off if a murder had taken place onsite, the survey also found that, if this were the case, they would expect the property to be reduced by almost a third (32%) of its market value.
Ross Counsell, director at Good Move, said: “Although everyone has a different idea of the perfect home, it’s clear from our survey that certain things will put off most people.
“On the bright side, some of these put-offs are easy to address, so if you are looking to sell your house, make sure you sort out small things like cracks and damp.
“These little actions can make a huge difference and help you to make your house more attractive to buyers.”