HOUSE & HOME

Homebuyers reveal the most pivotal thing when house hunting - Here's how to catch the eye in an overheated market

RESEARCH BY leading estate agent photography provider, Giraffe360, has revealed how even in a market running hot on demand and low on stock, there is still one thing that remains hugely influential when it comes to attracting buyer interest and securing the best price for your home - your property listing photos.

However, the survey of over 1,300 homebuyers to have bought a home in the last six months also revealed that estate agents who aren’t delivering the visual goods are also damaging their own reputation, as well as their chances of selling a home.

When asked about their recent house hunt, a huge 93% of homebuyers said that the online photos of a property were an important factor when it came to grabbing their attention while scrolling through the property portals.

For this 93% of buyers, these property listing photos were also of great importance when it came to forming that all-important positive first impression of a property.

So much so, that 94% stated they would be more inclined to view a property that was presented online with good photos, an interactive tour, or both. 78% also stated that they would be less inclined to view a property with bad photos, no interactive tour, or both.

What’s more, 40% of buyers said they wasted time viewing unsuitable properties because the photos were poor, or there was no interactive tour, and so they couldn’t tell the property wasn’t for them until they actually viewed it in person.

Perhaps most notably, 62% of homebuyers would offer below asking price for a home they liked, simply because a below par online portrayal had created a bad first impression.

But it’s not just home sellers who are suffering due to poor digital presentation. 81% of homebuyers stated that a poorly presented property listing would also negatively impact their opinion of the selling agent, as it makes them appear unprofessional, low budget and gives the impression that they offer a poor service.

www.thevisitormagazine.co.uk New survey shines a light on the self build market

The results of the latest Custom & Self Build Market Report by the National Customer & Self Build Association (NaCSBA) have been published and shine a light on the progress being made to make it easier for more people to build their own home here in the UK.

The Custom and Self Build Market Report includes a new survey tracking the experiences of those who built in the last five years. This was the largest ever online survey of people who have undertaken a self build project.

Build It magazine is the UK’s longest running self build magazine and organises the successful annual ‘Build It Live’ exhibitions in Kent and Oxfordshire. The readers of Build It magazine responded to a self build questionnaire and the results were analysed and used in the latest Custom & Self Build Market Report.

The survey reported that self build magazines and self build shows remained top of the list

Is it getting easier to build your own home in the UK?

when it came to the best places to source information about self building projects. Choice came out as the biggest motivating reason for people building their own home, the main drivers being around specification, quality, sustainability and value for money. Interestingly, a high number of respondents also cited the challenge and satisfaction from undertaking their project as a key motivator. Indeed, the report showed that 90% of self builders go on to recommend self building to a friend.

The report also highlights the growing level of interest in building your own home and the importance of the governments ‘Help to Build’ scheme which is designed to open up the market to many more custom and self builders.

The average build budget is currently £312,000 and the report shows that 55% of builders are typically aged between 45 and 64.

The Bacon review highlights that active involvement in designing and building your home makes a real difference to your sense of place and your feeling of community – and leads to more loved and better maintained homes.

Chris Bates, Editor of Build It magazine said, “We’re proud to have stayed true to our self build roots with ‘Build It Live’ which continues to be the UK’s most practical and focused self build exhibition. Our shows will continue to address the challenges faced by self builders, many of which were highlighted in the report.”

The next ‘Build It Live’ show takes place at Bicester Heritage on 11 and 12 June and will address many of the challenges which still face self builders in the UK. The show will feature the popular and free one to one sessions with Build It’s experts who can help answer visitors self build questions.

For more details or to purchase tickets visit www.builditlive .co.uk.

How to find Bicester Heritage: (Bicester Heritage Event Centre (ex RAF Bicester), Buckingham Road, Bicester. Please use postcode: OX26 5HA.