Curry smells could cost you a house sale

By Heather Rose
Posted: 2008/02/08

CLUTTER in rooms, piles of dirty washing, chipped paintwork, the pong of last night's curry or fish supper, and overgrown gardens can, as we all know, be big turn-offs for buyers when it co

However, it seems there can be other aspects which can make would-be buyers give a property a wide berth, deleting it immediately from their purchasing wish list.

Heating appliance specialists Glow-worm recently asked visitors to their blog - www. needanewboiler. com - about their house viewing experiences.

No doubt much to the delight of the heating specialists, they found that about two-thirds of people wanted to leave a property because of unbearable temperatures.

But there were some very unusual reasons why some would-be buyers were eager to leave. There was the case of one prospective buyer who was being "licked to death" by an extremely friendly dog.

A would-be buyer viewing another property was left to tour the house on his own as the seller was totally engrossed in a football match on the telly.

And when the footie fan's team scored, the resulting roar from the fan almost scared the wits out of the would-be buyer's two-year-old daughter. But some apparent negative aspects of a house viewing can prove positive.

There was the case of the property viewer who was keen to buy and wanting to put in an offer, only to find the property owner's wife upset at the idea. Seems she had had a change of heart and was having second thoughts about the idea of moving from the home she loved so much.

Chances are those tears stopped. For her actions resulted in a bidding war and the property ended up selling for much, much more than the couple had anticipated.

Katie Cope, brand manager with Glow-worm, explained: "In today's competitive market, homeowners need to be mindful that they are selling a lifestyle as well as a house.

"Small details can be easily picked upon by newcomers so make sure you dispose of last night's dirty dishes, get rid of any suspect smells and maintain a comfortable temperature to welcome potential buyers."


INFORMATION:
01773-824639; www. glow-wormheating. co. uk.