Is your Home your Valentine?

My birthday….err I mean, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and with romance in the air, I thought I would write this week about how much love we really have for our homes.  

Be honest, if you didn't already live there - as in hadn't already made the commitment - would your home get a Valentine's Card from you this year?  Is it really the one?  Or do you find yourself lusting over other people's homes, feeling the guilt every time you step in your front door because well, you just want something else and it simply isn't enough anymore?

Don't worry, it's not your fault!   There are a whole host of reasons why what was right for you on completion day, isn't necessarily right for you now.  According to a recent national survey by a conveyancing company, here are the three things that people loved the most about the homes they bought:

1. A convenient location.  A whopping 58% of those surveyed said that being near good schools, transport links and great places to shop were high on what they wanted most out of the ideal home.
2. Price worthy.  No one wants to feel they have overpaid, even for the ideal home.  People love properties that represent great value to them. Don’t confuse this with a ‘cheap’ price as that’s often driven by mistaken lust for a ‘bargain’, that’s not true love. 37% of those surveyed thought this made for a special relationship.
3. A gorgeous garden. The great outdoors sparked more than 28% of people to declare amour for their home.

And 1% of people swooned over the street name when buying their ideal home. Here’s some Valentine’s themed roads you will find across the UK:

Valentine Road, Leicester

Date Street, Kennington

True Loves Lane, Ingatestone

Kissing Gate in Hull

and in Banstead we have Buff Avenue, a bit saucy perhaps but well within the Valentine theme for sure!

But it can’t all be rosy, the opposite of love is hate, and the survey also asked people what turned them off properties they’d viewed with an eye to buy.  The top three were:

1. Lacklustre location. 43% of people just didn’t fancy where it was – bear this in mind when buying your next home – even if you love it, is it in a saeable location?
2. Overpricing is a turn off – 40% of those surveyed said overvaluations stopped them getting involved.
3. Looks – Beauty is more than skin deep in successful relationships, but when it comes to the interior of a prospective home, 34% of people wanted to look at something they found visually attractive so dress to impress!

What about you?  Are you feeling that the love is lost?  Or are you just as much in love with your home as the day you moved in?  I sincerely hope it's the latter this Valentine's day but if not, the Banstead and Epsom market has turned a corner and as a result your home-love goals are there for the taking.  Everyone wants to be loved and we know you want to feel the love from your agent, not just at sale time, but long term and the truth is, some people need courting for a long time before they take the leap and sell their homes.  We are here for you, whatever the journey, however long it takes.  At Sacha Scott we do all we can to deliver a service and level of attention people fall head over heels for and recommend us time and time again.  We love what we do and are passionate about serving the people and the community in Banstead and Epsom. So, if you have any property related questions, even if you aren’t ready to sell or let your property yet, please get in touch.  We’d LOVE to help you out.