40% of househunters have decided to buy before they get past the hall

New research shows how swiftly househunters in the UK make up their minds about buying a house and what a short amount of time sellers have to make a good impression.

Rightmove’s survey of more than 3,000 people for its new Market Intelligence campaign asked when they knew the property they now own was the one to go for. The results show that:

* 29% made up their minds either when they first arrived, or when they first set foot in the door
* 8% decided after seeing the property online
* 4% had strong feelings after seeing the property advertised in a newspaper
* for those renting, 42% of tenants said that they made up their minds by the time they first set foot in the door of their current property

In regional terms, homeowners in Greater London and the North East of England are among the most cautious, with those in East Anglia and the East Midlands faster to make their minds up. In Yorkshire, a third of people had made their mind up by the end of the first viewing.

“It’s strange to think that one of life’s most important purchasing decisions can be made before going past the hallway,” said Rightmove director Miles Shipside. “Nothing stirs the emotions of the British public quite like home-hunting and many buyers already have a picture in their heads of their ‘dream home’ as they begin the property search process. When a property ticks all the right boxes straight away, many buyers can make quick, emotionally-led decisions. A further third of buyers made their decision to purchase at some stage during the first viewing, so stirring those initial emotions is vital but it is important to cover all bases and deliver a good all-round property-viewing experience.”

He added that with lots of property to look at, buyers tend to exclude rather than include, and once dismissed it is a challenge to regain a buyer’s attention.

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