Surprising amount of time house buyers take to make up their mind

A survey of 2,000 British homeowners found that prospective buyers take an average of 28 seconds to form a lasting impression of a property. The findings suggest that buyers weigh up the lifestyle a home seems to offer as well as its physical features, making first impressions important to the sale process.

A kitchen island was the most appealing feature, named by 36% of respondents, followed by a walk-in wardrobe at 34%. Outside appearance mattered to 55%, while 83% said they had rejected a suitable home because they could not picture themselves living there; damp or mould was the leading deterrent, cited by 62%.