'Appears unclean!' Sellers warned of common selling mistake that knocks £11,000 off property value
Experts shared advice for homeowners looking to sell
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Selling a property takes time and effort, so homeowners will want to make sure they don't make common selling mistakes that will drag the process out even more.
While around 57 per cent of Britons have pets, signs of animals in a home could drop the property value by thousands of pounds.
Pet hair and odour are tell-tale signs that an animal has lived in the house and, if visible during viewings, it would be enough to get potential buyers to turn away.
If they do still make an offer, this could be lowered by around £11,000, according to experts at Yopa.
Signs of pets can be offputting to sellers
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They said: "We are a nation of pet lovers, but that doesn’t mean we’re attracted to the hair, mess, and odour of other people’s pets when looking to buy a home.
"It’s not that pet hair is a huge turn-off, but it gives an impression of uncleanliness that potential buyers will fear runs through the rest of the property as well.
"It’s estimated that the unwanted evidence of pets results in losing four per cent of a home’s potential value, equivalent to an average loss of £11,311."
Many petowners will get used to the smell of animals in their home but it may be immediately obvious to buyers visiting the property for the first time.
Making sure to clear up pet hair and mess, and ensure the home is free of odour gives it a better chance of selling for a good value.
Similarly, a messy home at the time of viewing can encourage buyers to drop their offer by more than £13,000.
Yopa experts added: "First impressions count. Tidying your home before potential buyers come to view it is the easiest and most basic thing you can do to achieve the highest possible price.
"It is estimated that an immaculately presented home can increase the value of offers by an average of 4.7 per cent.
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GETTY"If, therefore, a house looks dirty and you miss out on this additional 4.7 per cent, you’re waving goodbye to a possible £13,290."
This comes as new data revealed the average UK property price has increased by 1.1 per cent in the last 12 months, sitting at £281,000.
The biggest house price increases were found in Scotland, where property increased 4.5 per cent, and Northern Ireland, where it was up four per cent.