British buyers go with their gut feeling, says Home Sale Network (HSN) and only view a house twice before buying, but vendors must show their house ten times before securing a sale.

Buying a home is the largest single purchase an average person will make in their lifetime, yet the new reveals that British house buyers only view a house on average twice before buying.

According to the survey conducted by HSN, which has 720 estate agency offices nation-wide, British house buyers have a tendency to jump in head first, with an overwhelming majority only viewing a house twice, or less, before putting in an offer.

In fact, 83% of HSN agents reported that clients only view a house one or two times before making the biggest purchase of their life.

Richard Tucker, Director of the Home Sale Network, said:

“Purchasing a home is an emotive issue and most buyers tend to buy based on a ‘gut feeling’ about whether they can picture themselves living in the house.”

“Buyers already know what they want before even setting foot in the house, so the initial visit is all about first impressions and getting an overall ‘feel’ for the home.”

“If a buyer is happy with the ‘feel’ of the house they would then come back for a second viewing to determine, whether any renovations are needed, what DIY and redecoration is required, whether the rooms are the right size etc.”

“As a general rule, after looking at these details, buyers will submit an offer right away instead of waiting, because the second visit will have confirmed that the house was ‘right’ for them.”

Home Sale Network research also revealed that although the average buyer only takes two or less viewings to make a decision, in contrast, the average vendor is now finding that the number of viewings to sell a house is increasing.

Vendors should expect an average of 10 viewings to secure an offer.

First impressions

Mr Tucker said: “These results emphasise the importance of first impressions and how they can make the difference between a buyer or a viewer.”

“Currently, the housing market is favouring buyers, with supply in most areas exceeding demand, which is in contrast to last year, when property was being snapped up as soon as it was on the market.”

“As a result, house hunters now have much more choice, so they are taking advantage of the opportunity to visit more houses which is why vendors are seeing an increase in viewings.”

“In a buyers market everything is about first impressions, so vendors keen on securing a quick sale should make their property as appealing as possible to increase the chances that potential buyers will get that all important ‘gut feeling’ the moment they enter the house.”