Finding the right property … a case of instant attraction? | Money | guardian.co.uk

Finding the right property … a case of instant attraction? | Money | guardian.co.uk

Was it love at first sight or a slow-burning attraction that crept up on you without you noticing – when did you realise that your home was the one for you? According to research by property website Rightmove, 29% of people had fallen for their current pad before they had got any further than the hallway. Among renters the figure was 27%.

Those who make it through the front door without reaching a decision tended to have made up their minds by the end of the first viewing. A third of homeowners said that was the case for them, and 38% of renters. Only 6% of buyers had made it through two viewings before deciding that a property should be their home.

The survey, which Rightmove has done to publicise a new section of its website aimed at sellers and landlords, was based on people's recollections of when they chose their current home, so it is difficult to tell how accurate they are. It would be interesting to know how many people had decided, "this is the house for me" outside a property that they quickly decided against one they got through the front door. There are properties around whose "kerb appeal" belies a dodgy layout or need for some substantial modernisation.