People still regard the kitchen as one of the most important rooms in the house when it comes to buying a property
The kitchen is regarded by many as being the hub of the house, a place where friends and family can socialise over good food, but this trend seems to be dying out as houses continue to get smaller.
In a bid to uncover what the British public are looking for in the kitchen when it comes to buying a house, MayfairGranite.co.uk asked 1,006 UK residents over the age of 18 who were currently looking at properties what put them off in the kitchen when deciding whether or not to put in an offer on a house.
The results showed that kitchen size was the most determining factor when choosing a property, with a lack of natural light also featuring on the list. Other more superficial deterrents included grease and fat stains and a lack of storage space.
A full list of the results are below:
1. Kitchen Size (too small) – 25%
2. Grease/fat stains/mould – 20%
3. No natural light – 17%
4. Lack of storage – 13%
5. Outdated cabinets and worktops – 10%
6. Awkward kitchen layout – 8%
7. Broken fixtures and fittings – 7%
Looking at the results in more detail, Mayfair Granite found that Londoners were most likely to be put off a property because of a small kitchen (38%), while a fifth of the city’s residents were put off by a lack of natural light. 18% of Londoners also said that grease and fat stains would make them think twice about a property.
Other interesting results of the survey found that 18-24 year old first time buyers were more likely to overlook out dated and badly laid out kitchens if the size was right, but they did vote grease and fat stains high up on the list of turn offs. Meanwhile those aged between 55 and 64 voted that a lack of storage and natural light would put them off a potential property.
Those respondents who chose out of date cabinets and worktops and an awkward kitchen layout stated that they were more likely to put in a lower offer, even if they liked the property on the whole, with some stating that they would offer up to £15,000 lower than the asking price if the kitchen needed replacing.
