Homebuyers in London 'happy to buy property even if it is on sale due to death, divorce or debt'

 
House search: people buying a home in London will reportedly accept a variety of reasons for why the property is being sold (Picture: Getty)
Rashid Razaq6 November 2014

More than half of UK homebuyers would be put off buying a house if it was put on sale because of death, divorce or debt — apart from in London.

A report by iProperty found a third of people would be deterred if somebody had died, a fifth would feel uncomfortable about buying a home that had become available because of divorce and one in 10 thought a repossession was a bad omen.

However, research by the online property portal found that Londoners were among the least superstitious with only five per cent saying the “three Ds” would put them off making an offer.

The capital’s competitive market and lack of alternatives were factors but London house-hunters also said they did not have the time to research homes beyond the actual physical structure.

iProperty director Amy Candia said: “Our research revealed that in most cases homebuyers are not just looking for bricks and mortar. People, especially women, are very likely to be influenced by intuition — so much so that 39 per cent of women admit they judge a property based on the ‘feel’ they get from it. But in London women and men are much more focused on the facts.”

The study found the top turn-off for buyers in the capital was poor public transport links. Other factors that deter potential buyers include location, lack of opportunities to extend and poor Ofsted ratings for local schools.

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