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Does it give you the ‘ick’?

In case you haven’t heard that phrase yet, the term ‘ick’ — common among millennials — is used to express a feeling of disgust when they see something.

New research by Finder has revealed what Australians’ biggest icks are when hunting for property, and it could be costing the home owner thousands of dollars.

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Signs of mould or dampness were far and away the biggest property turn-off – with 72 per cent of respondents saying it gave them the heebie jeebies.

Saffron Moore and her partner’s apartment in Hawthorn East has had mould growing for 3.5 months without the landlord fixing it. Mould is one of home seekers biggest turn offs. Picture: Ian Currie

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Noisy neighbours (56 per cent) and unpleasant smells (such as from smoking indoors) rounded out top three red flags that turn buyers off.

Money expert at Finder Rebecca Pike said these common property ‘icks’ could be reducing the value of a home.

“There are certain things about a property Aussies just can’t overlook,” she said.

“These buyer turn-offs can be the difference between a home selling for top dollar or sitting on the market for months.

“These issues could end up affecting maintenance costs and insurance bills.”

While you might not smell your wet dog anymore, a new home seeker might.

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Slightly down the list showed that property seekers can find animals to be a bit of a turn off too, with almost half of respondents walking the other way if they found signs of insects, while 38 per cent are turned off by evidence of pets.

However, savvy buyers might be able to use the findings as an advantage to pick out a bargain, if they’re willing to turn a blind eye to these ‘icks’.

Dealing with pest control can be costly — and turn many buyers off.

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“Keep an open mind and understand what problems are a quick fix, and what are a long-term headache,” Ms Pike said.

“The good news is that you could sort out many of these top turn-offs with a bit of elbow grease.”

Ms Pike urged house hunters to never buy a property without arranging a building and pest inspection first.

“It’s a small outlay of under $1,000 that will highlight any possible concerns regarding the structure, drainage, plumbing and termite damage.

“It’s an investment that could end up saving you massively in the long run.”

Source: Finder

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