Residential property experts make a career out of showing the rest of us how to make our homes more sellable. They suggest we de-clutter to make our houses look bigger and brighter, or offer more subtle ideas such as decorating the place with flowers and having a coffee pot brewing when potential viewers visit. A recent survey of 1000 homebuyers carried out by Nested, a London-based agency which brands itself as “The Modern Estate Agent”, has now added the choice of colour for our front door as one of the major influencers in getting a successful house sale.
Nearly all those questioned (94%) agreed that the colour and condition of the front door impacts on the overall appeal of a property. Half of the people surveyed confirmed that the colour of a front door would influence their decision as to whether to make an offer or look elsewhere. The first thing a potential viewer will see is the front door and key elements such as the material, age, design and especially the colour all set the tone for the overall feel of a property.
The research also concluded that there is a hierarchy when it comes to the preferred colour for the front door. Bottom of the list is brown, which suggests that most homebuyers have moved on from traditional wood-finish doors and the old-fashioned design that tends to accompany them. At the other end of the scale the most popular colour in the survey was grey, chosen as their favourite by 18% of those questioned. Other popular colours included black (also 18%), blue (16%), green (16%) and white (11%). As many as 41% of those surveyed admitted that they would be prepared to pay a premium to secure a property if the colour of the front door added to the overall appeal of a home.
Commenting on the results of the survey Nested Managing Director Alice Bullard said:” It’s strange to think that something so simple as the colour of a front door could sway someone’s decision to buy a home and the reality is that the door itself can be easily changed, but it’s the overall first impression it adds to that is of the utmost importance when looking to attract a buyer. Particularly in the current market, where buyers have the upper hand, drawing them in with a good initial impression of your home is going to maximise your chances of selling. If they’re deterred at the first hurdle it’s likely to dent their enthusiasm throughout the rest of the viewing and, ultimately, can result in your home sitting on the market for a longer period of time. So if you are struggling to sell, it’s worth considering if your front door needs a little TLC as it’s a cost effective step to take, particularly if it boosts your chances of securing a sale.”
Other than in conservation areas or on listed buildings, or due to restrictions imposed by a previous planning application, there are no legal restrictions on what colour people can paint their front door. The same applies to painting the whole of the outside of the house. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015, known as GPDO, gives permission to carry out a wide range of alterations or improvements to a property, including erecting fences, adding porches and outbuildings, and installing satellite dishes. The GPDO also allows the external painting of a property in any colour, unless this is done for advertising purposes or to create an announcement or direction sign. Maybe if your property has remained unsold for a while it’s time to think radically and come up with a wild paint scheme for the outside of the building? Your neighbours might not approve but at least your house will stand out from the crowd.
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