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Exterior appearance matters – to both homebuyers and homeowners!
Almost half of prospective homebuyers consider a bad exterior to be a dealbreaker
It turns out, people do judge a home by its cover. Even in this overheated housing market, appearance plays a major role in purchasing decisions. A recent survey, for example, found that 49% of homebuyers would not purchase a property with exterior issues. Even before the pandemic, kerb appeal was regularly cited as a major barrier to UK purchasers. With housing markets heating up across Europe and North America, homeowners may not feel they need to worry about their exteriors, but that would mean leaving money on the table. That same Home Advisor survey found 63% of purchasers would go over budget for the perfect home.
For homeowners, their choice of siding can affect not only their current comfort but also their future sales prices. For homebuyers, it’s important to know that a better route to what they’re looking for may lie in buying with the intent to refurbish the exterior. Here are the ways that the right siding can answer concerns, for both buyers and the market.
1. Appearance
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but most homebuyers place it firmly in the exterior appearance. Of the dealbreakers listed by the Home Advisor survey, appearance played into most of the ones that more than 40% of people mentioned. 41% of respondents wouldn’t buy a house that looked like it had been remodelled badly. As much as design matters, however, follow-through and materials play a large role. Homebuyers also thought it was important that the siding doesn’t look like it needs repair (44%) or that it’s been affected by the weather (46%).
2.Maintenance
This focus on kerb appeal is why the maintenance needed by an exterior cladding can play such an outsize role. Ease of maintenance doesn’t just mean that the homeowner doesn’t need to keep getting out a ladder or paying to have the home repainted every year. A durable exterior siding means that a homeowner won’t be faced with extensive repairs or repainting in order to sell.
3.Comfort
One unforeseen effect of the past two years is that homeowners and homebuyers alike are rethinking their relationship with their homes. Instead of the décor and appearance being something outwardly facing – for visitors, neighbours and estate agents – homes are becoming personal oases as well. Designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen told EuroNews. “People are socialising less, people are staying at home, and they are staying at home in these very comfortable, comforting, very domestic environments." He believes that the coming years will see a trend towards cosiness in architecture and exterior design.
4. Sustainability
The other cultural issue forcing its way into the housing market is concern for the environment. PwC found that 76% of leaders in European real estate are concerned about sustainability in real estate. As homeowners and homebuyers alike look for ways to make responsible choices, one often-unexamined side of sustainability is durability. This is especially true with siding, which bears the full force of weather and everyday impacts. Choosing a siding that’s durable doesn’t just mean less hassle for the homeowner and a better appearance for the homebuyer. It also means less consumption, with fewer repairs and longer life for its production costs to amortise against.
One solution to all of these concerns is Pura® NFC. It has the cosy feel of textured wood sidings in a range of decors and colours to fit any design. Meanwhile, it’s engineered for durability. The closed seal created by Electron Beam Curing locks out dust and makes it easy to clean. It’s already the architect’s choice for their own beach homes. Why not try it on yours?
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