Homeowners reveal their biggest regret when buying a house

Buying a property is a big decision. However, despite taking the plunge 12.5 million households admit that they have property regrets.

Related: Are you asking the right questions before you buy a house?

That works out at nearly half of households in the UK regretting aspects of the home they have bought or rented.

When looking for a home, many of us are so focused on certain characteristics of a property it is easy to overlook other aspects of the property.

The biggest property regrets revealed

Room size, a balcony, garden and natural light are all high on homebuyers and renters wish list. Research by the Homeowners Alliance and Resi.co.uk found that 66 per cent said that they focused on sufficiently sized rooms. While 57 per cent were on the lookout for a private balcony or garden.

However, while it is important to focus on the characteristics you want in a home, 4 in 10 homeowners regret not paying more attention to particular aspects of the home they chose to rent or buy.

Among the biggest homeowner regrets was not paying attention to storage space. 25 per cent admitted to regretting not making sure there was enough of room for a broom or other cupboard space.

21 per cent said that they regretted not checking the condition of the roof, electrics and boiler. While a further 21 per cent regretted not paying attention to noise levels and found the neighbours and nearby traffic to be noisier than expected.

However, despite these regrets, 8 in 10 UK adults were still found to be happy with their home.

'Staying at home 24/7 is making a lot of homeowners reconsider their choice. The things we didn't get right from the stat are really starting to nag us,' says Paula Higgins, chief executive of the Homeowners Alliance.

'Our research shows that while we may get the big things right when choosing a home. We often overlook the smaller, less glamorous considerations like storage, how well insulated a property is, and the condition of the roof and boiler.'

'These are issues that are difficult or expensive to put right, but if ignored can negatively impact our lives on a day-to-day basis,' Paula adds.

'If you have a problem with your roof, heating or have penetrating damp that can't wait then you shouldn't live with it,' Paula insists. 'The government has advised that work carried out in people's homes, such as tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is weel and follows social distancing guidelines.'

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Do you have any regrets about your home?