Why isn't my house selling? The answer might be clutter...

last updated 6 June 2022

Your home has been on the market for a while now but you're struggling to find a buyer. The area is sought-after, the garden is a decent size, and the bathrooms have just been refurbished, so why isn't your house selling?

A new study by Anglian Home Improvements has found that the answer may be something simple and easy to solve: clutter.

room with white wall and cloths bottles and books in wardrobe

Using eye-tracking technology, the study looked into what house hunters actually look at during a viewing. Participants wore eye-tracking glasses and their gaze was monitored to find out what grabbed their attention the most.

The study found that a quarter of the house hunters’ viewing time was focused on clutter and mess around the house. The results were even higher among female house viewers, who spent an enormous 28 per cent of their viewing time distracted by clutter.

Another quarter of viewing time was focused on furnishings and decor. As with clutter and mess, personal items constantly drew the participants’ gaze, with photographs and unusual decor found to be particularly distracting.

In comparison, a mere 4 per cent of viewing time was spent looking at the layout of the house.

kitchen with white tiles on wall and crockery

So what can we learn from this? While it may seem nice to display your favourite memories and works of art, these in fact distract potential buyers from paying attention to the things that matter and that would ultimately encourage them to place an offer: the layout of the house, the grounds, and any special features.

Experts suggest tidying away any mess and personal items that might distract viewers from the important task of house hunting. You want to create a blank canvas that house hunters can look at and imagine transforming with their own choice of décor.

Follow this advice, and hopefully the offers will come rolling in!