What puts off potential home buyers? Property news roundup

Plus, second steppers in Swansea, and bathroom spending

Nearly a third of homehunters would be put off from making an offer on a house if it was near the scene of a serious crime.

In a poll by Ocean Finance to find out turn-offs for buyers, a similar number said they would also not make an offer on a flat or house if they knew somebody had recently died there. Third on the list was the property being close to a graveyard.

Another 16 per cent would not buy simply because they disliked the owners and a similar figure would be put off by a rude-sounding street or village name.

Just under 10 per cent said that the property being number 13 or the address being difficult to spell would also be dealbreakers.

Second steppers in Swansea

Swansea is the most affordable place in the UK for 'second stepper' couples looking to buy their first family home, according to property search engine Placebuzz.com which puts the average price of a house only 9.6 per cent more than the average price of a flat.

Its figures show that the average price of a one to two bedroom flat in Swansea is £133,561, compared to £146,448 for a terraced or semi-detached house.

Overall, the east of England came out as the most affordable region for 'second stepper' couples, especially Norwich and Ipswich. Edinburgh is the least affordable location, wiuth couples looking to buy their first family home there facing paying £180,285 more to buy an average terraced/semi-detached house (£324,874) as opposed to a one to two bedroom flat (£144,589).

How much do you spend on your bathroom?

Topping the list of Britain’s biggest spenders on bathrooms are those in the South East, according to www.ukBathrooms.com, who average £6,130 per bathroom compared to those in Wales who spend the least at £1,945.