A second UK-wide lockdown – dubbed Lockdown 2 – is coming into effect on Thursday 5 November. However, the housing market is to remain open, provided all parties in the home moving process follow government guidelines to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
As such, property sellers are still benefitting from strong demand from buyers as they continue to flock to the market while interest rates remain low and the stamp duty holiday is in full force.
This also comes at a time when buyers’ priorities in the home are shifting, with many desiring extra space for a potential home office and a sizeable garden.
But the location and security of a home is still very important, with recent studies suggesting that low crime rates and a high number of streetlights making buyers feel most safe.
As a property seller, it’s important to not only ensure that your property is safe and secure, but to establish this in your property listing to give purchasers peace of mind, especially during these challenging times.
What factors make buyers feel most secure?
A study by Confused.com revealed that 51% of buyers said the sense of safety and security in an area would highly influence their decision to live there.
The research measured the security of 32 UK cities to determine where is the safest place to live, looking at factors like burglaries, ambulance response time and the number of police officers.
Postcodes E, EC, EN and N ranked in the top safest postcodes for London – all areas of which we operate in. The capital overall topped the list for having the highest police presence, with more than 31,000 officers employed to monitor the streets, compared to a UK average of 4,539.
The report also highlighted what factors buyers found more important than others. Areas with low crime rates make people feel more secure, with 35% of potential buyers citing this. This was followed by the number of streetlights (21%), seeing police on the streets (21%), physically clean streets (16%) and neighbourhood watch (14%).
Perhaps surprisingly, loitering on the streets is the biggest influence on people’s sense of security. Some 42% claim that loitering makes them feel ‘very unsafe’.
How can homeowners secure their property?
When it comes to making people feeling safe where they live, some factors are more important than others.
And while you can’t help or control the location of your property, there are a number of ways to take the security of your property into your own hands to mitigate risks and make buyers feel secure.
This includes simple methods such as ensuring valuable items aren’t left on display and that all locks for windows and doors are secure.
It’s also worthwhile to consider a home alarm system. These can be activated when you’re going out and disabled using a code when you return. They can also be configured to notify the police when the alarm is tripped.
Motion sensor lights are another effective deterrent for potential burglars who tend to lurk in the shadows. Some smart home systems can allow you to operate lighting remotely and set up cycles to switch lighting on and off this way.
You could also go the extra mile and install security cameras. Most of them are easy to install, can be integrated with smart home systems and can be operated using mobile apps.
Why is selling in a safe location crucial for sellers?
As we can see from the above findings, home security remains a key consideration for property purchasers.
While it won’t be the ultimate deciding factor, a home that is deemed unsafe can still be a major turn off for prospective buyers.
Therefore, sellers should not only ensure that their home is secure before listing their home for sale, but should also do their best to promote this during property viewings with the help of their agent.
Here at Kings Group, our offices are still in operation from 9am to 6pm as we continue to adhere to our Covid-19 policy. For more information on how we can assist you on your selling journey, please contact one of our branches today.
We also offer a free and instant online valuation to give you an idea of how much your home could be worth on the current market.
