Research from lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed which front door colours the nation find the most appealing when looking to buy a home, as a third of homebuyers admit it can influence their decision to view a property, while more than half will judge you as a person based on your front door.
The survey commissioned by Benham and Reeves asked homebuyers to have purchased a property within the last six months, how influential they found the front door when first forming an impression of a property?
57% said it had an impact on their first impression of a property – 31% saying it was a little influential, 21% saying it was somewhat influential and 5% saying it had a big impact.
What’s more, a third said it could influence their decision to view, with 17% admitting they would view a home simply because they liked the front door, while 13% would steer clear of a home if they didn’t like it.
But it’s not just the property itself that a front door can help form opinion on. 55% of homebuyers admitted to judging the person that owned a property based on the state of their front door.
So what should you watch out for when it comes to keeping your front door in tip top condition?
Cracked or dirty glass was the biggest front door faux par for prospective homebuyers, ranking top of the list of things that will create a negative first impression.
Cracked or peeling paint came second, followed by signs of previous damage or repair, leftover Halloween or Christmas decorations and a broken doorbell or knocker.
Reinforced locks or doors sent alarm bells ringing, while joke or offensive doormats, signs that read beware of the dog or kids and themed or musical doorbells were also likely to leave a bad taste with homebuyers.
In terms of colours, Red ranked as the least favourite amongst potential buyers, while yellow, pink, brown and orange are also out of fashion.
So how do you put your best foot forward when it comes to your front door?
Black is the nation’s favourite front door colour but for those who crave a little more colour, blue, white, grey and green also ranked within the top five colours likely to make a good first impression with the nation’s homebuyers.
Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented:
“Your front door can be incredibly influential in forming a good first impression as it’s the first feature a buyer will spend a brief period picking apart as they wait to enter your home. So it’s well worth spending a little time and money to make sure it looks its best as this will help set the tone for the rest of the viewing.
Cracked windows, peeling paint, a broken doorbell, or a wilted Christmas wreath are not a good look, but even the colour of your front door can be influential.
As with most things in the home, you can’t go wrong with a subtle, neutral black or blue and while you may have slightly more colourful tastes, it’s important to remember you are trying to sell and so anything too extravagant could be a potential put off.”
Would your impression of a front door deter or entice you from viewing a property?
Answer
Totals
No
69%
Yes, I would view a property just because I liked it
17%
Yes, I would avoid a property if I didn’t like it
13%
How influential was tde front door of a property in forming your first impression of a property when viewing?
Answer
Totals
Not at all
43%
A little
31%
Somewhat
21%
Very
5%
How influential was tde front door of a property in forming your first impression of tde existing homeowner when viewing?
Answer
Totals
Not at all
45%
A little
27%
Somewhat
23%
Very
5%
Thinking about the front door as a whole, which of the following would make you judge a home negatively? (Tick all that apply)
Answer
Totals
Cracked or dirty glass
1st
Cracked or peeling paint
2nd
Signs of previous damage or repair
3rd
Leftover Halloween or Christmas decorations
4th
A broken doorbell of door knocker
5th
Reinforced locks or structure
6th
Joke or offensive doormat
7th
Beware of tde dog’ sign
8th
Beware of tde kids’ sign
9th
A tdemed/musical doorbell
10th
An over tde top door knocker
11th
No junk mail sign’
12th
An over tde top door number
13th
What is your favourite front door colour?
Favourite
Rank
Black
1st
Blue
2nd
White
3rd
Grey
4th
Green
5th
What is your least favourite front door colour?
Least Favourite
Rank
Red
1st
Yellow
2nd
Pink
3rd
Brown
4th
Orange
5th
Data Tables Survey of 1,846 recent UK homebuyers carried out by ProperPR on behalf of Benham and Reeves via consumer research platform, FindOutNow, 10th March 2022.
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About the Author
Established in 1958, Benham and Reeves is one of London’s oldest, independently owned property lettings and sales agents. With specialism in residential sales, corporate lettings and property management in prime areas of London, the company operates from 19 prominently located branches and 11 international offices.