Research by eXp UK, the network of personal estate agents, has found that 87 percent of people looking to buy a home would avoid one if it had a pond in the garden. Homeowners looking to sell with a pond could see money wiped off their asking price in order to secure a buyer and sell their home.
Ponds can be a popular feature for many homeowners, particularly those with a love for nature and fish.
They have become a common feature in many gardens up and down the nation, however, in today’s market, they could be a deterrent.
The experts said: “Ponds are thought to shave 1.8 percent off the potential asking price of a property. That may not seem a lot, but it equates to £5,310 on the current average UK house price of £287,506.”
A survey of UK homebuyers, commissioned by the estate agents, found that while 51 percent of those surveyed thought ponds were an attractive feature, 87 percent would purposely avoid buying a home with a pond feature.
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The primary reason was the fact that a pond could be a danger to small children, especially if it is large and deep in size.
The cost of upkeep was also ranked high, which involves the cost of filtering it to keep it clean as well as providing fish with food if there are any in there.
Many also thought that a pond could attract pests such as rats and mice, which would deter them from buying a home with one.
All ponds need regular maintenance to prevent them silting up and turning into bog gardens, according to The Royal Horticultural Society.
Small ponds need a complete overhaul to remove debris every five months which could put many people off.
What’s more, 73 percent of those surveyed stated that they would offer below asking price on a home they otherwise liked, simply because it raised the issue of having a pond.
Head of eXp UK, Adam Day, commented: “If done properly, a pond can be an attractive addition to any garden and it’s clear that many of the nation’s homebuyers still believe this is the case.
“However, today they are largely seen as a negative property feature due to the fact that they pose a very real danger to the safety of children, as well as being expensive to upkeep.
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“Given that buyers are facing higher borrowing costs and the higher ongoing cost of living at present, it stands to reason that they don’t want the additional burden of maintaining a pond and deterring rats and mice from their garden.
“This means that should they come across an otherwise perfect home with a pond, they will need to factor in the additional cost of removing once they’ve purchased the property.
“This means that, on average, those looking to sell a property with the addition of a pond could have to lower their asking price by more than £5,000 in order to secure a buyer.”
According to the experts at Moverly, the presence of Japanese knotweed could also seriously deter buyers, with the issue causing many unable to get a mortgage.
Japanese knotweed is an aggressive weed which is extremely hard to eradicate, causing problems with people getting a mortgage and problems with selling a home.
The pros said any signs of these invasive plants are likely to put buyers off completely, but those that press on are likely to pay around £43,473 less for your home.
A lack of parking can also be an issue for many people, with the average home having two cars nowadays.
The experts said this could cost homeowners nearly £20,000, while living near a power station could knock off as much as £14,491.
