According to research compiled by Property Rescue, it is the Kitchen that is considered to be the most important room in the modern home. In fact, a third of all home-owners consider the kitchen to be the make-or-break factor in wether or not to buy the property.

Why is this the case, however, and what is the key takeaway of this for sellers? 

Let's take a look:

What do the numbers say? With around 33% of people considering the kitchen to be most important room in their home, this was clearly a key area of focus for aspiring buyers when they first viewed properties.

Next up was the bathroom, with 22% claiming that this was their main consideration when buying a new home. A welcoming fireplace was perhaps the most surprising feature on the list, with proving particularly popular among the increasingly influential Millennial demographic and first-time buyers.

Cost and Behaviour: Why the kitchen has become the heartbeat of the modern home.

These priorities hint at a significant change in the behaviour of modern day buyers. Whereas purchasing a home was once seen as a long-term project that would require a staggered investment, buyers are now looking for properties that are fully modernised and ready to live in.

This has much to do with the macroeconomic climate, with inflation peaking around 3%  and the cost of living continuing to rise at a disproportionate rate to earnings. At the same time, house prices have risen tremendously during 2017 alone, while affluent areas have seen a six-fold increase during the 20 years.

With this in mind, it's clear that buyers have less money to spend on renovating their new home, and are therefore looking to invest in pieces of real estate that have modern kitchens already installed. 

The last word – Why sellers need to priorities the presentation of their kitchen

There are numerous other factors that will influence the decision of buyers when they view a property.

These include external elements such as the neighbourhood and local amenities, while even the presence of a private driveway can have an impact in the minds of buyers.

There's no doubt that the kitchen now represents the single most influential factor, however, particularly as buyers are forced to operate with more stringent budgets and simply cannot afford to renovate properties.

Given this, and the fact that the kitchen serves as the epicenter of the modern home, it's little wonder that this is the first thing that buyers look for when they visit your property. As a Seller, you need to take note of this and ensure that this is presented in the best possible light before hosting viewings.