|
Irish more likely to own their homes It has been revealed
people in Britain and Ireland are more likely to own their own homes.
In both countries, whole industries have sprung up to help owners speed
the sale of their homes or get higher prices.
They have been buoyed by the widespread view that property is an important
financial investment and that image counts the message of popular
home redecoration shows on television.
Those on the continent, culturally accustomed to thinking of their houses
as places to live rather than sources of profit and less inclined than
Americans or Britons to move frequently, continue to be reluctant to invest
money in properties they are putting on the market, many decorators and
real estate experts say.
The British and Irish, both more likely than continentals to own their
own homes, have embraced wholeheartedly the concept of ‘home staging’
Britons to increase prices in a galloping real estate market and
the Irish in hopes of speeding sales in a newly sluggish environment.
Ann Maurice, an American, has been a driving force behind the trend in
both countries.
Her popular House Doctor programme on Channel Five is one of several home
makeover shows on television.
Industry experts say its focus on fixing up properties specifically to
sell them helped plant the idea in many owners’ minds.
Sheila McNeive is a believer.
She said she is sure her house would still be sitting on Dublin’s
cooling market if she had not hired Manny O’Hara, director of House
And Garden Presentation Services, to ready it for viewings.
The house, valued at €725,000, sold in two weeks for €740,000,
while one of her neighbours is still seeking a buyer after a year. |
