Leafy and elegant, or compact and bijou? - the study that decodes homespeak
While estate agents’ descriptions of homes for sale often come in for ridicule, it can be a tricky balancing act for them to indicate the true state of a property to buyers while still keeping the seller of a much-loved home happy.
For the most part, we understand that some phrases used in a property advert are code – such as “compact and bijou”, for “no room to swing a cat”. But other seemingly positive descriptions may also hint a slight on a property’s reputation.
Data science firm Outra has analysed property descriptions in a very scientific way – and linked set phrases directly to house prices using its household and property database.
Its analysts have delved into more than four million house listing records from the past five years to compile an index of words that estate agents love to brandish, and matched them with the price of the properties described.
While a potential new home that is a “fixer upper” obviously points to a lot of work being required, “affordable” is apparently another way of describing something with obvious faults.
Both words in a property description are linked with a below average value, and homes with an “affordable tag” are, perhaps understandably, the cheapest on the list.
Meanwhile, a home in an “up-and-coming” area might seem like a potential good buy, but it might be worth doing some more research on the crime statistics in that particular postcode.
“Deceptively” is another indicator that a home may have drawbacks. Outra statistics suggest that the word, particularly if it precedes “spacious”, is a cast iron guarantee that a house is likely to be painfully small.
We all have our own pet peeves when it comes to agent-speak. My own is “stunning” which is an ubiquitous phrase attached to properties that never fail to leave me entirely unstunned.
According to Outra, the most favourable adjective to have associated with your house is “elegant”, with an average price tag of £749,475 – more than double the average home price of £352,612 – followed by “coveted” (£671,569) and “leafy” (£543,634), with the latter alone putting a listing close to £200,000 or more ahead of the average price.
That’s closely followed by “wonderful” (£535,417), “luxury” (£494,438) and “charming” (£483,409).
But the term “modern” downgrades a house from the average, and “fantastic” homes are revealed to be just £10,000 more than the average house price, suggests that the property in question may be anything but.
One of the biggest surprises on the list is that “bijou” fares better than expected – the average house associated with this adjective coming in at £412,063, almost £50,000 above the average – while “compact” is below the average price by around £37,500. And anything in a “popular” area or described as an “opportunity” should be subjected to some scrutiny as they also come in a markedly below average.
“We’ve known all along that words used by estate agents to describe your house can be damning. But they can also potentially be a very clear signpost to desirability – and therefore price – of a property,” says Outra founder Giles Mackay.
“Our analysis brings this home in a very scientific way. ‘Wonderful’ or ‘elegant’ … seem to mean your property is exactly that. But ‘modern’ and ‘fantastic’ appear to be damning with faint praise.”
- Kirsty McLuckie is property editor at The Scotsman