Renovating Your Home To Add Value

One of the quickest ways to move up the property ladder is to take a tired, tatty property and give it some love and attention. With a little thought, this need not mean spending a fortune on structural alterations or builders’ fees – sometimes a tin of paint is just as effective.

 

If you can, spend time in the property before making any firm decisions on which work you are going to do first. Obviously, if the place lacks the basic facilities, then you will have no choice but to start work straight away, but it is usually better to live in a flat or house for a while. This will enable you to find out which rooms you use most, where the light falls, what you like and want to keep and what just irritates you.

Think about what you want from a home, but also keep in mind what others want when they buy homes. This is vital if you plan to sell after a short time. Knocking through rooms creates a modern look, but family buyers or sharers will often prefer more rooms. Buyers in city centers are the most likely to appreciate – and pay for – radical design.

Update the facilities. Surveys of homebuyers put a good-quality kitchen near the top of most buyers’ wants lists, ahead of double-glazing, conservatories and swimming pools. A good kitchen need not cost a five-figure sum. Architects often specify units from suppliers such as Ikea, and add custom doors and worktops. In a small space, light, neutral colors work best.

Bathrooms should be light, clean and preferably plural. Even in a flat, adding a bathroom can add value. “Buyers see an en-suite bathroom as a luxury: if you can make it so the master of the house does not have to traipse around wearing a towel, that will add value,” says architect Barbara Weiss. “Double basins look good and need not be that expensive, but you can put in a basic white bath and clean, white tiles.”

Add space if you can. The improvements most likely to pay for themselves are loft or basement conversions, although these are projects that will need professional help. But do think about the way the rooms work together. “A loft conversion can make the house top-heavy,” says Jeremy Leaf, housing representative for the Institution of Chartered Surveyors. “If you have a house that was built as a typical two bedroom and box room layout, you will still just have one reception room downstairs. The living space will be too small.”

If converting the loft is not an option, consider opening up the room below into the eaves. This can be very effective for living rooms in flats, especially if it is combined with windows or roof lights. “Adding volume in this way makes a room much more spacious: it can look quite extraordinary,” says Barbara Weiss.

If you do plan to carry out major works, consider using an architect or chartered surveyor to help with the design. Young architects are usually the keenest to take on small projects, but even an hour’s consultation can throw up ideas you might never have considered.

Not all improvements have to cost a large sum, although they can be hard work. According to Barbara Weiss, sanded and polished floorboards make a house much more attractive and likely to sell. But the work itself is dirty, noisy and physically tiring.

 

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