Home Improvements – Which will give you the best return?

1 Jun 2016

by Shabari

First and foremost, you should be thinking about your main property as your home. However, spending money on gold plated taps may make you feel great, but it’s unlikely to add much to the value of your home.

When a property is valued several things are considered including; location, size, type, condition and layout. The three most obvious pointers to determine value are location, useable floor area and condition, but layout and property type – and scarcity are also important. Therefore, on the assumption that you can’t change its location, the next best thing is likely to be to increase it’s liveable floor area. Adding an additional bedroom (perhaps by way of a loft conversion) is an obvious way to add value. Perhaps extending and improving a small kitchen is another.

If your Bracknell property has a very poor garden, kitchen or bathroom, then improving the size, layout and specification is worth considering, although spending a lot of money on re-fitting your kitchen or bathroom just before selling is probably a mistake. You don’t want spending £30,000 on a dream kitchen that is disliked by your would-be buyers!

Of course, spending money on ‘nice to haves’ is rarely wise when the roof is collapsing or the windows need replacing. If there are major structural improvements required, those costs will probably be noticed by a buyer or their surveyor and the purchase price may be discounted accordingly.

If you have the space, adding a conservatory can serve several purposes, namely; increasing living space, improving the garden and the home’s ‘livability’ and all at a relatively low cost. Also, unless you live in a conservation area or your property is listed, the planning requirements are usually simpler for a conservatory or a first small, ground floor extension.

It quickly becomes apparent that establishing which improvement is likely to add the most value and offer you the best uplift per pound invested, requires specialist knowledge and significant experience. If you would like to talk to us about this subject please call us on 01344 860121 for an informal chat.