Best home improvements to add value to your home

If you’re considering moving house in the near future, you want to make your money back — and home improvements can help you achieve this. After all, data from the Office for National Statistics has predicted that those in the UK collectively spend almost £30 billion on home improvements annually. That works out at £43 million each week.

Installing a new kitchen

One thing I can say from my own renovations and much research in this area is that if you are going to improve one room think about doing the kitchen. It was once thought of as just a functional room but now it really has become the showcase of the home. Especially since the trend of open plan living has really taken off. 

Look at both the price bracket of your entire home as well as the kitchen when it comes to any transformations. There’s not going to be very much value added to a house that’s valued at £170,000 if it’s fitted with a £25,000 kitchen.

If you find the right balance, installing a new kitchen can add an estimated 4.6% to the value of your property. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) echoes this statement, acknowledging that a new kitchen will make a property more appealing and can add up to four per cent to its overall value.

Installing a new bathroom

From a bespoke bathroom to an added en-suite, adding an bathroom or renovating the exisiting one can add value. Its a very oft use room in a house and certainly an important one to give consideration to.  

Although this can add so much to the value of your home, you don’t have to go over the top when it comes to design — I really think when it comes to bathrooms –  keep it simple. For me, I know I had a couple of key requirements, heated towel rail, rainfall shower and generous bath. My husband actually wanted to get rid of ours!! That was one battle I was not prepared to loose. 

For bathroom addition, consider getting a Sanicompact toilet because it is efficient and it saves space. With all the things you have to consider when building a new bathroom, you won’t have to worry about this particular toilet because it has its own built-in macerator, which makes it easy to connect to the wastewater network.

Investments for your loft

If your home was built before 1975 or had a headroom of a maximum 2.3 metres — this will be perfect when it comes to converting. The Nationwide Building Society estimates that a loft conversion may be able to add up to 21 per cent onto the overall value of a home, while Nationwide indicates that adding a double bedroom to your property — to which the loft can be transformed into this suitable space — can add over 10 per cent to the property’s value.

With a lot of regulations in place, you must be familiar with the process of loft conversions to ensure that you’re meeting the requirements set out. In addition an additional consideration will be how much this work cost. We did this but unfortunately with limited headroom we converted ours into a games room for the kids. While not an additional bedroom, it is a very welcome space and the kids get a huge amount of play out of the space. 

Altering your garage

By adding a double bedroom to your home, you can add up to 10% to the value of your home according to Nationwide. If a loft conversion doesn’t work for your property, or you are looking for another room to convert, consider transforming a garage. There are many reputable companies such as The Smarter Garage who can assist with this. It is definitely worth getting a personal recommendation for a company who has done similar work in your area. 

Garage conversions come with a lot of benefits, but losing a garage could be seen as a negative point and could drop the value of your home as garages offer good storage places if they aren’t, of course, suitable for a car or alternative you could offer a garage for rent to neighbours who are struggling to find space at their home.

Research carried out found that 90% of garages in Britain do not have a car in them — and this is a waste of space which could be used for something else. I know ours is and remains an jumble of old kids toys and equipment. Each year I vow to address this and tidy it out and make it maybe a study or a music room for the kids.  Maybe next year!!

Constructing a conservatory

The house I grew up in had the most amazing light filled conservatory.  I have so many happy memories of sitting having tea and chats with my mother in ours. They were so lucky that their back garden had such a good sun trap making for glorious morning in it. Anecdotally I have read that adding a conservatory can add from 5-10% to the value  of your home.  I do know the cost of a conservatory can vary depending on whether you go for glass or uPVC. Doing it once and doing it right is the only way to go. We love ours and 30 years later so do my parents. I think its the light and the air space but there was no compromise for us when renovating. I know I had to have one, nostalgia or not!

 

Changing your garden

Before deciding on whether to have a conservatory or not, you must consider how much space of your garden this is going to take up. This is because a property’s outdoor space can also add substantial value. 

When switching up your garden, make sure that it remains accessible and can still be enjoyed by your family. For this, consider fitting glass doors which open out into the garden and install high-quality outdoor lighting throughout the garden.

Decking is also an easy option when it comes to garden alterations and can even add up to 2% to the homes worth.

 

Note: This is a collaborative post