Enhancing your home to increase its value can be a profitable but tricky business. Done well, you can make a tidy return when it comes to selling. Done badly, you could end up out of pocket.
Here's what you should avoid - for the sake of your home, your finances and your sanity.
Avoid: forgetting your objectives
Keep your objectives clear - they will dictate the time and money you invest. Carrying out home improvements to increase your home's re-sale value is a different objective from your enjoyment of your home.
As Property Ladder's Sarah Beeny puts it: "It's either a financial judgement or an emotional one. A lot of people find it very difficult to divide that and see the difference, but to me it's black and white."
Avoid: picking the wrong project
If you're planning on putting your home on the market in the near future, go for quick wins at minimal cost to boost its value. It doesn't necessarily follow that the more money you invest, the higher your return. Some small jobs can offer higher short-term returns than expensive and complicated ones.
Bigger projects are best left to those who have time to play with. If you want to love up the home you're in, a more ambitious project can improve your living space. An extension, for example, is a good long-term investment that will add space, be cheaper than forking out for a larger home and boost your property's value.
Avoid: style mistakes
A fresh coat of paint or laying new carpets doesn't hurt when it comes to impressing prospective buyers. But a more extreme makeover might not maximise its value in the eyes of other people - however much you love it. Unusual designs and colour schemes can detract viewers and lower valuations. Stick to neutral, subtle colour schemes that the majority can appreciate - or tone it down when you decide to sell.
At the same time, avoid whitewashing your home. A quirky, personal style can help to show buyers how you've made the property into a home.
Avoid: reducing the number of bedrooms
The number of bedrooms has a significant bearing on a property's value. A modest three-bedroom house will have a higher value than a two-bedroom house with an extra bathroom or study. Remove bedrooms at your peril.
If your home has four bedrooms or more, your options are more flexible. Changing the function of a smaller bedroom can be a clever move at this higher end of the market.
Avoid: ignoring the rest of your home
Spread your budget to give your home a fresh look throughout rather than throwing all your money at one room or feature. Special features can add originality and pounds, but the rest of the house needs to hold its own.
Be particularly careful of extras that jar with the overall style or build of your property. Mixing modern and period features can spell trouble - while double glazing will make a home more energy efficient, modern frames don't work well with pre-1950s homes, for example.
Avoid: too much, too soon
The price and timetable for a project can easily spiral out of control. Do the smaller, quick wins first, and move on to the bigger jobs as your confidence grows. While a good quality job will add value to your property, an unfinished or shoddy one can lose you money.
Be realistic
Bear in mind that increasing your home's value is subject to the local property market. There's a ceiling to how much you will make depending on your location and neighbourhood demographic.
Related articles
It's either a financial judgement or an emotional one. A lot of people find it very difficult to divide that and see the difference, but to me it's black and white.
Propertyladder's Sarah Beeny
Did you know?
What puts buyers off a property most?
- A home at risk of flooding - 94%
- Poor building work or DIY - 91%
- Proximity to a road or railway line - 88%
- An untidy house - 55%
What features do buyers most want to see?
- Environmental features such as a solar panel - 82%
- Attic rooms and loft conversions - 68%
- Period features - 63%
- Walk in wardrobe - 62%
What's the most important room in a house?
- Kitchen - 54%
- Living room - 30%
- Bathroom - 2%
Source - Nationwide survey, April 2007
Useful links
- Average property prices - Property market trends for Church Stretton
- Neighbourhood profile - Get the lowdown on Church Stretton
- DIY and home improvements - Find stores and suppliers near Church Stretton
Email us
Have you had a home improvement nightmare or made a good profit on your property?
Let us know if you'd like to share your story for a future UpMyStreet feature...
Your comments (34)
Alvin (Bromley), on 04/05/2008 at 02:21
Joanna wrote:
David wrote:
I have a 4 bed semi-det. Upstairs is the bathroom, and I also have a toilet down in the basement.
I have a sink in the "master" bedroom, but have been advised to take this out as it may put people off. I admit the decor is a bit dated, but what do people think about having a sink (washbasin) in the bedroom.
my father in law has these in some of his bedrooms, and they are brilliant for when we stay over as there are usually alot of us. However i think that (unfortunatly) it would put most people off, as they would see it as a big job to remove it (as we know its not).
I would say keep it if you like it, remove it if you sell the house.
Good luck!!!
Sinks were a must have in bedrooms in the 70's and even 80's but nowadays for some reason they look rather odd, and agents will tell you to remove them.
But the fact is if you have regular guests theyr'e a godsend. saves queuing for the bathroom.
Caro (Barnet), on 25/04/2008 at 22:43
We had a basement in our house and the only way we could eventually attempt ti erradicate dampness was to have a new damp course injected and a vertical damp proof wall, some sort of mortar mix applied to the walls which were against the soil outside. We also had an extractor fan which ran for some time each time the light was turned off. Even all this did not completely get rid of the damp although it was a great improvement Good luck.
jess (Bromley), on 22/04/2008 at 23:14
i have a 4 bedroom detached house ... with a small kitchen ... wanted to convert the garage into a family/dining/kitchen room.. would it enhance the house value... though we loose the garage
disappointed-diyer (West Dorset), on 19/04/2008 at 09:41
What not to do..................see..............
Ten Projects to transform your home! especially do not put down laminate or paint your bath (bathtub?).
Who wrote this rubbish? were they American? Who has bathTUBS?
JB. Preston. (Fylde), on 17/04/2008 at 14:09
Sarah, leyton wrote:
2 years ago I had a new bathroom built in our celar. We added a new bedroom, where the old bathroom was. Our lfat is basement and since having the work done our flat is very damp. Water is creeping up the walls - what can I do???
Sarah,
is there any ventilation in the bathroom? I'm guessing not.
You urgently need to get an extraction fan fitted vented to outside. A powerful one, it should come on with the light automatically & have a time delay on it so it stays running for 5 or minutes after you turn off the light.
Is black mould starting to appear in the bathroom aswell as the general damp you mention? I would guess so.
You need the fan.
Skip to comments | Add a comment
Sarah, leyton (Islington), on 17/04/2008 at 13:27
2 years ago I had a new bathroom built in our celar. We added a new bedroom, where the old bathroom was. Our lfat is basement and since having the work done our flat is very damp. Water is creeping up the walls - what can I do???
Maz (Mid Sussex), on 08/04/2008 at 21:03
soupdragon wrote:
Do you think it is a good idea to extend a kitchen into a utility room and do away with the downstairs loo which is situated off the utility room or would this de-value the house. I think it would sell better with the seperate rooms or at least keep downstairs toilet facilities Your opinions please. (the house has four good sized bedrooms so is ideal for a large family)
I would never get rid of a downstairs toilet; and I wouldn't want to buy a house without one, certainly not one with four bedrooms,i.e. a family house. Imagine having to walk upstairs every time you need the loo; or the kids, who are playing in the garden, or if you're washing the car or gardening. So I 'vote' for keeping your downstairs loo. Can you extend into the utility room and move the toilet, either up the other end or to a hall? Or add a generous porch and refit the toilet in there? Good luck anyway:)
Soupdragon (Stoke-on-Trent), on 20/03/2008 at 23:09
Is it a good idea to extend a kitchen into the utility room and do away with the downstairs toilet, which is situated off the utility room or would this devalue a large 4 bedroomed family home.
soupdragon (Stoke-on-Trent), on 20/03/2008 at 23:06
Do you think it is a good idea to extend a kitchen into a utility room and do away with the downstairs loo which is situated off the utility room or would this de-value the house. I think it would sell better with the seperate rooms or at least keep downstairs toilet facilities Your opinions please. (the house has four good sized bedrooms so is ideal for a large family)
Joanna (Tamworth), on 17/02/2008 at 19:20
Rosie wrote:
I used to live in a house with only a downstairs bathroom which was through the living room, then through the kitchen. I have now bought a house with an upstairs bathroom and a downstairs toilet and basin. The downstairs toilet is in the kitchen but off to the side, so is convenient. When buying my first house I specified no downstairs bathrooms because my son has major issues going downstairs in the middle of the night. Another big worry for me in the old house was that I had no running water whatsoever upstairs! If I needed water - for whatever reason - I would have to go downstairs, through the living room and through the kitchen to the bathroom situated right opposite the back door... Nightmare!! I love my new house and layout!!
I totally agree. i have lived in 2 old terraced house now (where there only used to be a toilet in a shed in the garden).
The first house had a beautiful big bathroom next to the kitchen (was separated by a tidy alcove which led to the back door). Problem was there was 2 girls and for some reason we would find long hair ALL OVER the kitchen - especially when washing up....it was also freezing when i trod my clean, warm feet all over the kitchen tiles!
Next house i had, the prev owners assed an upstairs extension (huge ensuite). only problem with that was guests had to waltz through our bedroom in the morning to go to the loo!!! :)
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