How To Increase The Value Of Your Property

Increasing the value of a property is all about spending wisely and focusing your efforts in the right places.

For example, there’s no point pumping large amounts of cash into a 3rd bathroom in a 2-bedroom property. It just wouldn’t make sense. So what does make sense?

In many cases, it’s always a wise idea to liaise with your local estate agent on how you could efficiently increase the value of your property. They should be able to point out some easy wins, or suggest some more involved transformations that may make financial sense in the long-run.

Increasing the value of your home doesn’t always have to be an expensive process. Simple and semi-inexpensive changes can get you quid’s in. But of course, the more you put in, the more you’re likely to get out of it. Value also correlates with quality; so unless you apply changes to your property with quality, taste and proportion, don’t expect to watch your equity grow, even if you make every suggested change. Here’s a general list of ways you can increase the value of your property.

Extensions

Increasing the value of a property by adding an extensionThe most obvious and most expensive option, but often the most rewarding is building an extension. Adding extra living space is a great way of adding value to your property. Adding extra bathrooms and conservatories are popular choices, along with building extra rooms on top of garages that are attached to properties.

It’s imperative you add space wisely, I can’t emphasise that enough. For example, some times having 2 large bedrooms adds more value than having 3 small bedrooms. As mentioned, asking your local estate agent could provide you with some guidance.

Loft conversions

Increasing the value of a property with a loft conversion Converting a lift into a liveable area is a great way of adding space, especially in urban areas where properties are close together and consequently have no room to extend outwards. Skyline windows that provide plenty of natural light is a big winner. Converting a loft can be a lot cheaper than upsizing or extending. A basic conversion can start at 10k, but the average profit can be 50k, depending on regional factors. Loft conversions are more popular in London and the south east.

Basement Conversion

Increasing the value of a property with a basement conversion This can be a costly move, but by converting a basement, you’re essentially creating a whole new floor worth of space. Unlike with a loft conversion, you won’t be limited with a pyramid roof.Like loft conversions, basement conversions are more popular with buyers in London and the South East. Returns are less easy to predict and depend on the size of the property and the local property market. You could be looking at upwards of £50,000.

Green Gardens

Increasing the value of a property with green grassThere’s a major shortage of greenery these days, consequently green space is starting to affect the value of property. Green grass will soon be like gold dust.Making simple changes like making your garden green by laying down lawn, removing unattractive weeds and bedding plants can add plenty of value, and will attract families and earth lovers. This can be an extremely easy and cost-efficient way of adding value to your property.According to the Halifax, over 50% of homeowners would forgo a second bathroom or bedroom for outdoor green space.

Open-plan living

Increasing the value of a property with spaceThe whole studio look is BIG these days. The hearts of many have swayed towards open spaces and clean finishes. Since open-plan is in demand, the value of open-plan has increased dramatically. Knocking down walls and merging the kitcten with dining and entertaining area seem to be desired, especially with young professionals.But remember, you’re essentially reducing the amount of rooms you have in your property, and by doing that you’re limiting your market when it’s time to sell. Make sure you do your research before knocking down walls. If you’re looking to increase the value of your property for the purpase of making sale-profit, find out what type of people are looking to buy in your area.

Energy efficiency

Increasing the value of a property by being green Increasing amounts of people are starting to become ‘green conscious’, not only to help save the world, but also to help reduce monthly costs. An energy efficient property can appear to be extremely appealing to those looking to reduce those monthly bills. Here are some useful Tips On How To Make Your Home GreenThe Home Information Packs are going to be introduced in August, and experts predict that energy ratings will start to affect the value of property.

Add a garage

Increasing the value of a property by adding a garage Adding a garage can be an extremely profitable home improvement. A garage is a big plus for car owners, especially in crowded neighbourhoods with limited space. Garages reduce insurance premium rates, provide extra security, provides extra space and removes parking permit costs.
Prices can vary anywhere between £5,000 and £25,000 according to size and style. According to Nationwide, adding a garage inceases your property’s value by over 10%.

New Kitchen

Increasing the value of a property with a nice kitchenEveryone loves and wants a beautiful kitchen. Expects say that a fantastic looking kitchen, finished with high quality, is the job most likely to increase the value of a property.People often refer to the kitchen as the most important room in a property, so it’s extremely important it’s done right.Getting a quality kitchen fitted can be expensive, but there’s no doubt about it, it would be a wise investment if it’s done right.

Extra Bathrooms

Increasing the value of a property with an extra bathroomHaving the novelty of having an extra bathroom can nicely add value, especially in a family-market. Additionally, en-suites are also extremely desirable, especially in 3+ bedroom homes. But as mentioned in my opening paragraph, it’s important you don’t build an extra bathroom unnecessarily, otherwise you could be wasting both your money and time. For example, if you have a 2 bedroom property, don’t build an extra bathroom upstairs, a toilet downstairs would be much more suitable.

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anglolatina 31st May, 2007 @ 10:28

hey, thanks for your comment on my blog, 'ppreciate it. Still not sure what to do; terrified of breaking my own word (those pesky principles, y'know!)

anyhoo, i see you're becoming the expert in property development. seriously, i can't believe how much you know already, i have complete faith in you becoming one of those property millionaires in no time.

d'you watch prop lad last night? boat house conversion? i didn't watch it all but i liked the idea of doing something different.

look forward to seeing what you decide to do with that webcam!

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 31st May, 2007 @ 23:34

Oooh hey, it's my Anglolatina!

How you doing, son?

Don't be a pussy, you have to quit your damn job. Look, you're leaving me for Mexico, so you owe me- the least you can do is take my advice on this.

I'm not an "expert" per'se, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can right now. I've got a new project coming up which I'll hopefully blog about in the coming days! Exciting times. Ooooh yeah!

I missed Property Ladder last night, damnit! I was out entertaining and being social. However, converting a boat doesn't sound like my type of thing. Sorry, captain. But hey, if you want to do something cool like convert your car into a portable toilet, you know i'll support ya'

I'm going to get the camera out this weekend- that should be fun. I'll even give you a shout out since you're the one that inspired me.

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asal 14th August, 2009 @ 12:49

Hi landlord, love your blog, amazing stuff you share with people for free, you deserve a big thank you!

We have a flat and we want to move to a bit bigger space as we are having a baby. We will rent out ours and rent someone else's as we are not sure about selling/buying, not now anyway. Kitchen is kind of new, repainted the sitting room some time ago, but true bedrooms could look nicer if repainted and bathroom was kind of fixed/painted last year but not really renewed. My question: spending on painting the 2 bedrooms and completely redecorating the bathroom would really affect the rent we would get?

Cheers!!!

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Property in London 16th December, 2010 @ 14:58

When making a decision on a property purchase, two main factors constitute its value: 1) location of the property, 2) quality of the materials used in the property. Of course, the location of a house cannot be changed at any time, but there are several effective techniques for increasing the value of the property significantly, investing relatively low capitals.

Regardless of whether you are buying, selling or planning to stay in a particular house for a long time, changing several elements in the interiors will add significant value to the property and will increase your personal satisfaction.

Have you ever thought about installing solid wood floors? Oak and ash solid wood floors have been used for centuries and have been always installed in the halls of royal palaces, bedrooms of governing families - and we can still see them in a perfect condition today, visiting these properties, which have now become world-wide famous museums admired by tourists from all the countries.

So, we have a proof of the solid wood floor durability and quality, which survives through the centuries. We do not doubt the value it adds to the property either, as every single visitor admires the royal halls of the museums...but can you imagine if those luxurious halls of Hermitage in St. Petersburg, for example, had a different floor surface from the beautiful solid oak parquet? Would not the impression of all of us change completely? There are two good news this article is devoted to.

First of all, the luxurious solid wood floors today are available not only to particular individuals and organizations, but all of us can have the privilege to make our home and office look better, be more comfortable and easier to maintain, thanks to the properly chosen solid wood floor of high quality.

Secondly and even more importantly, Top Parquet, the solid wood floor online store is able to offer the best quality oak and ash floors for outstandingly low prices. After more than 20 years of experience in producing solid wood floors, the company has worked out effective methods for producing the best quality solid wood floors, significantly minimizing its costs, also due to its eco-sustainable policy. The company takes care of the environment by planting a new tree at the place of every cut oak or ash. Top Parquet is there to enrich your homes with natural, allergy-free materials, at the same time bringing no harm to the nature.

You no longer have to worry about dust, dirty spots on your carpets and rugs, which are impossible to avoid and eliminate completely without changing the whole carpet. You also can forget about replacing easily damageable laminate flooring after a short period of time, as it is easily damageable. Your solid oak and ash floor will last forever, and you will be surprised by their low prices and excellent quality offered by Top Parquet. This type of flooring will bring a warmer atmosphere to your house and office. Wooden floors perfectly suit classical and modern style design rooms and they will never become outdated. Adding luxurious touch to your home and office will bring you a great degree of satisfaction and you will be surprised how much the value of your property increases after having installed solid oak and ash floors.

Luxurious wooden surface available to royal families in the past is now widely available to everyone, and thanks to Top Parquet the prices are particularly attractive!

-Property in London

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Carol Anne Austin 27th May, 2011 @ 23:25

I have a 2 bedroom semi detached villa just getting house roughcasted at present,what would be more beneficial loft conversion or small kitchen extension as funds are quite low.

Yous sincerely
Carol Anne Austin

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Ellis Parker 2nd May, 2013 @ 13:59

Good information.Property value increases with home improvements. Outdated bathrooms and kitchens tend to minimize the value of a home whereas renovated bathrooms and kitchens add value. Maintaining a home also can add to its value. Making minor repairs early will help prevent the need to make bigger repairs later.

However, director of www.plazaestates.co.uk one of the well known firm in London, says that to increase your home value if you do a major renovation, be aware that the increase in value is not dollar for dollar. Kitchen and bathroom renovations are the most popular and generate the largest returns.

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Byron Manley 4th August, 2013 @ 10:25

~I am contemplating refurbishing my kitchen with new units and appliances and also knocking through into my dining-room to make it an open plan kitchen-diner. Will the fact that I lose a dining room have a negative affect on the value of my property therefore meaning ~I may well be loosing more in value on my home but investing more to gain less.

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