The economy as a whole might be in recovery, but there’s no denying that the housing market is still in its own black hole of recession. House owners who were looking to sell are now deciding to stay put and focus on adding as much value as possible to their current properties, ready for when the market emerges revitalised. Getting the perfectly planned and timed conversion or extension can be a great move to adding value on your property.
With larger home improvements of this sort, you cannot expect to earn back the money you spend straight away. Extensions and renovations should be treated as long term investments, as you are unlikely to get a return until the property market is more favourable in regards to price competition and demand. Furthermore you are unlikely to make a return at all if your plans are not thought out properly in terms of realistic expectations, for example if you have enough space. For this reason, home owners are encouraged to only make home improvements first to improve their quality of living and only second to obtain a profit on a sale.
1 Affix an extension to your home
The most common way of adding value to a property, they are very effective on detached homes, though that’s not to say you’ll be pouring money down the drain if you live in a terraced or semi-detached house. An extension must be designed in the same style as the rest of your house to gain the most in added value on your property, the only other alternative for it to add maximum value is if the extension adds a new major feature to a house, such as a focal point or room to the home. A little considered fact is the space the extension takes up, usually eating up garden space, so if your garden is left disproportionally small compared to the house, expect that to knock value off and make the house harder to sell.
What you are building the extension for counts just as much, if not more, than just building an extension for the sake of it. The room being added must have a purpose and rationally add what is needed, for example adding an extra bedroom to a 4 bedroom house with one bathroom isn’t going to attract many people. Similarly, an extra bedroom when the kitchen or living room is small in comparison to the rest of house does not make sense and won’t add much, if any value onto the property. If the extension is being added to make the property more enjoyable than functionality, it’s going to be worthwhile, so have a long hard think if your planned extension can do that.
2 Convert the loft
Loft conversions are rapidly becoming just as popular as extensions in adding value and benefit to a household, being the cheaper option and making a house seem more modern. Most conversions are priced between £8k-£15k depending on the house and cause less disruption than an extension would, scaffolding being on the roof instead of side walls of a property. Not a bad deal considering the amount of space a conversion can add to a traditionally built home.
A further advantage of a loft conversion over the more generic extension is that they don’t always require planning permission, which makes it a much quicker process than an extension. Most of all though is the potential value it can add to your property; as much as 20 per cent! And that’s even sweeter considering it can be a relatively speedy process with minimal disruption. However, in order for a loft conversion to work successful, the roof has to exceed 2.4 metres in height, so houses with rather steep sided roofs are considered ideal.
3 Add an en suite to a bedroom
Properties with a master bedroom, or at least one bedroom significantly larger than the others should consider adding an en suite bathroom into the space. Using minimal space to begin with and making a bedroom much more desirable to prospective buyers. People can be amazed how little space is needed for an en suite; a little used walk in wardrobe can offer the perfect space for a discreet en suite. An en suite should be an addition and not a replacement for the main bathroom of the house, a house with 4 or more bedrooms and one bathroom can make demand and the morning queue’s for the bathroom unbearable, having that sort of morning rush for a en suite would be hell on earth!
4 Refurbish your basement
Basements tend to follow the same fate of loft/attic spaces; they attract clutter, dust and are greatly underused. Transforming your basement from a dark and gloomy storage room, to a warm and comfortable additional living space can add significant value to your property. Insulation is key here, as basements tend to be cold and damp. However, if conducted properly, a basement can become one of your favourite rooms, an isolated area where you can relax and unwind away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Extending into the basement is popular among the celebs and the wealthy, with many properties in London having basements containing large swimming pools and even screening rooms. Unlike a loft conversion, a basement conversion unfortunately takes a much longer time to complete; expect around 3 months worth of work and disruption. The work will involve a thoroughfare of builders in and out of your home throughout that time, so temporarily relocating may be the preferred option. Not only this, but it can cost quite a hefty amount too, usually up to and around £80k, so this is certainly not a decision to take lightly.
Knock down internal walls
Easily one of, if the not the cheapest option to improve a house and living space of a property, with estate agents now valuing a house by square footage instead of the time old by how many rooms a home has. For growing families it can be an elegant and quick solution to increase living space to make a house seem more spacious and comfortable.
Knocking through and down a wall can add much more natural light to a property, meaning giving a house a lighter and fresher feeling and atmosphere to the house. Knocking walls down works most effectively when joining a dining room and kitchen, or a kitchen and utility room, with utility rooms being much more sought after and in vogue at the moment, creating a more open and accessible utility room can be a major plus point when selling a property. Well, that’s all we have, so think about giving your house that facelift it deserves!
James writes for JustRemortgages.com one of the UK’s top sites for the latest remortgage rates and best remortgage deals.