31 Home Improvements that Add Value (and 7 that Don’t!)

home improvements that add value

Last Updated on February 21st, 2019

Whether you’re renovating a property or looking to update one before putting it on the market, this guide has everything you need to know about adding value to your home.

We’ll take you through 31 different ways to increase your property value, with tips on how to maximise your profit and make your money go further.

We’ll also share ‘improvements’ that won’t add value. So if you want to get more ‘bang for your buck’, keep reading…


Bringing the Interior Up-to-Date

#1 Modernise Your Kitchen

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

You’ve probably heard the saying that kitchen and bathrooms sell houses, and it’s true. Having an up-to-date modern kitchen is one of the best ways you can add value to your home. After all, it is the hub of the home!

Updating a kitchen can be as simple as just giving your doors and drawers a fresh coat of paint. Or, it can much more complex and involve an entirely new kitchen and layout. Property experts say if you can only afford to tackle one room in the house, it should definitely be the kitchen.If you do plan on buying a whole new kitchen, to ensure you get the most value from it, this guide from Nationwide Building Society, suggests that the amount you should spend on a new kitchen should be in proportion to the value of your home. For example, a £500,000 home requires a higher spec kitchen than a property only worth £100,000 (and vice-versa), otherwise you may forfeit adding any substantial value.

modernise your kitchen

Elements for Added Value:

  • Quartz & Marble – Luxury materials like quartz or marble worktops are extremely desirable in kitchens for being easy-to-maintain and durable. Not to mention, they’re stunningly beautiful and make any kitchen look high-end.
  • Modern Appliances – According to Country Living, buying new energy efficient built-in appliances is the second most important contributor to adding value to your kitchen.

#2 Update the Bathroom

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Years ago, bathrooms were rooms that just needed to be utilitarian. However, nowadays people are looking for their bathrooms to be a place of luxury, somewhere to relax and unwind, in an almost spa-like home experience. Modernising a bathroom to reflect this is a great way to add value.

To achieve this, a whole new bathroom suite isn’t always necessary and you’d be surprised how different a shower can look with new hardware and new tiles.

But ripping a whole suite out and starting afresh may also be beneficial, particularly if you want to change the layout of the room. Any new bathroom should still tick all the practical boxes, be easy to maintain, and have a bit of style too!

update the bathroom

Elements for Added Value:

  • Power Shower – Nobody wants to step into a weak shower. In fact, in this poll by moneywise.co.uk, 70% of property professionals said installing a power shower was one of the most important factors in adding value within the bathroom.
  • Underfloor Heating – Ditching radiators and opting for underfloor heating is becoming increasingly popular in bathrooms. Not only will it give you more wall space for a larger bath or shower, but it’ll heat the room evenly and add that extra luxurious element to the room too. Who doesn’t want cosy toes after stepping out of a shower on a cold winter’s day?!

#3 New Flooring

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

There are very few floors that will truly last a lifetime. Even if your floor hasn’t worn out, it may be outdated in style. The days when carpets in bathrooms were desirable are long gone and likewise, patterned carpets and lino tiles aren’t sought after anymore either.

Updating a floor can entirely transform the look of a room. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and there are so many easy DIY options out there if you’re on a budget.

You should make sure to choose the right type of floor for the purpose of the room; for example, reception rooms should be durable and easy to maintain.

Carpets are a smart choice for bedrooms to add a cosier more homely feel. Whatever you choose though, new flooring is a great way to update a tired interior.

new flooring

Elements for Added Value:

  • Wooden Floorboards – Bringing floorboards back to life in an older period property is a great way to add value without spending a fortune.
  • Natural Stone – Natural stone, like limestone, is the only type of flooring that gets better as it ages. It can truly last a lifetime and adds a pinch of character at the same time.

#4 Paint and Decorate

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Dated wallpaper, drab paint and outdated colour-schemes can age and devalue your home. Stripping back walls, filling over imperfections (or adding lining paper) with a simple coat of modern emulsion to bring a house into the 21st century can make a home easier on the eye.

This is particularly important when selling, as it will appeal to prospective buyers and help achieve the maximum value from your home.

For small spaces, light-reflecting paints and the use of mirrors is a great way to trick the eye into thinking a room is bigger. When selling you should also declutter, yet ensure rooms are well furnished, to show the room to its full potential.

paint and decorate

Elements for Added Value:

  • Stay Neutral – With trends ever-changing, if you’re looking to add value prior to selling your home, you may wish to keep the decor neutral. Not only is it inoffensive, it will brighten up rooms and allow buyers to visualise your home as a blank canvas they can build upon with their own tastes.
  • Be On-Trend – As a complete opposite to the point above, you may also wish to swing the other way and opt for a specific modern style to appeal to a certain taste. Where buyers lack imagination, having something stylish and ready-made can help seal the deal.

Sort Practical Issues

#5 Have Both A Shower And A Bath

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Making sure your property has both a shower and a bath means in the long term it will appeal to everyone. Families in particular always need a bath for small children, yet the convenience and speed of a shower is also vital.

Installing both a shower and a bath doesn’t necessarily mean you need to add a whole separate shower unit. Simply ensuring your bath area is fully tiled (or has a shower curtain) with a properly fixed shower head will solve this issue. Although if you can add a separate enclosure, this will certainly be more desirable.

have both a shower and a bath

Elements for Added Value:

  • Glass Screens – Choosing a glass screen around your bath rather than a shower curtain looks more modern, is easier to clean and generally does a better job at preventing water from escaping. It will add a more luxury vibe and is definitely worth the extra spent.
  • Separate Enclosure – A separate enclosure may not be vital, but if you have space and you can install one, it will definitely add more and be worthwhile doing.

#6 Upgrade Your Central Heating

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Central heating systems are constantly being modernised and improved, particularly for their efficiency. If you don’t have central heating, this can be hugely damaging to the value of your home and not to mention your Energy Performance Certificate. Likewise, a very old and outdated boiler can also devalue your property and be a turn-off for potential buyers.

Upgrading a boiler, particularly if it’s older than 15 years, or installing a whole new central heating system is definitely not cheap, but In the long term it can save you £100s on your heating bills, and add value at the same time.

Make sure you get a Gas Safety registered fitter to install your boiler, and that you have all the safety certificates ready for a new house buyer.

upgrade your central heating

Elements for Added Value:

  • Smart Thermostats – Making sure your central heating is smart-ready means it will be future-proofed. It also allows more options for programming and controlling your heating, so is beneficial for lower bills too.
  • A-Rated & Reliable Brands – Most modern boilers nowadays are A-rated but certain well-known brands claim to add more value than others. For more info, we recommend checking out this Which Guide.
  • Period-Style Radiators – In period properties, cast iron radiators and column radiators are incredibly desirable to buyers and will add some irresistible charm.

#7 Adding Built-In Storage Space

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Excess space within any home is a premium. But even if you don’t have oodles of space, making the most of the space you do have, particularly unused spaces, is a great way to add value.

Having built-in storage means you don’t need to buy any additional bulky furniture and it can generally just make better use of certain areas within the home.

Alcoves are a great example of this; they don’t really provide any additional floor or living space, so they’re perfect for turning into cupboards and wardrobes.

Even in the smallest of properties, thinking outside the box can unfold a whole bunch of clever ways to add storage solutions within the home. This could be a simple storage bench in a hall or pull out drawers hidden under the eaves of an attic bedroom.

You only need to watch ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ to see what I mean!

adding built in space

Elements for Added Value:

  • Wardrobes – Clothes get bought all year round, so having built-in wardrobes are highly appealing within the home. Whilst there are lots of bespoke companies out there, you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to get the wardrobe of your dreams. There are some very clever IKEA hacks on the internet for DIY options which look just as beautiful and bespoke.
  • Under the Stairs – If you have an open staircase with disused space underneath, boxing this in and installing a small door will provide tons of storage space for things like coats, shoes and larger cleaning devices.

#8 Relocating a Bathroom (Moving a Downstairs One Upstairs)

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Having a bathroom downstairs is quite common in older properties, but unfortunately, it’s not always that practical. Moving it upstairs will not only free up space downstairs, but it will make the layout of the house work much better.

After all, who wants to traipse across the house in the middle of the night for a wee?

It’s worth noting that sometimes relocating a bathroom can be quite tricky and the cost of doing this depends solely on the position of the soil stack and whether or not it would need repositioning (and whether it even can be!).

If repositioning the bathrooms means losing a bedroom as well, there is some debate about whether or not this should be done. If you can split a bedroom into two, however, you can get the best of both worlds.

Elements for Added Value:

  • Clever Layouts – Bathtubs come in all different shapes and sizes, from corner baths to L-shaped baths. With a bit of clever planning, you’d be surprised at how easily you can squeeze a bathroom into the smallest of spaces.

#9 Fix Structural Defects

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Having structural defects is one of the biggest issues that can devalue your home. In fact, it can even lose you a string of buyers when it comes to selling, as it can cause prospective buyers to run for the hills. And if it doesn’t, they’ll most likely to be looking to knock a wad off the price.

Structural defects can be as small as just having a cracked lintel, to as damaging as subsidence. In some cases, mortgage lenders may not lend on properties with serious defects so it’s well worthwhile getting these resolved.

fix structural defects

Elements for Added Value:

  • Sorting Damp – Problems with damp can prevent mortgages from going through entirely. Quite often damp is really easy to fix and is caused from minor issues like leaky guttering or outside ground levels being too high and above the damp proofing course. These are all really inexpensive to fix and can be the difference between knocking £1000s off your house’s value.

Be Efficient!

#10 Improve Energy Efficiency

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

When it comes to selling your house, it will be examined for its energy efficiency and given a rating on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

This rating helps to give an indication to prospective buyers on whether the house is built to modern standards, which in turn suggests how much the house will cost to heat and run in comparison to other houses.

Buyers will take this information into account when buying a home and may use it to weigh up their decision on value.

There are several alterations you can make to improve your rating, such as adding insulation, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, and as mentioned previously, upgrading your boiler. A better EPC means buyers will put a higher value on your home. We recommend checking out Phil Spencer’s Essential Guide for more information.

improve energy efficiency

Elements for Added Value:

  • Loft Insulation – Installing extra loft insulation is cheap, easy and completely DIYable. The minimum thickness recommended nowadays is 250mm which has been updated in recent years, where it used to be as low as 100mm! You don’t need to remove the old stuff, you can simply lay new insulation over the top and it’ll help the house to retain heat, cut your bills and improve your EPC.
  • Energy-Saving Bulbs – Swapping to energy saving bulbs is a very small alteration you can make which may also improve your EPC. They are cheaper to run, they last much longer, they’re saving you money on your electric bill and they barely cost any more to buy than a normal bulb – so why wouldn’t you?

#11 Adding Double or Triple Glazing

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

The type of glazing you have is one of the most important factors when it comes to determining energy efficiency. Single-glazed windows are well known for their considerable heat loss, with some research suggesting as many as 80% of UK homes are now either double or triple glazed.

If you haven’t yet made the upgrade, your house may be considerably behind the times.

The cost of installing double or triple glazed windows depends on how many windows you need and how large they are. Triple glazing will cost around 30% more but is twice as efficient.

Both, however, are more secure, easier to maintain, will save you money on heating bills and add value to your home. As most glazing is guaranteed to last at least 20 years, it makes it a very worthwhile investment.To decide whether it’s worth making the step up to triple glazing, we recommend reading this guide.

adding double or triple glazing

Elements for Added Value:

  • Aluminium – If you want to stand out from the street, aluminium framed windows are a growing trend within the UK. They are much stronger and more secure than uPVC and will give any house that modern edge.
  • Sash Windows – If you have a period property, installing sash windows are a great option and can add even more value to your home. The classic design of these windows will add charm, character and authenticity to any period property.

#12 Smart Home Technology

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Is smart home technology here to stay? Yes! It’s the future. If you want to keep with the times, installing smart technology within the home will give your house an edge, keep it modernised and appeal to all the gadget-lovers out there.

Smart home technology can be a smart thermostat, smart doorbells, smart home security or even just smart light bulbs. The list is endless and whilst new technology is constantly developing and expanding, it’s a great way to stay on-trend and current within the home.

smart home technology

Elements for Added Value:

  • Home Security – Burglar alarms are now a thing of the past and instead smart security is taking over. CCTV that can be accessed from wherever in the world is certainly an investment that’s beneficial in more ways than one.

#13 Solar Panels

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Who doesn’t want to create their own power and have it pay for itself? Whilst solar panels are still expensive to buy and will cost you upwards of £5k they can be a worthwhile investment in terms of adding value.

According to The Eco Experts, homebuyers are more likely to spend extra on a house that has solar panels installed, so they can benefit from lower bills. To gain the most from your solar panels though, it’s recommended to install them on a property you plan on living within for at least 5 years so you can earn the initial outlay back.

solar panels

#14 Underfloor Heating

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

There are two different types of underfloor heating; those powered by electricity and those that are heated via water pipes.

There are pros and cons for each but both of them are really effective ways to heat the floor beneath your feet and in turn, they heat the air above it too.

Underfloor heating is a fast-growing market which is both practical and adds a real luxury element to the house. It’s a luxury which apparently homebuyers are willing to pay extra for. Well, who doesn’t want to feel warmth beneath their feet?

underfloor heating

Elements for Added Value:

  • Kitchens and Bathrooms – These two rooms are specifically good locations to install underfloor heating as they’re usually tiled surfaces which can otherwise be cold to touch.

Stand Out From the Street

#15 Window Shutters

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Window shutters are the only kind of window dressing that will add value to your home.

Perhaps it’s because of their elegance, their higher price-tag, the fact they’re visually appealing from the outside of the house, or because they do a fantastic job at giving privacy whilst also allowing light. They tick all the boxes and you’ll find them on a lot of homeowners wish-list.

Whilst they are fairly expensive for a window dressing, you can get DIY-installed shutters which are considerably cheaper. You can also opt for half-height shutters, known as “cafe-style” to keep costs down. This guide is a worthwhile read for everything you need to know about shutters and how they add value.

window shutters

Elements for Added Value:

  • Front of House – If you can only afford to install window shutters on one side of the house, you should make it the front rooms so the exterior of your home can benefit from their beauty as well. This way, your house really will stand out from the street.

#16 Reinstall Period Features

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Back in the 50s, 60s and 70s, period features were a huge turnoff to homeowners, so much so they were ripped straight from the house and usually thrown into a skip.

Unfortunately for all those properties, not only are they’re back in fashion, but they are now specifically sought after.

If your house has been stripped back of all its original features, putting them back (whether it’s using reclaimed or reproduced pieces) will increase the value of your home.

This may be installing period doors, fireplaces, cornice, or period-style radiators. The more a house is true to its original form, the more attractive that will be to buyers and the more value it will add.

reinstall period features

Elements for Added Value:

  • Fireplaces – Fireplaces can literally transform a living space and become the centrepieces of a room. Even if all other period features have been lost, installing a fireplace is a great way to add a focal point that packs a punch.
  • Cornice and Ceiling Roses – These add elegance, style and grandeur to a room. If you want to make a room stand out, these are also great options to add-back.

#17 Add Kerb Appeal

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

First impressions matter. If your house doesn’t have any exterior charm, it may not even be worthy of a consideration to some buyers.

If your house is lacking in this department, you should think about modernising and adding a bit of ‘something’ to give it some oomph.

This may be done through adding cladding, a new paint job or just landscaping the front to incorporate more flowers and greenery.

Turning an ugly house into an attractive house is an effective home improvement to add value and get buyers through the door.

add kerb appeal

Elements for Added Value:

  • Outdoor Lighting – Lighting can be both practical and aesthetic. With the UK being well known for its gloomy weather, it’s a great way to make a house look beautiful all year round. It also helps to guide your way in the dark and deters burglars.

#18 Create Off-Road Parking

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Almost every household in the UK has at least one car, so having somewhere to park a car close-by the house is really important. After all, nobody wants to walk three streets with bags full of shopping, do they?

If you have space, dropping the kerb and landscaping the front to allow room for at least one car is a sure way to add value.

You’ll have to apply to the council to make this happen and prices vary between £0 to around £300, not including of course landscaping, adding gravel or driveway blocks. However, it will add thousands to the overall price of your home and be a huge box ticked off buyers list.

create off-road parking

Elements for Added Value:

  • Gravel – If you want to save money, gravelling a driveway is a great way to go. It’s cheap, can be installed entirely by DIY, and it’s visually appealing too.

#19 Install a Log Burner

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Over the last decade, log burners and multi-fuel stoves have grown massively in popularity, with some stores claiming sales have increased by as much as 50%.

Log burners and multi-fuel stoves aren’t just pretty though, they’re safer than open fires and much more practical since they really do kick out some serious heat.

The use of a log burner means spending less on your heating bill and if you have the luxury of a free wood supply, they can be inexpensive to run as well.

install a log burner

Convert, Convert, Convert

#20 Attic Conversion

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Converting an attic is a great way to add an entire extra floor to your home. Depending on how big your attic is, and whether there are any restrictions with height will determine whether a conversion is possible, how much work will be required and how much it will cost.

According to The Guardian, an attic conversion can add 20% to the value of your home.

Of course, an attic conversion is not for the faint-hearted. It will be invasive, destructive and it’s a renovation with no quick turnaround. However, if space for bedrooms is lacking, there’s no better way to add more room.

attic conversion

Elements for Added Value:

  • Extra Bathroom – Converting the attic to become an entire luxury master suite, complete with your own personal en-suite with bath/shower is a certain way to add value. The Guardian even suggests adding a second bathroom in an attic may add up to £10,000 in value. That’s not to be sniffed at!

#21 Convert Basement/Cellar Space

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

If you have a period property, chances are you might have space underneath your house, in the form of an old cellar.

Before the fridge was invented, these were spaces to store raw meat and keep it fresh. Now, they often sit underneath houses as empty disused rooms or just storage space.

However, if you were to convert a cellar to live in, this would add an entire floor, extra rooms and considerable value. Renovating a cellar is no easy feat as you’ll have to deal with damp below the ground level, ensure there is a fire escape, and you may even need to lower the floor level.

The expense varies considerably from cellar to cellar, but if you do have one, it makes sense to adapt it for living, especially if you live in areas like London where space is at a premium.

convert basement/cellar space

Elements for Added Value: 

  • Basement Kitchens – If you can move your kitchen and living space into the basement and dig externally to lower the garden at the same time, this will leave you with the entire floor above to convert into bedrooms. The more bedrooms, the higher value a home can achieve. 

#22 Convert a Garage

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Garages are great for tool storage and keeping cars out of the weather, but if you don’t use them to their full potential, they can just become a dumping ground.

If you don’t use your garage, turning it into a home office or playroom is a great way to add extra living space. It’s one of the easiest conversions to make since there is little structural or invasive work that needs to be done. In terms of how much value it can add, Virgin Money suggests converting a garage can add 20% to the value of your home. If you have more than one garage, it makes even more sense to do!

convert a garage

Alter The Internal Space

#23 Extend

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

If you can’t convert, extending your home is a great alternative way to add more living space and square footage to your property.

Bigger kitchens, utility rooms, open plan living, additional bathrooms, extra bedrooms, even adding a home office space are all additions you can make in an extension.

Generally, the bigger an extension is, the more value it will add. This is particularly true when it comes to certain locations where space is a premium anyway, such as London, for example. Homes and Property say on average, a medium-sized extension can add almost 60k to a house price. If that’s not a reason to extend, I don’t know what is!

extend

Elements for Added Value:

  • Bathrooms – Extra bathrooms in large properties are a particularly good way to add extra value.
  • Bedrooms – The more bedrooms, the higher value your property will have. If you can do a double storey extension and add an additional bedroom, you’ll definitely benefit.

#24 Add a Conservatory

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Conservatories are a cheap way to add a ground floor extension. They quite often don’t need planning permission and pre-fabricated designs often mean quick installation and little hard labour.

The design of a conservatory should be carefully thought about, particularly for retaining heat. How well it performs in both summer and winter will have a huge impact on how practical it is and whether it’s truly beneficial to the home.Property Price Advice has lots of good information if you’re considering one. According to Phil Spencer a decent conservatory can add up to 7% value to your home.

add a conservatory

#25 Remove Internal Walls

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Knocking down walls is a great way to open up an internal space and make the house appear bigger. Whilst you may lose a set room, you’ll gain more light, more actual space and it often makes the house flow better.

It can leave you an array of choices to redesign the house. Much like repositioning furniture, sometimes that’s all you need to get the most out of a room.The cost of removing a wall depends on its size and whether it’s load bearing or not. For more info, this guide from the Homebuilding and Renovating website has everything you need to know.

remove internal walls

Elements for Added Value:

  • Open Plan Kitchen – Knocking down a wall between a kitchen and dining room is probably one of the most effective walls to bring down. Most people desire open living in these rooms and doing so will give you a whole new layout for a bigger, better and more sociable room.

#26 Add More Natural Light

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Rooms with little to no daylight can be quite depressing to be in. They say lighting can make or break a room, and it’s true.

Adding extra windows will not only make a room brighter and nicer, but it will make a room feel bigger. Roof windows are also a great way to do this, as well as sun tunnels.

Whilst it may not increase the value dramatically, it will make the room appear more light and spacious, which are huge selling points for any home.

add more natural lights

#27 Apply for Planning Permission (even if you cannot carry out the work)

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Even if you’re unable to complete a project for whatever reason, having planning permission on a house, or even land will increase the value when you come to sell.

It means any new buyer won’t need to go through the planning process and it also means they won’t have to risk buying a house and having planning rejected. It may just be a piece of paper, but it’s worth a lot more than that.

#28 Add an En Suite

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Having an en suite really does sell properties. According to The Telegraph having an en suite or extra bathroom can add nearly 5% to your home’s value.

As mentioned previously, bathtubs and shower cubicles of all shapes and sizes make squeezing in this extra room much easier. With the help of a saniflo system, you can literally have an en suite installed anywhere.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot and it will definitely create an attractive feature for potential buyers.

add a en suite

Make the Most of Outdoor Space

#29 Bring the Outdoors In

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Opting for large opening doors, such as bi-folds, sliding doors or french doors is a great way to bring the outdoor space inside.

Connecting both the indoor and outdoors space together in this way can make rooms feel more spacious, brighter and allows access to the garden for indoor-outdoor living.

Large opening doors will also add a bit of style, act as a ‘picture frame’ for the garden, and add the ‘wow’ factor to a room.

bring the outdoors in

Elements for Added Value:

  • Bi-folding Doors – Becoming increasingly more popular, bi-folds are hugely desirable at the moment for the way they fully open up an indoor space into the outside. They’re pricer than standard french doors, but they really do make an impression that lasts.

#30 Build a Summer House

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Building a summer house or converting a shed is a savvy equivalent to building an extension or full outbuilding. It can provide a home working space, a place for a gym or just a little sun-room to relax in.

According to Tepilo, with the cost of living on the rise and hefty stamp duty on up-sizing, home buyers are opting for this route as an alternative concept to adding more space. Providing it has been done well and can provide a multitude of uses, it will add both space and value to the home.


To learn more about building your own summer house, check out Ali Dymock’s fantastic video series on how to build a garden room. To get you started, here’s his first video:

#31 Landscape the Garden

Cost

Time

Value Added

DIY-Friendly

Having outside space is great, but if it’s just a sea of semi-dead grass and not much else, it’s not being used to its full potential. An outdoor space should be somewhere you can live in, just like the inside of your house.Landscaping doesn’t necessarily have to be overly elaborate, simply providing an outdoor living area, like a patio with some easy-to-maintain greenery will enhance the beauty of your home. It will turn a simple outside space into a usable space and that’s something buyers will pay for.

landscape the garden

Elements for Added Value:

  • Patio or Decking – A seating area in the garden is so important when it comes to landscaping. There aren’t many sunny warm days in the UK, so when they do come around, it’s essential there’s a space to sit and enjoy.
  • Mature Greenery – Gardeners love mature plants because they’re well established and bring more than just a few buds to a garden. Some people will pay crazy prices to get a mature tree planted into a new garden. If you already have that, you’re onto a winner! If not, get planning as soon as possible and in a few years, your garden will be all the more desirable.

7 Home Improvements that Don’t Add Value

So we’ve talked you through 31 different ways in which you can add value to your house through both small and big home improvements.

But what about the improvements that don’t add value? Luckily, we have a guide for that too. So here are 7 home improvements we recommend steering clear of.

#1 Expensive Wallpaper and Luxury Paints

Whilst things like expensive flooring can produce a better return, things like paint and wallpaper won’t. Once the paint is on the walls, nobody is ever going to know whether it’s from a luxury tin or not.

Likewise, a feature wall worth £200 in wallpaper won’t see you get that money back. If you’re simply redecorating to sell or add value, using luxury decorating products will not aid you in any way.

#2 Losing a Bedroom

When space is minimal and spare bedrooms aren’t necessary for day-to-day use, it can be really tempting to repurpose said bedroom. This might be for either a second bathroom or extending another room.

Losing a bedroom, however, can be really damaging to the value of your home. It is much better to have a 4-bed house with 1 bathroom than a 3-bed house with 2. The number of bedrooms matter, even if they’re small!

#3 Adding a Swimming Pool

Believe it or not, swimming pools can actually put buyers off and make a houseless saleable. They’re expensive to heat, maintain and they may not get nearly enough use to make the outlay worthwhile.

Swimming pools are definitely a niche home improvement, but if you’re looking to make alterations simply to add value, we recommend staying clear of this one.

#4 Losing a Reception Room for a Garage

Garage extensions are one thing, but turning a part of the house into a garage is another. If you’re thinking about losing your non-used dining room in favour of a garage instead, in terms of house value, this may actually damage it.

Living space will always come first to buyers and to switch a room in the house to form a garage, means less living space, which means a lower house valuation.

#5 Luxury Landscaping

Landscaping will add value, yes. However, paying the premium for mature greenery, won’t. Some trees, for example, can cost hundreds and even thousands of pounds. Whilst planting several of these may look nice, they won’t actually add all that much value.

#6 Creating Spaces that Don’t Work

We’ve all seen houses that have undergone renovations at some point in their life that simply didn’t work and leave you scratching your head in disbelief.

Added bathrooms that are too small to fit into and narrow kitchens where you can’t open more than one cupboard at a time, are some of the worst offenders. Any extension or major change you make within your home should be carefully thought out for practicality.

When in doubt, hiring an architect can make all the difference and make sure any alteration works for the purpose it’s being created for.

#7 Over-Improving

Despite all of the improvements above, some houses on certain streets just won’t gain any extra value, no matter how luxurious of a house you make it.

It’s important to know the value of your street and whether there is a ceiling price. You should gain inspiration from neighbours as to what they’ve done and ensure your budgets are in-line with the value of the house.

Improving your house through all our 31 ways may actually be a step too far.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.