The best ways to increase the value of your house

We have read many articles on the best ways to increase the value of your house over the years and of course as a chartered building surveyor and chartered valuer we have our own view on it.

Before we start, we just want to say that we are 1stAssociated.co.uk independent surveyors who can provide help and advice with regard to building surveys, structural surveys, specific defect reports and we can help on practically any property matters.  We can give you advice on how to improve the value of your home or a potential home that you are looking to buy.  Just give us a call on free phone 0800 298 5424 for a friendly chat.

Do remember that most people will judge whether they are going to visit the property on what they see on websites such as rightmove, primelocation, houseladder, fish4homes, and zoopla.  This initial three second look on a website will decide whether a potential buyer will perhaps have a drive past to see kerbside appeal; a large percentage of this will be the garden so it is worth making sure driveways are not full of weeds and the paving slabs are level and true.  Even pressure hosing of decking and slabs can make a considerable difference brightening up an area.

In our opinion the biggest thing that can cause properties not to sell is structural problems and problems where people perceive there is major difficulty in resolving them. This can relate to anything from cracking, asbestos, chimneys leaning at an angle, damp patches within the building/structure and woodworm within the roof.  This is exactly why you would have a building survey carried out on a property you are about to buy.

Equally, some people now have a pre-survey carried out before they put a property on the market.  A list of these type of problems is almost endless but we feel that the starting point with any property is to ensure that it does not have structural problems or perceived large problems
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You need to then look at what is the average standard for your road, your area and in lots of cases it will simply be a matter of copying what everyone else in the road has got, for example if you live in a Victorian terraced property and everyone has central heating in the road but you don’t then this can affect the value.

A difficult question with regard to this scenario is when you live in an older property and have draughty original timber sash windows which you are looking to replace with double glazed windows.  To some people this will add value, to other people it will lose value.

It may be stating the obvious however ensure that the house is clean, for example the windows are clean.

De-cluttering a property but whilst still making it look like it is lived in is a great starting point, but also doing such things as sorting out the squeaky bathroom door, filling the holes where the shelf once was, stopping taps from dripping and getting rid of any bad smells, all of which lead people to wonder what exactly the property is really like.  These can seem minor and trivial things to you as you have lived in the property you have almost forgotten about them.

If at all possible you may wish to look at how you can create more space.  You can add value by simply having drawings done and developing an idea or if you do not intend to move for a while then you may wish to have work carried out.  We generally comment that roof alterations will get you back the money you spent and extensions tend to get you back more.

Kitchen and bathroom improvements tend to be very popular, but you do need to be aware that you can very easily spend a lot more money than you will ever gain in the increase of the value of the house.

However, such things as adding a cloakroom under the stairs, if it can be done without it feeling too tight, or adding en-suites work well or even looking at how space can be used better such as for example removing a studwork wall (making sure it is non-structural of course) or moving a door or simple things like making a door slide into a wall rather than taking up space.

If people have taken the time and trouble to view your house you should take the time and trouble to give them something to remember so they can say the house that had the great big kitchen, the house with the balcony with the great view or even something as simple as putting better improved lighting in and around the house all make your property more memorable.

As mentioned, 1stassociated.co.uk are independent surveyors. We would always recommend that you have an independent building survey carried out prior to legally committing to purchase a property as this will highlight any property problems.

Caveat Emptor means buyer beware and is why you need to have a building survey to find out if there are any problems within the property; the estate agent certainly will not advise you of any.  Remember the building Surveyor that you employ will be the only person working for you with your interests at heart.

We feel our surveys are quite unique, as they are written to your level of knowledge. The surveys include photos and sketches and definitions. The survey will also include an action required section and an estimate of costs in the executive summary.

We are more than happy to meet you at the property whilst carrying out the survey to discuss any specific issues you may have, or have a general chat about what we have found at the end of the survey.   Call us on 0800 298 5424 for an example survey.

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The contents of the website are for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon for specific or general decisions. Appropriate independent professional advice should be paid for before making such a decision.