Good and Bad spends

[John Rumm]

Picking up N. Thornton's suggestion from the MPPE thread above:

What house alterations do you consider add most value to a house?

Which ones will you be unlikely to ever recoup your investment from?

For example I have heard it said that just painting the outside of a house can add 5K to 7K to the value in a buyers mind.

The way in which the "boys" in the MPPE managed to add 10K to their first build, simply by "dressing" the house and projecting a "lifestyle" would also seem to suggest that some buyers have hidden shallows (or lack imagination).

Any thoughts?

[Angela]

from?

"lifestyle"

If I was to pick anything I would say a good modern kitchen, the bathroom is relatively cheap to replace so that doesn't bother me. even a conservatory wouldn't be a deal breaker for me because if it needed the conservatory to create the space I needed I probably wouldn't go with it, as I don't consider conservatories to be 24/7

365 day rooms as they are not exactly cozy..........fine in summer not so good in winter, but as a bonus area it is good.

With regard to a lick of paint yes if you are talking about woodwork but to be honest if the whole house was painted I wouldn't consider it. After having a 3 story Victorian town house that required painting every 3 years to keep it looking good, I wouldn't buy one again.

I like uPVC windows and would pay more for them unless they were totally out of character e.g. my neighbour who took out beautiful sash windows and put ultra modern windows in.

just my thoughts!

Angela

[BigWallop]

Just make the place look more appealing to everyone. Fixtures and fittings have to very special to make any difference to the price of a property, so making the place look nice is the most important part.

Neutral colours like creams and white, or pastels shades, make a place more appealing to the eye, and leave the buyer with a sort of blank canvas to put their own mark on.

Even in a sort of undesirable area, a house can be made to stand out if it looks secure and friendly, so a fence and nice garden will make people look further into the property. Nice looking outside, will bring people inside. Nice looking inside will make people buy.

[BillR]

Doorstep appeal e.g. really good paint job on front door made a big difference to one relative's sale. After that, kitchen esp if lady is involved in buying - they make all the decisions don't they.

Those guys on MPPE have no idea how to make money with property development. You have to be hard nosed and fit what looks good and doesn't cost the earth. Recently read article in builders mag I picked up in Jewson. Pro there had whole list of stuff to avoid e.g. Fancy room lighting that involves more than a wire hanging from the centre of the ceiling. Anything with rooms that aren't rectangular. Listed buildings or in conservation areas....

[Steven Briggs]

In message , BillR writes

They make all the irrational decisions. Her :"The wallpaper was nice, we'll buy that one" Him :"But roof's rotten, busy main road outside, there's a pig farm out back...."

[Toby]

Temporary things like cut flowers, clean tidy & fresh etc. For £200 - front garden pots & plants, fresh paint. For £2000 - a spruced up kitchen, maybe some new appliances that can go with you. For > £5000 - extra living space at the expense of loft storage or garden space.

Either short term sprucing up, or proper bricks & mortar additions.

Jacuzzi baths - that's what hotels and holidays are for. £20k kitchens. Block paved drives. Real hardwood floors. AV networking. Burglar alarms. Landscaping. Stone floors instead of tiles. Swimming pool.

At the end of the day we may put in upgraded electrics, UFH and condensing boilers, but I doubt they register on any buyer's radar.

[BillR]

Yup, thats why they're good to sell house to :-)

[S Viemeister]

6 years ago, I bought a house with dreadful wallpaper and ugly carpets - including dark brown carpet tiles in the kitchen. By the time my husband saw the place, it had been considerably improved - I stripped the walls and painted them, then took up the carpet in the kitchen, bathroom and utility room, replacing them with easy to clean vinyl. The house was in fine condition structurally, the road is a quiet one, and the views are absolutely incredible. No pigs around, but plenty of sheep and cows.

Sheila

[John Rumm]

Extra rooms always seem to be a favorite - with prices as they are it ought to be worth it...

Not sure if outbuildings count for much mind you.

You could often add double glazing to that list!

[MiniEmma]

i found this interesting article - 12 Easy Ways To Devalue Your Home

'm not sure how much notice to take of it tho because it calls Collin McAllister and Justin Ryan "Two property experts" LOL

here is the basic gist of the article ( my favourite is the garden gnome! ) :

The following is a list of the top twelve 'design crimes' and the amount it could knock off the value of your home:

1. Dirty or paint spattered light switches - £3,000

Grubby light switches imply that the wiring in the house is old and will need to be replaced. Buyers will reduce the offer price as a result.

1. Stone cladding or pebbledash - £3,000

Take one look at Coronation Street and you'll see exactly why people have gone off stone cladding. Vera Duckworth has much to answer for.

1. Modern UPVC windows in an old or period property - £10,000

Bidders adjust their offers drastically, either as compensation to put up with them or as means of paying for re instatement of proper period windows.

1. Overcrowding rooms with furniture - £2,000

Too much furniture and clutter makes a room seem smaller than it really is.

1. Gnomes in the garden - £500

They're tacky and buyers will think you're strange and therefore your house must be too.

1. Dead or dying pot plants on show - £500

This suggests a badly lit or sick house.

1. Gloomy interior lighting - £500

Buyers may get the impression that there's not much natural light. It's also depressing.

1. Extension or porch which is not in keeping or is badly built - £2,000 (minimum)

Ugly add-ons are a major detraction particularly if buyers think they'll have to knock down and rebuild.

1. Patterned or brightly coloured carpets - £2,500

Unless the buyer also likes loud swirly carpets, they're going to be thinking about the cost of replacing them.

1. Carpet in the kitchen or bathroom - £1,300

It's unhygienic and could be hiding dirt, damp and mould.

1. Walls painted in bold or clashing colours - £1,000

Unless the buyers like your colour choices, they're going to be looking at repainting.

1. Lime scale around the shower or bath - £500

It suggests a general lack of hygiene or cleanliness. Most people don't like grubby houses.

[Mungo Henning]

Presuming no-one else has mentioned it: "en-suite bathroom" ?

Three guesses what my next project will be.... prepare yourself for the questions here folks!

Mungo :-)

[BillR]

Yes, a must in a family home so the parents can at least have so access to a bathroom. My house came with one and now the kids have left we've got a bathroom each :-) Although for some reason I have to clean both .....

[Mark S.]

When your house is cast in situ concrete and was pebbledashed from new you have to go with the Duckworths I'm afraid. ;-)

Mark S.

[Rick Dipper]

From my latest project

Installing sewage Putting the roof back on Windows & Doors rather than holes, don't know if its worth spending on good ones Kitchen that is clean, bathroom.

[Rick Dipper]

When the loo roll runs out in one, use the other .........

[Andy Dingley]

If it's a '30s semi, then there's nothing wrong with pebbledash (if it's not hanging off). It's the neat rows of late Victorian terraces that get me, where there's just the one stick-out with nasty obviously faked cladding on it.

-- What ? Me ? Evil Dictator of Iraq ? Nah mate, I'm just a Hobbit, honest

[N. Thornton]

What happens when you put in an 'in-suite' loo and sink instead? Ie in the corner of the room, not in a separate room. Any added value, same, or less?

Regards, NT

[MiniEmma]

oh my goodness, what an odd idea. i think and 'in-suite' basin is a good idea but a loo ??!!

[Mungo Henning]

Or shoot the Andrex puppy...

[Only kidding; it's Christmas]

Mungo :-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

I am not sure en-suite is as important as an adequate supply if bathrooms.

The top floor here is cunningly constructed with two stairs and two landings, with essentially two bedrooms off each, and a bathroom off each landing.

One bedroom has two doors that access both landings.

Another bedrooom has its own private door into the larger bathroom. So you can get there from the bedroom, and lock the other door - or simply use it as a bathroom to serve two bedrooms.

That plus a toilet shower downstairs, and a self contained en suite to an annex bedsit-with-kitchen...seems to be enough.