2 weeks Ago By James Flanders
LOOKING to boost the value of your home before selling - but can't decide if you'll get your money back on any improvements? We have spoken to leading property experts and worked out exactly how much money tweaks could add to your sale price - and which you should swerve. 4 You could add £183,000 to the value of your home with simple improvements 4 A new kitchen could add £21,520 to your home's value If you want to add serious value, The Sun can reveal the changes that can make the biggest impact on your property. Or if you're selling in the next few weeks, we've also included some easy wins – some of which cost nothing – that could add thousands and help you sell faster.
In our research, we analysed four different studies on home improvements and spoke with estate agents, building website Checkatrade and the HomeOwners Alliance – to get the latest figures, costs and trends. These are the eight home upgrades that can add thousands of pounds to your sale price and what they cost to carry out: Downstairs toilet Cost: around £2,500 Adds: at least 5% or £13,450* In many houses, you can fit a small room with a toilet under the stairs. The HomeOwners Alliance (HOA) says having a downstairs toilet is appealing to lots of buyers – from families with young children, to people who like to entertain and don’t want guests wandering upstairs, to older buyers thinking about potential mobility issues in the future .
*Official figures show the average UK property price in January was £269,000, so we've used that in these estimates. Costs are averages, too. Knock through to make an open-plan kitchen diner Cost: £2,700 for a load-bearing wall Adds: around 15% or £40,350 Martin Coombs, senior area manager at estate agent Bridges, says: "A large kitchen/diner/family room is very popular, especially if it has bifold doors at the back of the house, opening to the garden.
" How to use ChatGPT for home & garden renovations without spending a penny - see how good it looks before you even start Get a builder to advise you, including checking whether the wall is load-bearing. You can usually knock through walls without planning permission, but it’s worth checking with your local council. The average cost of removing a load-bearing wall is around £1,750, plus £950 to install structural supports, according to Checkatrade.
But then you're likely to need a new kitchen – we've covered that below. A second bathroom Cost: from £5,500 Adds: 6% or £16,140 Estate agent Simon Avigdor, a branch director at the chain Dexters, says house buyers want two bathrooms minimum. Martin agrees: "Kids are staying home longer these days, and no-one wants a queue in the morning.
" If you're considering an en suite, the cost can range from £5,500 to over £14,000, while the average cost of a wet room is £8,000. Beware of sacrificing a third bedroom for a bathroom, as this can devalue your property. New kitchen Cost: from £10,500 including labour Adds: around 8% or £21,520 You'll want the heart of your home to be welcoming, which includes having a good layout – space for eating, for example.
Our cost above is for a whole new kitchen, with new plumbing and the works. But if you're happy with the layout you've got, consider a refresh with new cabinets, or just new cupboard doors, and a new work surface. The key thing is to make sure it's done to a good standard so a buyer doesn’t want to rip it out.
Martin says: "Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes: a bodged kitchen is cost, not value-add. "It needs to be smart and stylish but also neutral. "Don't go big and bold as that can have the same impact as poor quality.
" What are buyers looking for in 2025? SIMON says: "People want a clean survey. That's because builders' costs have gone up so much recently. "Buyers want gardens more than ever – quality as well as size – and privacy as they don’t want to be overlooked.
"And they want off-street parking and EV chargers." Paula believes energy efficiency is important, especially as the government may tighten rules on the energy efficiency of rental properties. "Even if you don't plan on renting your home out, you will want to make sure it is attractive to future buyers who may want to have the flexibility to rent their home out even for a short period of time.
"It's also a no-brainer with today's energy costs." Martin agrees: "In the last couple of years, buyers have started asking about energy ratings." The Energy Saving Trust has loads of advice on how to make your home more energy efficient.
Martin adds that, since COVID, space has become really important, including outside space. "Opening up rooms really adds value and appeal." Loft conversion, adding an extra bedroom and bathroom Cost: £27,500-£75,000+ Adds: around 20% or £53,800 According to research by Nationwide, adding a loft conversion that includes a large double bedroom and bathroom can add as much as 25% to the value of a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house.
There are many types of loft conversion. A Velux loft conversion is cheapest and a Mansard version – which adds a new flat roof and near vertical outside wall – is among the priciest, costing around £65,000 and up, according to Checkatrade. Landscape the garden Cost: £2,400 for new decking Adds: 4% (up to 10% in cities) or £10,760 Expect to pay at least £2,400 for supply and installation of a medium-sized deck (15-30m2).
Simon says buyers want good quality gardens and these have become increasingly important since Covid. But you don't necessarily need to get a professional in - if you're handy then even repainting your fence, reseeding the lawn and popping some flowers in pots can make a big difference to how appealing your garden looks. Another post-Covid trend was creating a garden office for working from home, and although many workers have returned to the office , some buyers want to use this type of space as a home gym, he adds.
Repaint and repair the front of the house Cost: £3,000-£6,000 Adds: around 5% or £13,450 Martin says: "Doing this adds kerb appeal. "If you deal with the whole of the frontage, including a new lawn, if there is one, and renewing any porch area, this could add 5% of the home’s value." Two in three homebuyers say kerb appeal matters, according to the HOA.
Create off-street parking Cost: £11,500 (with tarmac) Adds: at least 5% or £13,450 Not everyone has space to create off-street parking in front of their home and many people don’t want to sacrifice their front garden. But having your own spot can save on resident parking permits. Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HOA, adds: "A parking spot is even more desirable in 2025 because you will have a place to plug in an electric vehicle.
" The government is planning to phase out petrol and diesel cars in favour of electric ones. And charging at home is currently cheaper than using a public charging point in the street. There are different materials you can use for an off-street parking space – gravel, for example – if you don't want tarmac.
You may need to get planning permission from your local council to drop the kerb between your home and the road. 4 A downstairs toilet can add serious value to your home 4 Landscaping your garden could add up to 10% to your home's value Credit: Getty How do estate agents value your home? MARTIN Coombs of Bridges, who’s been an estate agent for 35 years, says agents look at how your home stacks up against similar ones that have sold locally, and how often property comes up for sale in the area. "Then we look at the unique elements of that home in its market – everything from kerb appeal to kitchens and bathrooms, and the outside space it offers.
"They all add value, but different sectors of the market have different trends. "When an agent walks in, they’re thinking ‘Has it got the right feel and appeal? "Could I see myself sat in there with a glass of wine, having a conversation with friends? "Does it feel warm and cosy, or cool or modern, unique or otherwise? "We also look at the practical side. Is it light and bright, with access to the outside? Does it have enough plug points? "If someone can walk in and see how they’ll live in there, that’s an indication that there’s added value.
"Some of it is about the flow of the home – you can’t have one brilliant room and rest be drab and dreary.".
