save up - or invest in house?

gardenjenny

Thanks for all the good tips.

The exterior of the house does look really untidy so getting it painted is a bit of a must, as is doing the hall carpet as its totally threadbare.

Going by reactions on here, decking turns as many people off as on, so will save my cash unless strictly treating it as a luxury for myself (not an option unless i suddenly get a pay rise!) The only gardening I have really done is to rip out a load of thorns and put in a nice big lawn, loads of cuttings are going to fill out the borders on the cheap...

The UPVC windows I just dont know about though as it is so expensive and saving up for it would leave no money for rainy day savings. Has anyone got any experience of how much value its added to their property?

Thanks for sticking up for my DIYing Idiophreak! The bathroom and kitchen was put in a while ago tho as there was nothing at all here when we moved in - we needed an actual bath to wash in!

cashndash

I don't know how much it adds to your house, but it will help it sell. If it was me and I had a choice of a house that had DG and one that hadn't the one that is done would win hands down. Potential buyers will feel the same as you do and it will be a bill they face on top of solicitors, estate agents etc.

It will make your house cheaper to heat so you will get some benefit.

Shop around and get recommendations. We had our DG for our extension from an independant company and the price was much better than the big companies (even though they had special offers etc) and they are just as good quality wise.

bitsandpieces

In terms of investing spare cash, how long are your debts going to be interest-free for and will they be paid off before you do start paying interest? Also, do you have some savings as a buffer, in case something unexpected happens?

If this is all in order, then improving things which are obviously 'wrong' with the house - if not too expensive - could well pay off. Whether more expensive improvements pay off depends very much on the house and area. You also get a nicer place to live in yourself (although in a few years time current additions may look old to buyers).

UPVC windows can depend a lot on the house and area. In some older buildings, UPVC looks out of character and may put off as many people as it attracts.