En suite - increase value?

Rivernight

We've had our house on the market from 17th December. We've had eleven viewings, everyone says that the house is well presented but the lack of ensuite is a problem. It is a four-bedroom detached. We are keen to get it sold asap but without dropping the price dramatically. There is plenty or scope to put an ensuite in the master bedroom, in fact, some other houses the same design on the road have done this.


The house is very well maintained and neutrally decorated so not a house that needs lots of work. It seems that people are not prepared to put one in themselves. I have contacted a builder who is going to do a quote for putting in an ensuite and the number of labour days. Hopefully, the Estate Agent can discuss this with any interested parties prior to viewings as I am getting sick of people coming to view then saying the lack of ensuite is a problem (they can see from the plans that there isn't one). I'm even considering just putting one in. If I did, do you reckon it would increase the value of the house so we'd get our money back?

caprikid1

Impossible to say if it will increase the value, but....


The house is not selling at the current price so it's too expensive. If you put an ensuite in and it sells then it increased the value ?

Skiddaw1

It's annoying isn't it? We had a downstairs bathroom in our previous (Victorian) house and it used to right irritate me when people viewed and then said the downstairs bathroom was a problem. As you say, it's not as though they hadn't had access to the floor plan.


As for whether it's worth going to the expense of fitting an en-suite... I honestly don't know. When we were viewing this time we saw many houses with en-suites (we have one in the house we chose) but frankly, some of them were more like cupboards than bathrooms (and I'd have far rather had a larger main bedroom). Personally, so long as there's more than one bog (downstairs bog is fine) I really don't give a B for an en-suite but they must be seriously in demand or they wouldn't be so ubiquitous in new houses.



I can image for a family with kids it would be more of an issue however.

novelty-socks

Seems like a load of hassle to me for a questionable benefit. In my mind, it's more likely that your asking price is just too high for a house without an en-suite.

I would ask your agent to more effectively weed out people before viewings, but I think you may also need to adjust your pricing expectations. From what you've described, the objectives of selling ASAP, but also not dropping your price dramatically, may be in conflict.

Putting in an en-suite? I just feel like you can almost guarantee your ideal buyer coming along the next day and saying "this is ideal, but I hate the en-suite"!

Skiddaw1

...Of course, you'd have to factor in whether the cost of having an en-suite fitted would outweigh just dropping the price. Might well be cheaper (and certainly less hassle I'd have thought).


(edited to say posted at the same time as novelty- sorry for duplication).

RelievedSheff

We were not overly bothered about an ensuite as there are only two of us in the house but since we have had one in this house we actually quite like having it. It makes it much easier when we have guests stay over as we each have a bathroom and there are plenty of toilets to go around, 3 in a 3 bed house including the downstairs loo!!

Skiddaw1

Yes, it's definitely a help when you have guests.

custardy

I would be more inclined to drop the en suite cost off the asking price. maybe a little more for saved hasstle

Paully28

I would drop the price rather than add in an ensuite.
I am assuming that you have other toilets in the house, rather than just one in the bathroom, as in one toilet downstairs and one up at least?

Retired_Mortgage_Adviser

Is it just the one bathroom/toilet for the whole house?

As others have said, in your place I'd drop the price to compensate for the lack of xyz rather than go through the hassle of adding an en-suite.

After adding an ensuite, you could then come across buyers who say "Lovely house, if only the bedroom was a bit bigger...."

sendu

I disagree with the above posters about just dropping the price. If most people want an en-suite, they will buy a house with one, not buy a cheaper house and install one, because most people don't take on renovation jobs of that nature.

https://opun.co.uk/blog/does-an-ensuite-add-s-as-well-as-luxury/

According to nationwide, your house value might increase by 5%. If that's more than your quote for adding one, it sound like a good idea.