Home improvements translating into value?

sherlock228

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129704#Comment_82129704

a house lined with marble may make it stand out but very unlikely +25% covered the costs of the work unless done a long time ago.
Refurb and good standard of decoration are marketing issues, not financial gain issues.

RelievedSheff

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129668#Comment_82129668

Ok. None of the things you have mentioned will add value and the reduction of off road parking will potentially devalue the property.

Herzlos

You're unlikely to make your money back on any improvement works, but may make it more sellable in the future.

For example, I spent £15k on a small sun room extension to our last house, and increased the value by about £5k. It gave us enough space to delay moving for a few years and our new buyer loved it, but from a house value perspective it wasn't profitable.

Don't try to second guess trends either. I think we'll start moving away from open plan as heating becomes more expensive for example. Separate rooms mean you can control temperatures better. Also with a kitchen having it separate means less noise from cooking or washing machines, less smells and safely being able to keep kids out when cooking. We passed on a lovely bungalow because the kitchen couldn't be closed off.

Gardens is a funny one - I like a garden but a lot of people view them as burdens and would rather have more parking than more grass to cut.

The only things I can see at a glance that'll make any real difference is adding a bath and fitting a downstairs toilet, but unless you've got space under the stairs that's going to be pretty expensive and awkward to shoehorn in.

lincroft1710

None of the "improvements" you mention will add value. Reducing the available parking space is a big no-no. Replace bathroom and kitchen, sell in 5 years time and you will be selling with a 5 year old bathroom and kitchen. Downstairs WC may add value but will cost as you will need to build an extension to house it

horsewithnoname

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129671#Comment_82129671

in which case I would say a downstairs toilet would add value - it certainly would for me at least, as for the rest, unless you can predict trends in what people might see as desirable in future, your guess is as good as anyone else’s.
That said, I do know of people who have removed downstairs toilets, so who knows. Maybe when we finally get the jet packs we were promised in the 70s, parking will fall out of favour.

Tabieth

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129669#Comment_82129669

It’s a very difficult question for strangers to answer as we don’t know the local area and we have very minimal information. I’d imagine you’d be better off asking your question to local estate agents.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129675#Comment_82129675

My point was that between the time you remove the additional parking and the time you (or a future buyer) wants to increase the parking again, the legislation/regulations may change making it harder (or impossible) to reinstate the parking. For example, maximum parking standards could be reintroduced that might restrict parking to (say) 1 or 2 spaces for a 3-bed house.

horsewithnoname's post I was replying to might be understood to mean the parking could simply be reinstated, but there is a bit of a gamble with that, and it may not be the case.

Herzlos

It also depends on how easily the garden could be undone. If it's just a case of moving the fence forward and putting some patio furniture on the gravel it's trivial if the buyer has the imagination.

If it eventually turns into a shed, or plants or whatever, then it gets

unfocus

That's why I

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129834#Comment_82129834

Which is why I put the location and had hoped for people who actually have real insight would reply, rather than people telling me that it's my house and I should do what I want :-) . Sometimes, I wish people would realise they don't have to reply to a post if they don't know the answer.

Tabieth

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129916#Comment_82129916

”A town next to Glasgow” doesn’t exactly narrow it down! It’s could be a gentrified, affluent area, a student town, a run down area, up and coming, etc etc etc. We know very little about the property you bought or the local market.

I don’t get why you’re so bad tempered. You posting asking for advice on a public forum. Not being mind readers, people only saw what you posted, not what was in your head. So take the advice you find helpful and ignore the rest. Sniping at people who have taken the trouble to try and help you isn’t exactly constructive.