What Home Renovations Are Worth It Before Selling?
What home renovations are worth it before selling and more!
Table of Contents
When wondering what home renovations are worth it, knowing what scope renovation you wish to undertake can be crucial.
Homeownership, after all, is a journey that involves not only finding the perfect house but also transforming it into a personalised oasis.
The average person will renovate their home every 15-20 years but move house every 23 years.
Over time, whatever renovations you did initially may become dated, and as trends come and go, you may feel like no one else would be attracted to your property.
Home renovations provide an exciting opportunity to breathe new life into a space for yourself or a tenant or attract potential buyers. But, some home renovations will cost significantly more than you will receive from possible offers on the house.
This leads us to ask what home renovations are worth it before selling.
What Home Renovations Are There?
Home renovations not only enhance the aesthetics of a house but also improve its functionality, increase property value and create a more comfortable and enjoyable living space.
Average Cost – £10,000 to £15,000.
Average Instalment Time – 2 to 16 weeks.
Average Value Added – 3% to 10%.
While a small kitchen renovation may only add a couple of per cent to your home value, a complete overhaul could add up to 10%.
Average Cost – £1,000 to £15,000.
Average Instalment Time – 2 to 6 weeks.
Average Value Added – 4% to 11%.
Bathroom renovations are among the most popular forms due to their quick turnaround time and high return on investment.
Average Cost – £40,000 to £80,000.
Average Instalment Time – 6 to 10 weeks.
Average Value Added – 10% to 16%.
While a loft conversion is a high upfront cost, converting your loft and creating an extra bedroom, bathroom, or study could increase the home valuation significantly.
Average Cost – £5,000 to £6,000.
Average Instalment Time – 1 to 2 weeks.
While a roof replacement won’t directly impact how much Value is added to your house, it will ensure you don’t lose anything. If any surveys suggest you re-roof, we highly recommend you consider this.
Average Cost – £10,000 to £30,000.
Average Instalment Time – 3 to 5 weeks.
Average Value Added – 4%.
While conventional conservatories could cost £10,000 or less, they are poorly insulated and are very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
Many home-buyers will turn away from conventional conservatories as, most of the time, they are seen as unusable spaces. If you wish to maximise your investment return, we recommend an insulated conservatory.
Average Cost – Up to 15,000.
Average Instalment Time – 2 weeks.
Average Value Added – 4%.
Eco-friendly upgrades could include double-glazing windows, new energy-efficient lights, or a boiler.
Average Cost – £13,000 to £15,000.
Average Instalment Time – 3 to 4 weeks.
Average Value Added – 7%.
Single garages are in demand for modern living, as they are multi-use spaces. They can house cars, a gym, a spare bedroom, a utility room, or even extended storage or living space.
Average Cost – £5,000 to £15,000.
Average Instalment Time – 1 to 3 weeks.
Average Value Added – 7%.
Smart home technology is becoming increasingly prominent in homes across the UK. Smart homes have lighting, heating, kitchen and bathroom appliances controlled via a smart hub or smartphone.
Average Cost – £5,000 to £5,000.
Average Instalment Time – 1 to 4 weeks.
Average Value Added – 3%.
While landscaping may not be a massive value adder, it makes up by helping to remove buyer objections. One of the first things a potential buyer will see is your garden and outdoor space. If it is well maintained and “pretty”, you will massively benefit from an improved curb appeal.
Average Cost – £1,200 to £1,800.
Average Instalment Time – 2 days.
Average Value Added – 8% to 10%.
A deck or patio instalment is one of the fastest and most straightforward ways to increase the value of your home. This goes hand in hand with landscaping your garden, but not one to miss!
Average Cost – £400 to £6,000.
Average Instalment Time – 3 to 12 weeks.
Average Value Added – 5% to 10%.
Simply by decluttering, adding new paint and introducing a little interior design to a property, you can add 5-10% to your property’s Value.
But be careful; when you complete this stage, extravagant designs will put off most potential buyers.
Average Cost – £1,500 to £2,250 per m2.
Average Instalment Time – 7 to 15 months.
Average Value Added – 15%.
This is the renovation with the highest return on investment but has the longest installation time. If you have the time to wait for an extension to be built, the more, the merrier!
But, be it a single-storey or double-storey extension, you may risk your home becoming a building site for a prolonged period, and alternative accommodation may need to be sought.
What Adds Best Value To A Home?
While some home renovations may be suited for people looking to expand their living space, other home renovations worth investing in for selling will ultimately depend on your circumstances.
When selling their house, most people will focus on redecorating bathrooms, kitchens and gardens. This is because they are the most frequently used spaces in a home and are often referred to as personal sanctuaries.
While bedrooms and living rooms are also personal spaces when a new buyer moves in, they will completely change the layout of these rooms, so it’s not worth doing any more than redecorating these spaces.
It’s important to remember that you should maintain a cohesive design and consider your home’s overall style and character. A well-executed colour design across a house may improve your chances of selling faster on the open market than a single-storey extension.
What Adds Value To A Kitchen?
The best way to add value to a kitchen remodel is to upgrade countertops, cabinetry, and storage space and create a functional layout.
One clean and efficient way to create more space in a kitchen is to remove any corner cabinetry and create a gallery kitchen. Corner spaces often need to be more utilised and better areas for storage.
What Adds Value To A Bathroom?
The best way to add value to a bathroom remodel is to update fixtures and new durable flooring, lighting and storage solutions.
If the bathroom does not have any windows, then it’s essential that you make the space as light and airy as possible and add efficient ventilation.
What Adds Value To A Bedroom?
While we wouldn’t recommend spending too much time or money on a bedroom, you should make them presentable and clean. This could be anything from improving the natural light of a bedroom, creating closet space, improving the flooring or adding smart lighting.
What Are The Pros & Cons Of Renovating Before Selling?
Renovating before selling a house can have pros and cons; whilst a remodel can enhance the appeal and value of a home, it could come in costly, and there may be various complications in the process.
What Are The Pros Of Renovating Before Selling?
Renovating a home before putting it up for sale on the open market offers several pros that can optimise the selling process.
Thinking strategically about a renovation can elevate the market appeal of your property, attract a wider pool of buyers and speed up the time on the market.
Potential buyers will try to imagine themselves in a space when they visit a property. But also over-analyze the properties’ quirks, and if there are any defects in the property, they will pick up on it.
This could include cracks in the wall, outdated interior design, broken windows or doors and poorly kept gardens.
If you can quickly amend any quick fixes, we recommend doing this to remove any buyer objections to buying your property.
One of the primary motivations for renovating a property before selling is to increase the property’s value and walk away with more than you put in.
This could be especially effective in a rundown property with a high return on investment potential in a good location.
Although, if the property needs serious remodelling work, especially the structure, you will need to weigh the pros and cons of spending an extortionate amount of money against the time you’ll spend renovating.
If you live in an area with low demand and supply, your property needs to stand out more than similar properties on your street.
Completing a renovation could make your home a competitor and allow you to sell faster.
The worst fear of a homeowner looking to sell their home is that the listing becomes stale on the open market; you have had buyers pull out or received only a couple of offers but nothing you are willing to accept.
Carrying out a renovation may be the little boost of fuel to reignite the appeal of your property. But, remember, a renovation doesn’t mean an entire property rebuild; it could just be a decluttering, garden trim and addition of paint.
What Are The Cons Of Renovating Before Selling?
There are also potential cons to renovating before selling a property, including the costs involved, the uncertainty of a build and recouping any investment.
A massive pain point for any home seller is their time trying to sell their property on the market, which is only extended when you throw in a renovation.
If the property is undergoing a significant renovation, this could add months or even years to the property selling timeline, at which time, the market could change drastically — and you could end up out of pocket!
Although not all renovations start costly, homeowners will often find unforeseen problems in a property once the renovation begins.
This may extend your budget and contingencies thin.
There is no guarantee that your renovation project will add value to your property. For the Value of your home to increase and for you to receive a profit from the sale, you will need to find the right buyer and sell at the right time.
A surveyor or estate agent will determine your home value once the housework is completed, and as mentioned above, market trends tend to fade quickly.
Is It Worth Renovating An Old House?
If you are looking to sell an old house, you may wonder if it’s worth renovating the property or selling it for less and moving on.
Many people will search for an old house to renovate themselves, while others will look for a property to move into. You will need to do your research into the local market to decide whether or not it’s worth doing the work or not.
You can do this by checking Zoopla or Rightmove and seeing if any fixer-upper properties are similar to your property in your area and how long they have been on the market.
If they have been on the market for a prolonged period, it is worth considering renovating the property to improve the possibility of selling quickly.
What Home Renovations Are Worth It Before Selling?
Selling a home is a significant milestone in any homeowner’s journey, and ensuring you can receive the best possible return on your investment should be your top priority.
While factors like location and market conditions influence the final selling price, the condition and appeal of your property play a vital role in attracting potential buyers and securing favourable offers.
The best home renovations for your property could be a single-storey extension or a simple redecorating spree. You will need to determine which suits your property the best but in the meantime…
If you don’t want to renovate, you could sell to an online estate agent like us! We will help you sell your property in as little as 28 days in a hassle-free fashion — because we believe selling shouldn’t be complicated.
We will handle all the negotiations, solicitors and stress of the house sale and even cover all your expenses usually associated with selling a house.
We are members of the National Association of Property Buyers and The Property Ombudsman, which means we are part of regulated property selling bodies. And we are rated excellent on Trustpilot.
If you wish to sell your property to an online estate agent like us, get in touch with one of our property consultants.
