Play up these assets for a SOLD hammer – by Franki Hobson
You don’t need a home stylist to increase your property appeal. In fact, the features that most impress potential buyers might surprise you.
Following a year spent at home, design trends have shifted towards making our homes more livable than ever with buyers valuing a home gym, garden office, and outdoor dining area as some of the most attractive features of a property in 2021.
According to Rated People’s recent Home Improvement Trends Report, the top two home renovations that add the most value to a house are a self-contained annex and loft conversion. With people spending more time indoors than in previous years, having things to do is not the only thing they want as it turns out that extra space is just as important.
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The kitchen is the heart of the home, so it’s no surprise that prospective buyers are looking for larger kitchen’s and even outdoor-kitchens. When it comes to painting the kitchen and the best colours, 27% of people voted for a white kitchen, while 22% would opt for light grey walls and 21% went for natural wood.
Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, says although some of the most attractive home improvements may look like bigger, more costly jobs to complete, there are clever and cost-effective ways to achieve similar looks, which could in turn increase the value of your home. “When it comes to selling, it’s a good idea to stay up to date with the features that buyers are looking for because the trends that were adding value just two to three years ago might now be devaluing properties.”
The research is taken from a wider study into renovation and interior design trends and other surprising buyer turnoffs.
Scott Hawkins
Here, the top 20 home improvements that attract the most buyers are:
- Self-contained annex
- Loft conversion
- Kitchen extension to create a large kitchen diner
- Newly renovated kitchen
- Summerhouse/garden room
- Newly renovated bathroom
- Garden office (office room, built in the garden)
- Walls knocked down to create one open-plan living space
- Landscaped garden
- Walls built to create separate spaces
- New driveway
- Home gym
- Home office (inside the home)
- Bespoke storage
- New wooden flooring
- Outdoor cooking area- barbecue/pizza oven
- Garden bar
- Home bar (inside)
- New carpet
- Vegetable patch
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Disclaimer: The opinions posted within this blog are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, others employed by Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate or the organisations with which the network is affiliated. The author takes full responsibility for his opinions and does not hold Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate or any third party responsible for anything in the posted content. The author freely admits that his views may not be the same as those of his colleagues, or third parties associated with the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate network.