Many people have spent lockdown overhauling their home with DIY, however an expert has revealed some renovations may reduce the value of a property.
Paul Keighley who is Director at Bramleys Estate Agents in Huddersfield, shared a variety of interior design choices that have the potential to discourage potential house buyers.
The property expert explained people in the market for a family home will have different preferences to a couple or singleton.
Here, Paul reveals the things to consider before transforming your house…
Paul Keighley who is Director at Bramleys in Huddersfield, revealed the interior design choices that can impact the value of your home (file image)
CONVERTING BEDROOMS
Paul explained that most house buyers want as many bedrooms as possible, therefore merging two small rooms into one large room or replacing a bedroom with a bathroom could have a negative impact.
He said: ‘Generally, reducing the number of bedrooms in a property will have a detrimental effect on value and saleability. The top reason for moving to a new house is lack of space and wanting to upgrade to a bigger home – whether you are a first-time buyer that has outgrown your first property or are looking for somewhere that can accommodate your growing family.
‘Instead of removing space, it’s the creation of space that it helps to improve the value of your house. For example, the more bedrooms, loft conversions or extensions you implement, the higher the property value. It would be best if you took advice from a professional before undertaking any action.’
OVERLY EXPRESSIVE DECORATING
Paul said that it’s best to opt for neutral and bold colours because clashing patterns and black curtains are off-putting.
‘Many buyers want to put their stamp on a property; homeowners have recently implemented new interior design trends that are bold, graphic, and “social media-friendly.” However, a recent report by trades website Rated People, reveals potential house buyers find these popular trends can be serious turn-offs when it comes to purchasing a new home.
‘Having a neutral, blank canvas always helps as deep dark colours always make marketing the house more difficult,’ he said.
CONVERTING A GARAGE
‘Converting a garage can seem like it would add value as you are increasing the size and use of the property, but at the same time, it can detract value by removing parking or storage space. We have found that parking and storage is always high on a buyer’s checklist. Besides, when converted garages still feel cold, narrow and never have the ‘homely feel’,’ said Paul
REMOVING CLOSETS
Paul explained that removing closets to increase bedroom space also removes coveted storage space.
He said: ‘When it comes to removing a large closet, this can devalue your home due to lack of storage space however if the closet was renovated and made into an ensuite, this could add value to the property and would be more valuable than a closet – providing the conversion is not poorly executed with lousy workmanship.’
LAVISH GARDEN FEATURES
Paul said potential house buyers may view swimming pools, hot tubs and ponds as an unnecessary extra expense because of the maintenance required.
He added that families may consider lavish garden features as too dangerous for their children.
‘A swimming pool can seem like a careful thought, but they come at an expense to install and maintain. Generally, people stop using them within a couple of months, so they don’t seem worth the cost.
‘Many potential buyers view swimming pools as dangerous, especially families with young children. They may love your home but may decline interest out of fear their child cannot be in their home safely, unsupervised,’ Paul said.
Paul said lavish gardening features such as swimming pools can be viewed as too dangerous and expensive to maintain (file image)
GOING OPEN PLAN
Paul revealed going open plan can add value to your property, but it’s possible to do severe damage by knocking down the wrong internal walls that cause structural damage.
Paul said: ‘Deciding to make your home open plan has the potential to add value to your property. With modern and contemporary style trends increasing, this means that larger, open, and well-lit spaces are becoming more desirable. Nonetheless, never take out any walls without taking the advice of a professional – if there is no in-depth analysis and plan of the structure of your property, this can become extremely dangerous. We also advise getting advice from a reputable agent as to whether it would detract from the value of your home beforehand.
Don’t forget, sound and smell pollution are two significant downsides to your open plan.’
TOO MANY PERSONAL TOUCHES
‘Personalised rooms mean the buyer has more work to do to put it back to how they would want it. If you’re planning to sell or don’t see your current home as your ‘forever home’, it is essential to keep things neutral so that potential buyers can envision themselves living in the property and making it their own.
‘Greys, creams and whites are neutral colours that tend to work in any space. The palette is ideal and recommended for when you are trying to sell a home and are also crucial for exteriors, including doors and windows, as well as interiors, to make your house more ‘saleable’. The quality of your property needs to be not necessarily perfect but good to make a sale. Any significant investments in kitchens and bathrooms may make profits smaller.
‘If you do personalise, expect this to affect the saleability of your home slightly.’
Paul revealed a buyer is likely to want to renegotiate the sale price if they spot poorly installed gas and electric work (file image)
SHODDY FLOORING
Paul said: ‘First impressions always count. If the flooring in your property is inferior, this reflects on the rest of the home. If something like the shabby, bad fitted carpet is noticeable straight away, buyers will make sure to keep a keen eye on all decor, inspecting the quality of work on the house, again leading to a list for renegotiating the sale price.’
INSTALLING EXPENSIVE KITCHEN APPLIANCES
Paul continued: ‘Most buyers will bring their own anyway, can be costly but don’t add to your house’s value so will decrease profit margins.
‘In certain circumstances, this could enhance the sale of a property. However, each case would be individual.’
REPLACING A BATH
Paul said a bath is essential for attracting a young family, and it’s best not to replace a tub with a shower.
DECORATING INCONSISTENTLY AROUND THE HOME
‘Decorating inconsistently around the home – can make it feel bitty, not a good look, need to renovate consistently around the home so there aren’t contrasting styles or some rooms worse than others
‘Like anything in your home, if the work is poor quality, it will affect the value of your property. Like a domino effect, once one little thing is noticed, the buyer will continue to pick at your decor, ready to renegotiate,’ Paul said.
INSTALLING LAVISH LIGHT FITTINGS
Paul added: ‘Furnish your home to your taste, but if you do fill it full of expensive fittings, you may not recoup the expenditure on sale. Buyers want to envision what the home will look like for them, and not for the seller. Injecting lavish light fittings to your personality is quite off-putting and doesn’t allow for the imagination of the buyers.’
ADDING TOO MUCH WALLPAPER
Paul explained that adding too much wallpaper can be overwhelming and difficult to remove.
‘Wallpaper needs to be added as sparingly as possible; it then makes it easier for re-decoration in the future. Using a minimalistic approach such as paint rather than wallpaper can be a key to keeping neutral for a quick and profitable sale,’ he said.
ADDING CERTAIN PLANTS TO THE GARDEN
Willow trees can affect drains and pipe, meanwhile oak trees can cause subsidence said Paul.
He added: ‘Always take advice about tree planting as certain trees have a small root base, but others may stretch further than the height of the tree. This can cause cracked drains, roots breaking up driveways and ultimately can affect the foundations of the house and become a costly fix.’
Paul warned that it’s important to have a clutter-free home when trying to sell, as the buyer will want to see the house rather than your belongings (file image)
INSTALLING FURNISHINGS THAT DATE EASILY
‘Try to keep any furnishing neutral if you can, this will reduce the chance of them dating too much. With a temperamental market, it is essential to factor in small neutral interior tweaks as that could mean the difference between a quick house sale or potential buyers being put off from purchasing.’
ADDING TOO MUCH TO YOUR HOME
Paul said: ‘Keep your house as clutter-free as possible when trying to sell, the buyer needs to see the house, not your belongings. Decluttering is the quick and easiest way to achieve space which is essential as potential buyers will be looking for spacious rooms that they can fill with their furniture and personal items. If you look like you’re running out of space; this could be a significant turn-off.’
INSTALLING POOR QUALITY WINDOWS OR DOORS
‘Any poor quality fittings will affect the saleability of your home, the same as poor DIY and bad workmanship would,’ he added.
INSTALLING QUIRKY TILING
Paul advised against installing quirky tiling because it may be difficult to remove and many buyers will want to replace flooring.
He said: ‘It is ideal to keep any tiling neutral and to a minimum, as it is expensive to alter when upgrading. If a potential buyer visits a property to find tiles in multiple rooms that they hate, they will think of the expense to remove and likely not make an offer on the property.’