What is the number 1 way to add value to your home? - Build a conservatory

The main reason our customers want to spend money on their home is to make it a more enjoyable and practical place to live, but if done right it can also give the house value a significant boost.

Don't spend too much until you consider where the best return is...


Top home improvements by return on investment.
1. Conservatory  108%    
2. Garden  88%
3. Exterior  75%
4. Roof  63%
5. Floor carpets  50%
6. Loft  50%
7. Kitchen  49%
8. Bathroom  48%


Conservatory
A conservatory provides an extra room in your house, but means giving up some garden space.
Unlike an extension, you won’t need planning permission as long no more than half the area of the land of the original house is covered.

You will also be exempt from rules on structure and fire safety, known as building regulations, if at least half of the new wall and three quarters of the roof is either glazed or translucent material and if the conservatory is separated from the house by external doors.

Average cost: £5,300 
Average profit: £5,750
Return on investment: 108 per cent 


Garden
Its easy to forget about your garden and let it get overgrown or messy, especially when it is cold outside.
But a front garden is the first thing a potential buyer will see when they come to view your house so a tatty lawn or dead plants may have an impact on the all important first impression.
A well looked after garden will give your home a welcoming and modern feel.

Average cost: £4,550
Average profit: £4,000 
Return on investment 88 per cent


Exterior
As well as the garden, the exterior of your property is one of the first things a buyer will see.
Dirty windows, chipped doorframes or broken roof tiles can all leave a bad impression and affect the price you get.
Spending a bit of time painting and fixing any cracks outside as well as cleaning up could make a big difference. 
Average cost: £6,000
Average profit: £4,500
Return on investment: 75 per cent



Extension
​An extension can add more space to your property by either expanding a room or adding moer.
You could also do this across two floors.

The government has recently relaxed planning rules in this area. Traditionally you have been allowed to add single-floor extensions of up to 3 metres in depth in the case of an attached property, and 4m in the case of a detached home without planning permission.

These distances (until May of 2016) have been doubled to 6m and 8m respectively. However, this only applies if the neighbours have been consulted and they do not object.

If you are building a two-storey extension the old 3m and 4m limits apply and the extension must not be closer than 7m to the rear boundary.

The roof of the extension must not measure more than 4m in height; protrude above the existing roof line or beyond the front elevation. Also, the extension, along with the outbuildings, must not cover more than half the area of the garden.

Average cost: £19,750
Average profit: £14,000
Return on investment: 71 per cent: