Our research shows that the top three ways to add value to a home in a hurry are:
- Knocking down a wall to create an open plan kitchen and diner;
- Building in a garden room;
- Investing in kitchen improvements.
While we know that these projects can make you some serious money in a matter of days, it’s also important to do your research so you’ll know what to consider before embarking on your home improvement project.
Open plan kitchen diner
You might think you will need to extend your home to get your dream kitchen/diner but that isn’t your only option. Knocking down an internal wall between a small kitchen and a dining room or garage is another option to explore. The perfect open-plan kitchen/diner is a light-filled, casual space where cooking and socialising can happen simultaneously.
Having separate eating and dining areas is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Indeed, an open plan kitchen/diner is so popular that our research found that removing an internal wall to create this sort of space can add more than £48,000 in seven days to an averagely priced home in London. This project will cost less than £3,500 to complete meaning it could be a savvy investment for those looking to sell.
What to consider
First things first, it makes sense to get a set of fully-measured floor plans for your home to get a fresh look at the different possibilities. You then need to address whether your walls are structural or non-structural. Your structural engineer will be able to advise you on this. If the wall you want to remove is a loadbearing structural wall, it is still possible to remove it, but you will need to insert a beam to support what is above it instead.
To get the most from your kitchen/diner, think about what you want from it. Do you want a living area and sofa in your kitchen? Or do you want to have a full sized dining table in your kitchen? Or do you want a larger surface area with a breakfast bar? Other things to consider are sources of natural light. Do you want to invest in bi-folding doors which open out on to the garden or can you add in a sky light?
Garden room
If you’ve ever dreamed of having some additional space for your kids to play in, a peaceful retreat to relax in or perhaps a home office which would revolutionise your working life, you may benefit from building a garden room. Although it takes on average two weeks to construct a garden room, our research shows that it could add a whopping £35,500 to an averagely priced home in Surrey. It costs on average around £6,500 to complete, leaving a very healthy profit!
What to consider
Before you jump in all guns blazing, there are points you ought to consider before building your garden room. The first thing you’ll need to think about is the size of your garden room. The larger you go, the more of your garden you are sacrificing. It makes sense to mark out the potential size to make sure you’re happy with the balance before continuing. You will also need to have conversations with your builder about materials and insulation which will depend largely on whether you want to use your garden room all year round or just as a summer house.
Will you need planning permission to build a garden room?
whether or not you need to apply for planning permission depends on the room’s size and height and the distance you are building it from the boundaries of your property. It will also depend on whether the room has electricity and whether it contains sleeping accommodation. Most unhelpfully, the rules are different in England and Scotland, and change again in conservation areas across the UK. Before starting, you should check with your local council. Also, ‘Garden Life’ has put together a handy guide on this, which can be read here.
Kitchen improvements
Small improvements can make a huge impact to the overall look and feel of your kitchen and after all, your kitchen is the heart of your home. What’s more, investing in kitchen improvements such as new flooring, a new worktop and new cabinet doors can add almost £27,000 in eight days to an averagely priced home in Dorset. Across the UK, it will cost on average just over £4,000 to make these kitchen improvements.
What to consider
Our ultimate guide to planning a kitchen gives you some step-by-step advice about renovating or installing a kitchen and is a good place to start. Bear in mind:
New cabinet doors
Outdated cupboard doors make for an outdated kitchen. New cabinets can completely transform a kitchen. If you’re not confident at DIY, you should consider leaving the heavy lifting to a local kitchen fitter or installation expert. A good tradesperson will help you with every stage including measurements and installing your new cabinets.
If your budget doesn’t stretch to brand new cabinets, a lick of paint applied to your existing cabinets can also bring a breath of fresh air to the space. If you have a small kitchen, lighter colour cabinets will make your room feel larger and less claustrophobic.
New worktop
It is amazing what a difference a new worktop can make to a kitchen. If your work surface is scratched, stained or just out of date it might be time to invest in a new one. The cost of your new worktop completely depends on what material you chose to install. Consumer Reports has said that a new laminate countertop can costs less than £5 per square foot however more expensive materials such as granite or recycled glass could easily set you back at least ten times this.
Your choice will depend on your budget, lifestyle and of course on your personal tastes. Some countertops are much hardier than others. You’ll be using your kitchen worktops several times a day and will need to withstand regular, intensive cleaning, food preparation and perhaps dining too if you have a breakfast bar.
New flooring
An ideal new kitchen floor should be attractive but functional and durable. If you have a very busy kitchen and are often spilling foodstuffs, and tricky substances like oil and wine, you will need a floor that doesn’t stain and is low maintenance. The top durable flooring options include stone, tile, vinyl and wood laminate. The top ergonomic floor options include bamboo, wood and wood laminate. This informative list from FreshHome explores the different kitchen floor materials options and weighs their pros and cons.