The 12 ways you’re slashing £100,000 off the value of your home – and what you can do to boost price by £20,000
HOMEOWNERS could be wiping more than £100k off the value of their property by failing to spot buyer turn-offs.
Garden gnomes may seem harmless but can bring down property prices by £12,000, according to Churchill Home Insurance.
Property expert Jonathan Rolande says: “You can accidentally reduce the price of your home by tens of thousands with seemingly innocent improvements or garden features.
“Before making any changes to your home, remember they can significantly impact value.
“Always bear in mind the everlasting truth about the housing market: First impressions are non-negotiable.”
Here, the property valuer and former estate agent, who has 25 years’ experience, reveals the shocking ways homeowners are accidentally sabotaging their own sales by knocking off more than £100,000 in value . . .
BOLD COLOURS – £8,000
Exterior paint represents one of the most significant value destroyers of your home and could devalue your pad by £8,000.
Properties painted in bold, unconventional colours consistently struggle to sell as buyers factor in repainting costs and question the owner’s overall decision making.
Buyers want move-in-ready properties that need no immediate work.
With more than 95 per cent of home searches beginning online, appearance will make the difference between a buzz of interest and a property flop.
OVERGROWN ANIMAL TOPIARY – £6,000
Overgrown hedges shaped like animals may seem charming but they trim property values too.
The topiary displays suggest high maintenance for a new buyer and can indicate an eccentric character who may not appeal to mainstream buyers as they will wonder what quirks will be revealed inside the home.
FAKE GRASS – £7,500
Gardens filled with a faux lawn or plastic plants may seem a good idea but devalue homes by up to £7,500.
Although artificial landscaping eliminates maintenance, it raises questions about property upkeep standards.
Buyers could find it off-putting as more people seek environmentally friendlier homes.
Fake grass comes with a significant carbon footprint plus it has been proven to cause microplastic shedding.
DRIVEWAY DISASTERS – £4,000
The driveway is one of the first things a potential buyer will see.
If it doesn’t look sleek, tidy and easy to maintain, this can be ruinous for your selling price.
Driveways covered in artificial turf present practical concerns of how to park a vehicle, alongside aesthetic concerns, typically reducing values by £4,000.
Driveways that are covered with oil stains and strewn with spare car parts will also trigger a value cut.
Mess will ruin estate agent photos and surveyors might alert the buyer to ground-contamination issues and the fact there are likely to be neighbour disputes.
JONATHAN'S TOP TIP
FEATURES that might seem attractive to current owners can create problems for buyers, Jonathan warns.
He advises: “My top tip is for sellers to walk around their home, starting at the front door, as if they were a potential buyer seeing it for the first time.
“How does it look, feel and even smell?
“Buyers reward sellers who offer normality and standard presentation.”
TINSEL TIMING – £10,000
Still got a life-size Santa or Rudolph on your roof?
Get Father Christmas farther away, as year-round decorations potentially wipe off £10,000.
Tinsel in July suggests poor property maintenance, or a home that has been sitting on the market since December.
Anything that raises questions like this needs to be given a festive fling into the tip.
DON’T BE A LOO-SER – £15,000
For a property to reach its top asking price, you need to make it appealing to every buyer who sees it on your estate agent’s books.
To do this, it needs to have no quirks — and the top one that will leave the seller far from flush is a Portaloo or outdoor toilet.
A lav in the garden can create such a strong buyer reaction that it could slash £12,000 to £15,000.
PLAYGROUND PITFALL – £15,000
You want your little ones to have a fun place to play.
But with my knowledge of the property market, I would warn you not to turn outside spaces into a kiddy kingdom.
Front gardens converted into play areas typically reduce property values by £15,000.
While family-friendly features sell, front garden play equipment creates an impression of overcrowding and a lack of space.
5 Tips to Get on The Property Ladder
Saving for your first property is tough, but it is possible. Here are a few steps for first-time buyers.
1. Cut back on luxuries and start saving
Consistent monthly saving is the best way to accumulate enough money to get on the ladder, for a deposit and purchase fees. To do this, you need to take a look at your monthly outgoings and think about what can be cut out – holidays, new clothes, weekly takeaway.
Using a savings calculator can help you to establish how long you will need to save for a deposit. Based on your income, you can figure out a realistic amount to save each month.
2. Have a realistic property search
Set a budget for the property price you would like to buy, and think realistically about the location and size of your property. While we all may want that house with a view or extra bedroom, can you afford it?
3. Research Help To Buy and Shared Ownership schemes
The government has introduced a few ways to help first-time-buyers get on the property ladder and they’re great for those on lower incomes or to buy a property in more expensive areas like London.
4. Consider buying with another person
Investing with somebody else you know is a sure way to get onto the property ladder. You only need to save half the amount you would otherwise, so you can work towards getting your property sooner.
You can invest with a friend, family or partner. Naturally, it is a big step and a huge commitment so be open and honest about what you expect from living together — if you haven’t already.
5. Talk to a mortgage broker and get your documents in order
A mortgage broker can tell you exactly how much you can borrow for a mortgage, what you will need to pay monthly and in upfront costs.
GRAVE ERROR – £15,000
Many Brits have graves for beloved pets in their gardens, but this is a huge no-no.
While Fido’s final resting place is poignant to you, to others it screams creepiness — think author Stephen King’s bone-chilling novel Pet Sematary.
Animal graveyards in gardens could wipe off £15,000, as buyers will not want your sad memories ruining their new start.
Also, burial plots should never be in contact with any water sources and must be a minimum of three feet deep.
An improperly dug pet burial can land you a fine of £5,000.
DRAB DOORS – £4,000
When it comes to kerb appeal, your front door does the talking.
So as you reach for that paintbrush, consider colours.
Entrances swathed in unappealing hues like muted brown typically cost £4,000 in lost value.
Conversely, the property website sellhousefast.uk found blue is the most valuable front door shade and can add a whopping £4,000 to your house price.
HOUSE NUMBER HAVOC – £3,500
Having a house number is essential for legal and practical reasons.
While you have no control over your door number (some can be perceived as more desirable than others by certain buyers for superstitious reasons), you can choose how to optimally present it.
Something as simple as the house number being displayed in glittery fairy lights can reduce prices by £3,500 as people do not want the hassle of replacing something that is not to their taste.
SHED SHOW-OFF – £5,500
Filling your garden shed with personal things is a given and not an issue value-wise, just don’t add your personality to the outside.
Garden sheds decorated artistically, with graffiti-style art, will typically devalue properties by £5,500. The market consistently proves that difference doesn’t sell.
Buyers like what is considered the norm.
GARDEN GNO GO – £12,000
Neighbours who put gnomes in their front garden reduce the prices of surrounding houses by £12,000 — while placing the ornaments in your own garden has the same effect.
Anything that detracts from the size and tidiness of the garden is directly reflected in a lowering of price.
It is not just the fantasy statues that bring sales down.
The same goes for decrepit sheds or summer houses, a broken lawn mower in view or even a tatty kids’ swing.
My top advice is: If you are selling, then tidy that yard.
TOTAL LOSS: £105,500
....How to get back in profit
BOOST your property value in hours with these great tips from Jonathan . . .
MOW THE LAWN – adds £3,000
CUTTING grass, trimming hedges and cleaning weeds from paths makes your home look loved from the moment a potential buyer sets eyes on it.
JET WASH DRIVEWAY – adds £2,000
IN just an hour, you can remove years of household grime with a borrowed pressure washer. It will give that all-important first impression of a home that is ready to move into.
HANGING BASKETS or PLANT POTS – adds £2,000
HOMES along a street often look similar, but by splashing £20 out on a couple of brightly coloured hanging baskets or pots filled with hydrangeas, your house will stand out from the rest.
FRESHEN WALLS – adds £4,000
HOUSES can look scruffy to new eyes, so paint high foot-traffic areas like halls, stairs and landings to smarten them up. Remove stickers and remnants of Blu Tac from kids’ bedrooms.
RESEAL/SCRUB GROUT – adds £2,000
THERE may be nothing wrong with your bathroom and kitchen – from your point of view. But tiny dots of mould and grime jump out at buyers and it’s a simple job to fix them.
NEW LIGHT SWITCHES – adds £600
YOU can buy light switches for less than a fiver from DIY stores and they can lift a room hugely. If you don’t want to fork out for an electrician, just add some clip-on covers that can cost as little as £2.
UP THE ECO ANTE – adds £6,000
LOW energy bulbs and loft insulation add value by boosting your Energy Performance Certificate rating. This is the measure of a building’s energy efficiency and knowing it’s low is a win for new owners.
WASH WINDOWS – adds £400
CLEAN windows allow natural light to flood your home, making it appear brighter and more spacious to potential buyers. There is also a huge amount of kerb appeal to a house that literally sparkles.
