Maximising Your Home's Value How To Add Value To Your House

Date Published:

25/06/2008

The kitchen is often the heart of the home, so why not make it the star, too? Dramatic, focal-point kitchens are real winners, but think long term if you are planning to sell in the near future- go for simple and classic rather than high fashion.

Money Pit Or Money Maker?

Open-plan layouts, as well as combined cooking and eating areas fit so well with modern lifestyles that there is no sign this trend is going away. Bold colours and glossy finishes are surging in popularity, especially when used to soften industrial finishes, such as concrete. We all want the professional chef look with heavy-duty appliances, so clean and minimal looks are everywhere, especially as storage options are now so comprehensive you can provide a home for all your bits and bobs.

The right kitchen really will sell a house, and the opposite is also true. While you want a look that you love, you always have to keep your future buyer at the back of your mind, and balance your dreams with their opinions, too.

"We are seeing many more people trying to create more space for their new kitchen," says Lucinda Kenny, operations director of the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association. "It is because of this quest for more space that the kitchen island has also become more popular. An island will serve as a gathering or focal point in the kitchen. It provides more counter space and can have workstations, such as sinks, built in.

"Another key trend is that consumers are opting for fewer cabinets and no longer wish to fill every spare inch of wall with units. Shorter wall units and open shelving are popular alternatives. With regards to colour, bright, bold and glossy are extremely popular. Many members have replaced their high-street window displays with striking black gloss or red kitchens and these have provided a great draw for customers to come into the showroom. New materials and shades for worktops and splashbacks have also given rise to more colour in the kitchen. Coloured glass can be used to great effect to complement or contrast with coloured kitchen units."

When Not To Go Super Modern

Sleek, streamlined, urban styles need space, making them ideal for houses that were built in the last 30 years, converted industrial buildings or lofts, and Victorian, Edwardian and occasionally Georgian homes, whose rooms are typically large with high ceilings. Homes built in the true suburban vernacular, such as a 1930s semi, tend not to suit ultra-modern looks because their rooms are boxier and smaller, and their ceilings lower. That's not to say you can't embrace a modern approach if you have one of these homes- just keep it understated.

Credit: Ray Main/Mainstream Images. Michaelis Boyd Architects

Sadly, you should also be guided by what other people in your area do to their homes and what is popular- if you turn your home into a Barbarella-esque capsule but you're surrounded by retirees, you may find your home passed over in favour of the traditional pad down the road when you come to sell.

Profit vs Loss

Most of us have a limited pot of money for doing up the house, so if you splash out in the kitchen, you'll have to economise elsewhere. As with so many things, it comes down to size. Clearly, if you have a tiny galley kitchen but an enormous sitting room, paying a grand on fancy extras like integrated coffee makers may not be the best use of your budget. Better to use the money on good-quality units and appliances instead.

The Golden Rule

Never scrimp on the kitchen, as it's the hardest-working room in the house. While it's okay to economise in certain areas, the cabinet carcasses, for example, spending on good-quality materials is essential. Taps and worksurfaces are the first thing the eye rests on, so spend as much as you can to get a really fabulous finish.

Expect To Pay

It's possible to spend many tens of thousands of pounds on a really top-notch, bespoke kitchen, but something between £10,000 and £20,000 is more likely. "Kitchens and bathrooms are key rooms in the home," says Dean Sanderson, chairman of the Lancashire & Cheshire branch of the NAEA. "First impressions count and a light and airy kitchen will definitely help towards securing a sale. A good kitchen could potentially add between five and 10 per cent to the value of a property."

Investing in a few designer gadgets and appliances will swallow up a fair proportion of your budget. However, if these are the kind of touches your buyers want, it will be money well spent in the long run. Clever sourcing will also have an impact on your budget- trawl the internet for inexpensive providers of solid-wood worktops and top-end appliances.

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