How important is a south-facing garden? It is a long-held belief that it is a great advantage when selling a home but in a survey by insurance company Direct Line it was found to add, on average, just £800 to the value of a property.
The Guardian recently asked Kirstie Allsopp, the television presenter best known for her property shows such as Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location, what she felt were the top five myths about adding value to a property.
1. Quiet location. Kirstie feels that this is overrated and some noise can actually be a positive sign. “When train lines come into residential areas it usually means you’re closer to a station”, she said, making public transport more convenient.
2. Designer kitchens. Too much store is given to installing expensive kitchens in Kirstie’s opinion. “It’s better to invest on the finish. An expensive kitchen badly finished can actually damage the price of a property”.
3. Big gardens. We Brits are not the passionate gardeners that we used to be, apparently. “So many people say they want a big garden but when they see one, they say ‘not that big’. People want manageable outside space”.
4. More bedrooms. According to Kirstie, “people moan about the size of their bedrooms … so bedroom size always sells, but don’t assume bedroom numbers will sell too”.
5. DIY renovations. Unfinished DIY projects are a definite disaster in Kirstie’s opinion. “Don’t think ‘If I put in new taps and a new bath, all they have to do is tile it.’ Anything that is unfinished is a real turn-off”.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Gloucester area, contact long-established local estate agents Farr & Farr on 01452 500025 or explore our website farrandfarr.co.uk
