Kick Out Your Car
If you have off-street parking and a garage that rarely houses your car it may be worth considering a garage conversion. There are many uses that a garage can be put to including an extra bedroom, extended kitchen/diner, home office or children’s playroom. If you have an elderly relative you could even create a separate, self-contained annex.
Adding to the liveable space in your home will give you more room and can add up to 20% to your property’s value. It is also less disruptive than building an extension. So rather than using your garage to store your unwanted possessions make it work for you instead.
Move On Up
A loft conversion is a cost-effective and relatively quick way of gaining more space in your home. Unlike a ground-floor extension, you won’t have to sacrifice part of your garden to benefit from extra living space although you may have to find somewhere else to store your Christmas tree.
This is a good way of future-proofing your home as your family grows or as teenage children need their own space. A home office in the loft is also a great way to separate your professional and home life if you work remotely. Converting your loft to create a bedroom and ensuite can add as much as 20% to the value of your property.
Knock It Down
Many older properties have relatively small rooms, often featuring separate and little-used living and dining rooms. With the current trend for more open-plan living removing walls and creating a larger and more user-friendly space is a practical idea. It will also make your home more appealing to future buyers with the reconfigured space being more flexible.
Removing a wall and creating multi-functional rooms should only ever be done with the guidance and advice of a professional builder. It’s not a DIY job as you may not know which walls are load-bearing or structurally essential. Open-plan living can add up to 6% to the value of your property.
Sit Back and Relax
Relaxing in the garden is one of the greatest pleasures of owning outdoor space so why would you not want to enjoy it all year round? With a conservatory, you can do just that. While sitting outside in autumn and winter may not be very appealing having a warm and comfortable room from which to enjoy your garden will not only add to your wellbeing but also to the value of your home.
Not all conservatories are traditional and many designs fit well with modern homes. Of course, the conservatory cost will depend on the size and design but if done well you could increase your property value by 5% – 7%.
Park It
Parking spaces are like gold dust in many towns and cities so creating off-street parking for your home is a great move if you have the room. Having a dedicated parking spot will add to the desirability of your property if you ever wish to sell particularly with increasing restrictions on parking in many areas.
Even if you don’t drive you could rent out a parking spot and make some money. To limit the impact of the loss of drainage by paving over your garden you can use permeable materials such as gravel, shingle or resin. Depending on whether your front garden yields one or two parking spaces you could increase your property’s value by between 5% and 10%.