Elegant Design

256 Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 2BY

Tel: 01372 270224 Mobile: 07905 590515

Here’s a preview of our free report we’ve compiled using industry statistics /research and our own findings. Don’t take any advice until you are clear about your own ownership strategy.

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What is your strategy?

- Long term - staying put. - You are lucky enough to have secured close to your ideal home and bought wisely; it has the potential to be improved to meet any future need, thus avoiding the trauma of another move.

- Medium term – make do. - Maybe your choices were restricted due to the current credit situation or you had to downsize for the time being, in either case you would like to improve /extend your home in the near future.

- Short term - stop gap. - This is intended as a short term solution before you move upwards into a medium term option.

So,.. depending on your strategy which changes add most value to your home?

The Property Investment “Rules”.

If your choice from above was a medium term solution then you must read this report before starting any larger programme of improvements more ambitious than simple cosmetic changes or colour schemes.

The short and longer term rules are covered later in this report.

You need to work out what your initial budget will be to get the place functioning to meet your immediate needs and then what you might consider spending in total during the time you propose to stay put.

Then, using the list below make some choices and chat them through with a designer/planning consultant to determine which might best suit your property’s current layout. It is vital that you consider the big picture to ensure that you spend on things that appeal to not only yourselves but also to potential future owners who may have to live with your choices once you’ve moved on.

Failure to think this through carefully may result in expensive changes that appeal mainly to you but fail to add real value because others don’t share your tastes or vision.

Now lets look at the list of the 10 home improvements that are tipped to add long term value to your home.

1) Extend or update your kitchen

Expert opinion: from £15,000 lift in value, depending on size of the project and spec of units.

Improving the kitchen is the single most valuable improvement you can make. For a cost-effective solution, steal space from adjacent areas or link a dining room to make one combined space, or....consider an extension which can often be done now without planning permission (see regulations on www.planningportal.gov.uk). There’s less red-tape involved nowadays but you’ll still need designs for the builder to follow when extending and a set of specifications to prove the building meets the latest regulations.

A single-storey professional kitchen extension should cost £20,000-£50,000, whereas updating your existing kitchen can start at about £5,000 if you DIY. Choose the appropriate level for the value of your home. The German brand, Rational (www.rational.de), comes recommended for good quality at reasonable prices.

Improvements that Add Most Value....