First time buyers receive a great deal of attention at the current time due to the increasing difficulty of making that first step on the property ladder. It is rarely documented however of the difficulties facing homeowners looking to move up the property ladder which is too becoming increasingly difficult.

Recent research shows that the average upscale from a two to a three bedroom property now stands at £27,100. Those looking to upscale from a three to a four bedroom house face the biggest hike in price at £64,032.

As a result of these differences in price, coupled with the fees involved in moving home, more and more people are looking to improve & extend their current home to take the effect of upsizing.

When buying a property, many property developers will look at the potential to improve, modify and extend in order to increase the value, often with conservatories. This is also a technique now used by many buyers looking at the potential for home improvement.

It can be difficult enough to buy property, with many considerations that must be taken into account. There are many issues that can reduce property value let alone increase it; however the type of property you buy can dictate your ability to improve it or even make any additions at all.

The type of property that best suits improvement will depend on the nature of work you would like to perform. For example, when planning conservatories, it is important that there is enough room to install them without taking up too much garden space.

Sometimes the easiest and cheapest way to increase your homes value is to invest in an improving, up and coming area. Signs that an areas property market is set to improve can be relatively easy to find.

These signs may include looking at particular areas or streets that are already popular with buyers. It is often the case that as particular streets or areas increase in value, buyers are priced out of their preferred location, so move as near to it as they can afford.

The important thing to remember is that there is no guarantee that any improvements made on your property will result in an increase in value, even in the case of conservatories which are one of the most popular home improvements. Buyers in different locations will be after different things.

It is an important consideration to ensure that you are offering potential buyers what they really want. For example, conservatories may be appealing to some but not to others.

A good yardstick is often to consult the local estate agents who much a property would be worth subject to improvements being carried out, such as a new kitchens or a conservatories.

Often its the smaller, cheaper improvements that can generally offer higher returns than the more expensive ones. The larger and more expensive jobs such as converting your loft or basement may seem appealing to buyers, however they are often unwilling to pay a premium that meets the expense and effort of carrying it out.

The cost of any home improvement and the likely return will vary hugely on the type of property and the area that its located. Very few developments come in under budget with the majority coming in over budget.

Quotes received from builders can often be on the optimistic side. It is therefore prudent to over budget for works.

Conservatories may not seem quite as attractive in todays market as they once would have done to the potential buyer. Adding a conservatory is an expensive exercise and would perhaps be best considered for personal use rather than as a tool to increase the value of the property.

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The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors say that adding a conservatory to your propery can increase it’s value by up to 5%, as well as increasing it’s appeal to potential purchasers when it comes to selling your home.

For those wanting to sell their home, especially in the current economic climate, I personally cannot think of a quicker, easier, more effective and economical way of adding value and saleability to a residential property than extending it with a conservatory.

I’m not suggesting that if you add a conservatory to your home at a total cost of say £15,000 that it will increase your property’s market value by say £25,000 or such, but it should at least hold it’s own, i.e. you should get what you have spent on your conservatory back in the increased sale value of your home (or thereabouts) but most importantly substantially increase it’s appeal to potential buyers, particularly when presented effectively.

I think it would be false economy to invest in a conservatory to sell your home but then not invest that little bit extra to present it correctly by fitting decent flooring, blinds and including a little furniture to finish it off – after all, you can take the furniture with you when you move.

In my opinion, adding a conservatory to your home is probably not the world’s greatest ever financial investment, however it is very worth while and beneficial, both for creating extra living space whilst you live in your home and as a very powerful tool to help sell your house, of which you should also recuperate most of it’s cost when reflected in the sale value anyway.

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