The best garden improvements to boost the value of your home this summer
The latest market insight from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, has revealed which garden features make the most worthwhile project for homebuyers this summer, based on the actual value they add to a home once the cost of implementing them has been accounted for, with some adding as much as £8,000 to the value of a home.
Yopa looked at some of the most popular garden additions that homeowners may be considering adding this summer, the boost they are perceived to bring to the value of a home, and the actual added value once accounting for the cost of adding each feature.
The research shows that the most worthwhile garden addition to make to your home this summer is a garden room or office. It’s estimated that a garden room adds 7.5% to the value of a home, which equates to £20,356 on the current average UK house price of £271,415.
With the average cost to implement a garden room coming in at £12,000, that’s £8,356 in actual added value once costs are accounted for.
Professionally landscaping your garden also ranks as one of the best garden improvements you can make. Whilst it will set you back around £5,400 on average to do, it’s thought to add 4.5% or £12,214 to the value of a home, meaning an actual increase in value to the tune of £6,814.
The addition of a patio or decking completes the top three best garden home improvements for this summer, adding £6,671 in value once costs have been accounted for.
But if you don’t have a major budget to make improvements to your garden, you may want to consider upgrading your garden shed. It’s the cheapest project to take on at an average cost of £1,280, but is thought to add as much as £6,786 in value. That means the actual added value of a good garden shed comes in at £5,505, making it a cost-effective way to boost the value of your home.
When it comes to which garden features to avoid, a hot tub is thought to be the least worthwhile addition. Whilst it adds around £8,000 in value, one will cost you almost £7,000 on average, meaning the actual added value to your home comes in marginally below £1,400.
Yopa’s National Franchise Director, Steve Anderson, commented:
“Whilst the Great British summer might be unpredictable at best, we love spending time in our gardens and so investing in garden home improvements can be a worthwhile endeavour, not just in terms of your personal enjoyment, but also when it comes to the potential value of your home.
Of course, some improvements are likely to add more value than others but it’s also important to consider the cost required to implement these improvements.
Generally speaking, anything that improves the look and layout, or adds usable space will appeal to potential buyers. However, the more extravagant additions such as a hot tub, BBQ island or fire pit, or an outdoor bar, won’t hold the same appeal across the board.”