With all the different DIY and property shows on television it is perhaps no surprise that they have inspired the nation to get their hands dirty and get into DIY. This is what the Alliance and Leicester found.
Decorating is top of the list for improving the appearance of the home, closely followed by installing a new bathroom and changing the flooring. The Alliance and Leicester though suggested loft conversions or fitting a new kitchen would be the best options for increasing the value of the home. In the past these have often been funded through the mortgage though this may not be as accessible now.
At the end of the day it comes down to the balance between enjoying living in a property and making it more valuable and desirable when it comes to selling. This is the dilemma every property owner faces say the Alliance and Leicester, but at the end of the day a home should be just that.
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Good news for those seeking a mortgage comes from the Abbey National, where fees on their flexible mortgage products will be GBP1,000 lower than they were at just GBP1,499.
The Abbey National flexible mortgage deals allow customers to offset their savings against their mortgage, pay more than is required and also take holidays from paying for periods of time. The benefits of such mortgages are supreme flexibility and the chance to clear a mortgage in a much shorter time than a regular one, saving many thousands of pounds in the process by paying less interest.
Although the flexible mortgage deals offered by the Abbey are very good ones there are question marks over how many people are actually buying property at the moment, so there may be a bigger market for them with existing homeowners who are coming off a fixed rate deal.
The current state of the housing market means that most home improvements are not adding any more to the asking price than they cost said the Abbey National.
A home extension can leave someone selling the property around GBP20,000 out of pocket if they were to sell straight after getting the work done, while a new conservatory or kitchen can easily leave them down by GBP14,000. The only home improvements the Abbey National feel are worth doing for those selling a property are the cosmetic ones such as decorating.
The key to home improvements then is to undertake them only if the plan is to stay in the property. This way they become a real benefit to the homeowner said an Abbey National spokesperson. It is understood that well over 8 million people will be improving their homes in the coming year which may prove a revealing statistic in what is a dormant market.
