By Sarah Macklin 
You’ve probably heard of a house’s ‘ceiling’ value, AKA, the absolute maximum price you can sell it for. There are some renovation jobs that will increase its value, but also some that likely won’t make much of a difference.
Renovations that fall into the latter category may be a waste of money if you’re trying to increase a property’s value to sell it. So, when trying to increase the value of your home, you want to do the things that will make the biggest difference.
Luckily, MyToolShed has done the hard work for us and worked out the 9 garden features that could increase the value of your home by a huge £230k!
“This year it’s going to be more important than ever to have space that can be used to enjoy the outdoors. Here in the UK, as lockdown restrictions begin to ease, having space outside where homeowners can entertain is going to be in high demand over the coming months.”
“As a result, the nation’s back gardens could be in for a heavy makeover this year, so we’ve dug out some tips for you to give you a guide in what you should be looking to add to your garden this year. This will not only keep your back garden on-trend, but also add value to your home in the process.”
1. Decking
Everyone wants an easy life, and gardening can be tough work. You pull 10 weeds up and 20 come back. The grass needs mowing, the flowers need deadheading and the patio needs jetwashing. Well, decking could add 10% to the value of your property. With the average house price in the UK at nearly £250k, you could see a return in value of around £25k.
Not only is decking easy to maintain and easy to clean, but it can look sleek and modern too.
2. Exterior paint
Paint can instantly transform anything – an old piece of furniture, a rusty car, and more. And the same can go for a house. By adding a fresh coat of exterior paint, you could add 5% to the value of your home, or around £12.5k.
3. Weatherproof coating
Weatherproof coating can be quite pricey, around £5k. But the benefits certainly outweigh the potential costs. A weatherproof coating can prevent issues with damp further down the line, but could also add anywhere between £7k and £9k to a property, making the investment worthwhile.
Alternatively, if you don’t have the money to spend on weatherproofing, you can use a weatherproof paint, combining this and feature #2!
4. Outbuildings
We’ve spent a lot of time at home this year, so is it any wonder that we want to improve our usable spaces? Garden outbuildings have been quite the thing for some time, but now more than ever. A garden can hold an extra office space, an art studio, a movie room and more! Whatever you want, you can have it in your garden, and these outbuildings could add up to 10% to the value of your home, which is another £25k.
5. Bifold doors
Again, bifolding doors are all about combining your home and garden space to make it flow freely and incorporate your garden as another part of the home. Bifold doors can be pricey, but they’re very sought after and could make your home that much more desirable.
6. Hot tub
Yes, really. A hot tub is the thing on the list that could increase your home’s value the most, up to a huge 27% in fact. These used to be considered a real luxury, something not many properties had, but now more people want them, and they’re cropping up everywhere. Just think of the pool parties you could have!
7. Swimming pool
Similar to a hot tub, many people in the UK also want a swimming pool. While many homes don’t have the land space for one, if you do, you could see the property’s value increase by around 22%.
8. A conservatory
As with bifold doors and additional outbuildings, a conservatory is a great way to bring the outdoors in while also extending your home’s useable space. They could add around 10% to your home’s value, too.
9. A firepit
Firepits are garden features that have become much more popular in the last couple of years. This is especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all forced to meet people outside during the depths of winter. You can pick up and install a firepit for a good price, but you could increase your home’s value by around 1%. While this doesn’t sound a lot, it could add a total of around £3k!
