WHAT PROPERTY FEATURE LOSES VALUE FROM YOUR HOME?

What Property Feature Loses Value From Your Home?

Even though there is an elevated level of demand for property, selling your home is difficult. All it takes is one or two issues at your home to make prospective buyers think twice about making an offer. It is essential that homeowners are aware of aspects of their home that may harm their chances of making a sale and a new study indicates that a downstairs bathroom may do more harm than good when it comes to selling your home.

People who are slightly more experienced will remember times when it would have been deemed a luxury to have a toilet inside of the house, but it appears many buyers are turning their nose up at a toilet on the downstairs level of a property. Surely some people will see this as a convenience, but the survey undertaken by Direct Line Home Insurance suggests otherwise.

Don’t lose value when selling your home

The findings suggest that a downstairs bathroom can remove £13,000 from the asking price of a property. There is a lower level of demand for properties where the bathroom is downstairs as opposed to upstairs and if you are in London, the difference can amount to £27,000. The thought of having to trek down and upstairs in the middle of the night is obviously off-putting to many people, so it is something to bear in mind if you want to ensure your property is in significant demand.

Vendors must consider what buyers are looking for in a home

The survey suggested that around half of the respondents would be put off a property if it only had a downstairs bathroom and that 44% of respondents would have a lower level of interest in a home if there was no upstairs bathroom.

The survey suggests that many agents would advise homeowners to relocate their bathroom to the upper level if a sale was being planned.

Dan Simon is the head of home insurance at the firm that undertook the survey and he released a statement, saying; “Downstairs bathrooms are usually found in older properties accessed through the kitchen and despite them featuring in thousands of homes across the UK, they divide opinion. With some home buyers actively avoiding properties like this and others finding them much more convenient, especially if they are less mobile or have young children.”

As Stockport property specialists, we are here to make a difference, and we know that this finding will come as a shock to some people. If you are looking to sell your home, speak to us and we will offer guidance on what is the best way to promote your property. If you are looking for assistance in Stockport, give Spencer Harvey a call on 0161 480 8888 or send us an email at info@spencerharvey.co.uk. For a free valuation please visit: https://www.spencerharvey.co.uk/valuation-enquiry.html



To hear about the latest agency news, updates

and what's going on in your area,

subscribe to our newsletter now


Thinking of selling or letting your property?

Book a free valuation today!