ITEMS THAT CAN DE-VALUE YOUR HOME

As estate agents we are always trying to put a positive slant on the market whilst at the same time trying to offer advice on how to improve the value of your home. Whether it be by creating a fourth bedroom, adding a sun lounge or replacing kitchens and bathrooms. Whilst these items can affect the value of your property, on many occasions this may not be the case and such a judgement is dependent upon the circumstances of each property. But in a report published this week, there are certain points that have been brought to one's attention that can de-value your home. One of these is anti-social neighbours. The law requires that a vendor should disclose such neighbours within the Property Information Questionnaire of the Home Information Pack. Illegal home improvements are always a contentious issue. Insure that you have building regulations for any work that you have undertaken and additionally Listed Building Consent, should your property be listed. Other points to consider are an increase in crime levels in a location, poor workmanship, but more importantly what has become particularly detrimental to the value of a house is that the nearby school gets a poor Ofsted report. According a recent report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors a buyer can pay an average of an 8% premium on a home that is located within a catchment area of a so called "good school".