Adding value to MY home

Making MY home more valuable

Of all the ways to maximise the existing space in your home, adding an extension is probably the most ambitious but it can also bring you the greatest rewards.

Creating your ideal space

Your best bet for an extension is to choose between something that joins seamlessly with the style of the rest of your house, or something focal and distinctive. Glass extensions are popular even on period homes, but consider a style that won't jar and put off future buyers.

When adding extra space, look at your house as a whole and decide what you need in order to maintain a balance. For example, don't add extra bedrooms if the living room is tiny. Extensions, by virtue of being on the ground floor, lend themselves to family-friendly kitchens and dining rooms. The key thing is to have a workable plan in place before you start.

How much to invest?

Prices vary depending on what you do, but at it's simplest, it could come in at about the same cost as moving to a bigger house. Don't presume you'll get your money back, as so much depends on the market value of your home.

Research the average price of properties in the area. If average prices for similar properties are £200,000, for example, it's unlikely that adding an extension will increase the value of your home much above this threshold. Adding an extension should be a lifestyle choice, as it's possible it will cost the same amount to build as the value it adds to your property. This is all about creating the ideal home for you and your family.

Extension ideas

You can create extra bedrooms, bathrooms and more living space by converting loft space. With starting prices at around £8,000 to £15,000, it's cheaper than an extension, and most lofts are suitable for conversion provided they have a minimum roof height of 2.4 metres. Disruption is minimal, especially in the early stages, as access is usually gained via scaffolding from the roof, and the work should be completed within a month or so.

Open up your home

Gone are the days when everyone wanted a separate kitchen, living room and dining area - now most of us want open-plan living, with lots of sociable space and big windows to let in plenty of natural light.

Creating a better view

Installing extra or bigger windows won't necessarily add value to your home but will certainly make it a brighter place to live. As a result they could make it more desirable to future buyers, particularly as lighter rooms look bigger than they are.

Make the kitchen the heart of your home

The kitchen is often the centre of family life. Dramatic, focal-point kitchens are real winners, but think long term if you are planning to sell in the near future - go for simple and classic.

The right kitchen really will sell a house, and the opposite is also true. While you want a look that you love, you always have to keep your future buyer at the back of your mind, and balance your dreams with their opinions, too.

It's possible to spend many tens of thousands of pounds on a designer kitchen, but something between £10,000 and £20,000 is more likely.

Adding a new bathroom

Bathrooms tend to have a shorter shelf life than kitchens, so a new suite will be a lure for buyers.

The trend in new houses is to have at least one bedroom with an en suite fitted as standard, so think about how to include one in your house.

You could pick up a simple, but stylish, suite for as little as £400, but a feature bath will cost several hundred pounds or more. Creating a wet room starts at about £4,000, but remember to add on the cost of tiling a complete room.

The new wish list

Just as a toilet inside the house was on everyone's wish list 50 years ago, there are now whole new raft of must-haves for the 21st century home. This is the kind of extra that - if you can squeeze it in - may seal the deal with a prospective buyer:

• The home office:.essential if you work from home. Why not turn a small box bedroom into a home office.
• The utility room:. moving the laundry equipment from the kitchen into another area frees up space and removes washing and ironing from the kitchen. Extending the kitchen is the perfect opportunity to introduce a utility area. A spacious downstairs toilet is also a candidate - stacking the tumble dryer on top of the washing machine makes efficient use of space.
• The dressing room: this one is good for creating true luxury.

Spend money outdoors

Don't let a dingy exterior undo all your good work inside.

First impressions count, so keep the garden and the front of the house smart. Low maintenance plants and hard landscaping are great.

Small feature plants are inexpensive - choose slow-growing shrubs or elegant grasses. Gravel is also a great surface for front gardens. Gravel is also a good security measure.

For the rear garden be guided by where you live. Low-maintenance is great for busy professionals, but families will find a grassy lawn play space much more appealing.

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