Dining Room Ideas

15 features that will sell your home

Play up these assets for a SOLD hammer.

You don’t need a home stylist to increase your property appeal. In fact, the features that most impress potential buyers might surprise you.   

According to Rated People’s recent Home Improvement Trends Report, six of the top 15 features that make buyers more likely to buy a property are external, with a garden lawn, security system, paved patio, outdoor lights, bi-fold doors and decking all working to increase the number of potential buyers for a property.

And inside? The big buyer attractions are functional additions like a downstairs toilet, built-in storage, a separate shower cubicle and underfloor heating.

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Who’d have thought clever storage solutions could sell your house? (Credit: Getty)

The floor plan de jour for the past few years has moved towards open plan, but interestingly, the survey reveals that having separate living spaces is more popular with prospective buyers.

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Forget open plan. Buyers are looking for separate living spaces now. (Credit: Getty)

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, says although some of the most attractive home improvements may look like bigger, more costly jobs to complete, there are clever and cost-effective ways to achieve similar looks, which could in turn increase the value of your home. “When it comes to selling, it’s a good idea to stay up to date with the features that buyers are looking for because the trends that were adding value just two to three years ago might now be devaluing properties.”

The research is taken from a wider study into renovation and interior design trends and other surprising buyer turnoffs.

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Outdoor lighting (Credit: Getty)

Here, the top 15 home improvements that attract the most buyers are:

  1. Downstairs toilet – 58%
  2. Built-in storage (wardrobes/cupboards) – 54%
  3. UPVC double glazing – 54%
  4. Separate shower cubicle – 52%
  5. Lawned garden – 51%
  6. Separate living spaces (opposite of open-plan) – 49%
  7. Security system – 47%
  8. Paved patio – 45%
  9. Outdoor lights – 41%
  10. Underfloor heating – 41%
  11. Marble work surface in kitchen – 38%
  12. Kitchen island – 37%
  13. Bi-fold doors to the garden – 35%
  14. Decking – 33%
  15. White window frames – 30%

(Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2020 ranked by the percentage of homeowners who said each feature would make them more likely to buy a property).

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