When we think of adding value to our properties, we have no doubt that you could list tons of home improvements that would bump up the figures. However, it turns out that us Brits are not so good at recognising what renovation mistakes to steer clear of particularly owners of period properties where traditional features bring loads of character and charm to the property. Owners of Victorian or Georgian style dwellings would do well to choose to repair rather than remove or replace original or distinctive features with something completely different. Otherwise, owners could end up devaluing their home by 10%!
Tap Warehouse surveyed 1000 Brits about which historic features they would remove or alter, and then asked property experts how these alterations could devalue a home. We were shocked to read that only 5% of homeowners said they would not change anything with a whopping 95% saying they would! The top six period features Brits would remove were:
Source: Tap Warehouse
After speaking with property experts, it was reported that the surveyed Brits could be unwillingly devaluing their home by as much as 10%. To put that into perspective, with the average house price in the UK standing at £269,945, removing as much as 10% off the value could mean losing out on up to £26,995 from your wallet.
Most interesting for us was the finding that 25% of the Brits surveyed said they would change their timber or sash windows. In our line of work, replacing timber windows with uPVC in a period home would be discouraged because the aim for most of these homeowners is to preserve as much originality as possible. Replacing like for like is always advised rather than replacing with something completely different. In fact, owners of listed properties or homes within in areas of conservation would not even receive planning permission to replace timber for uPVC.
In the article by Tap Warehouse, it was reported that “if Brits were to use the wrong type of material such as UPVC this could devalue the home by £12,000 as buyers of period homes want wooden windows”. Plus, a staggering “1 in 4 Brits would change the timber sash windows in their period property, which could devalue the property by 1% – taking £2,699 off the property’s value”.
It was also reported that choosing to install timber double-glazed windows in a period property will add 10% to the house value. Amounting to an extra £27k for the average UK home. We can certainly agree with this.
In fact, London-based Estate Agent, Mr McConville recently assured our sister company, Wandsworth Sash Windows:
“Installing new, double-glazed windows in a period property is a great thing for potential vendors to do. It increases the kerb appeal of a property, showing off the beautiful features to would-be buyers that drive past. It can also increase your property value, often by more than it costs to do. We recently sold a property in Streatham that a vendor had valued before and after having their windows replaced. The owner spent £12k on replacing her windows, and her property was valued (and sold for) £35k more than it was valued at originally”.
What can we offer at Parsons Joinery?
We can either:
- Repair your existing wooden windows or sash windows, meaning we can install new double-glazed sashes into the existing box frames. When fitting new sashes into your existing box frames, we will fully draught seal your windows, hang the window on new cords and fit a complete set of ironmongery. On request, we can also repaint the existing timber.
- Replace the whole window, meaning completely new box frame and double-glazed sashes will be installed. Fear not, although we are replacing your windows, you will not know the difference. We have worked in period properties for many years, so we know how to work with and around the challenges those older buildings often encounter.
Whichever option you choose, you will be able to maintain the beaty of the window’s heritage, whilst benefiting from modern technology and super energy efficiency.
