Love it or list it?

Making the right decision about your current or next home is very important. As much as we love remodelling and extending homes, it's not always the best thing to do. Let’s say you are planning to move on in 5 years to be closer to better schools, but you’ve been dreaming of creating an open-plan layout and think that adding another bedroom at the same time makes perfect sense. Well, as much as these alterations will add value to your home, if they cost more than you will reclaim when you sell, then it may not be the best use of your hard-earned savings.

If you plan to stay more than 10 years, however, these goalposts change. According to thisismoney.co.uk, the average house price in the UK increased by 73% between 2013 and 2023, so your investment is more likely to pay for itself over the longer term. However, it is important to note that this average percentage is based on a spectrum ranging from -15% in the City of Aberdeen to 119% in Waltham Forest, London. Therefore, it’s crucial to research what house prices are doing in your area before making any significant financial commitments.

If you are a follower of Channel 4’s ‘Kirsty and Phil’s Love It or List It’, you will have noticed that Kirsty’s extension proposals in recent episodes are being more cautious to reflect rises in construction costs. As the program focuses on carrying out the extensions and alterations proposed with the view that they will add value if you decide to sell straight away, it is crucial that the proposal “stacks up”. Our approach to answering the “are you going to love it, or are you going to list it?” question is to tackle this dilemma as a theoretical exercise. In other words, we think it’s safer to explore the potential of your home on paper before biting the bullet on construction.

A large part of the initial outlay you would typically encounter when appointing an architect is that of obtaining a professional measured survey. However, if your home design ambitions are still very much in the “will we or won’t we” camp, then cutting this initial outlay out of the process makes a lot of sense. Of course, we still need some floor plans to work from, but for feasibility exercises, we find that estate agents’ plans are generally good enough to enable us to prepare sketch proposals and budget estimates thereafter. If you don’t have any floor plans, that’s not a problem. Our associate, Thorin Creed, can pop round and measure up. To book an appointment with Thorin, please use the booking link below. 

So, where do we go from here?

If you are stuck in the “Love It or List It” dilemma camp, then contact us to book a free video call to discuss your requirements.

If you are already in camp “Love It,” click on the link below to find out more about our Design and Build service.

If you are already in camp “List It,” we can help you to sell your house by digitally enhancing your room photographs to show buyers the true potential of your home without lifting a paintbrush! We can also solve any layout issues to show your buyers how to improve the flow of spaces.