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FOOL'S EYE VIEW
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A friend of mine has recently been sprucing up his house in order to put it on the market and he got a bit offended the other day when I suggested he do something about the doors on his kitchen units. Some years ago he painted them - a dark red sponge effect pattern – and, to be honest, they now look rather dated. Considering the kitchen is one of the biggest selling points in a house, I thought he ought to brighten it up a bit by painting the doors white and replacing the handles. But he wouldn't have it. He likes them just the way they are and I think he's going to be out of pocket as a result. As it happens the BBC has just carried out a survey on the sort of decorating mistakes people make and what it costs them on the re-sale value of their homes. They claim sellers are losing as much as £10 billion a year because of their design crimes. The survey was carried out for a new television programme called The Million Pound Property Experiment that's due to start this week. Two property experts, Collin McAllister and Justin Ryan, are hoping to turn £100,000 into £1 million by buying, improving and selling on in just seven house moves. They've been filming it for two years and are on the last house now although whether it'll sell for £1 million isn't yet known. Any profits will go to Children in Need. Most of the 'design crimes' are easily remedied but it's surprising how the simplest things put off buyers. And that means lower offers. The following is a list of the top twelve 'design crimes' and the amount it could knock off the value of your home: 1. Dirty or paint spattered light switches - £3,000 Grubby light switches imply that the wiring in the house is old and will need to be replaced. Buyers will reduce the offer price as a result. 2. Stone cladding or pebbledash - £3,000 Take one look at Coronation Street and you'll see exactly why people have gone off stone cladding. Vera Duckworth has much to answer for. 3. Modern UPVC windows in an old or period property - £10,000 Bidders adjust their offers drastically, either as compensation to put up with them or as means of paying for re instatement of proper period windows. 4. Overcrowding rooms with furniture - £2,000 Too much furniture and clutter makes a room seem smaller than it really is. 5. Gnomes in the garden - £500 They're tacky and buyers will think you're strange and therefore your house must be too. 6. Dead or dying pot plants on show - £500 This suggests a badly lit or sick house. 7. Gloomy interior lighting - £500 Buyers may get the impression that there's not much natural light. It's also depressing. 8. Extension or porch which is not in keeping or is badly built - £2,000 (minimum) Ugly add-ons are a major detraction particularly if buyers think they'll have to knock down and rebuild.
9. Patterned or brightly coloured carpets - £2,500 Unless the buyer also likes loud swirly carpets, they're going to be thinking about the cost of replacing them.
10. Carpet in the kitchen or bathroom - £1,300 It's unhygienic and could be hiding dirt, damp and mould. 11. Walls painted in bold or clashing colours - £1,000 Unless the buyers like your colour choices, they're going to be looking at repainting. 12. Lime scale around the shower or bath - £500 It suggests a general lack of hygiene or cleanliness. Most people don't like grubby houses. The survey doesn't say how much my chum might lose if he does nothing about his paint-effect kitchen units but I reckon a coat of paint would add extra value. In the meantime, I'd better go and hide the garden gnome I gave him last Christmas! Visit our Homeowning & Mortgage centre and order our new re-morgage guide.