Upgrades to add £10,000 to a home’s asking price

According to property platforms such as Rightmove and Zoopla, energy-efficient homes can sell faster and can even add up to £10,000 to your selling price.

Ryan Willdig, sustainability expert at Heatforce, says that sellers are finally waking up to the idea that green homes aren’t just better for the planet, but also can help you get the best selling price for your home.

We’re seeing more and more buyers enquiring about solar panels, heat pumps and EPC ratings – it’s great as it’s showing that awareness is spreading among homebuyers with-regard-to future-proofing their home, how much money they can save someone in the long-run, and how much better these changes are for the environment.

Here are five sustainable home improvements that Ryan from Heatforce suggests making to increase your property’s appeal and asking price:

Installing solar panels

Solar panels can be off-putting because of the upfront cost, but they’re something to celebrate in your house listing. Solar panels can cost anywhere from £5,000 to £10,000, depending on the size of a property, but research has shown that you can add 10-14% to your asking price, and it’s appealing to those that are planning to move into your property as their forever home. The return often greatly outweighs the outlay.

Add battery storage

By pairing solar panels with battery storage, you’re maximising energy efficiency, and can save more money on your monthly bills. This is what’ll be appealing to potential buyers, being able to save on the monthly electricity bills, especially with more people working from home and utilising electricity during the day. Likewise – it gives you a sense of independence. Independence from the sort of price-gouging we saw in the Pandemic and an opportunity to generate and keep more of your energy.

During the day, your solar panels often produce more electricity than your home may need. This is where batteries come in; they can store your unused energy for you to use at a later date.

Improve your home’s insulation

There are lots of different types of insulation to install in your home, everything from loft insulation to underfloor options. Improving the thermal performance of your home is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to boost efficiency, which then translates into buyer confidence.

Buyers often look at what types of insulation are already installed around the house and it’s definitely one to prioritise.

Fit an EV charging point

With new research stating that around 20% of the UK own an electric or hybrid car, it makes sense to fit an EV charging point to appeal to an extra one in five potential buyers.

With this number rising year-on-year, more and more people will be looking for EV charging ports so that they can charge their cars overnight. With initial costs starting from around £900, it’s not the biggest cost that your home could face when you know it could help you sell your home quicker, and for more money.

Boost your EPC rating

There are so many small switches that you can make to boost your EPC rating. Some of these may just be sealing up some draughts, adding thermostatic radiator valves or switching to LED lighting.

These three things alone can change your rating and potentially add value to your property price!