Stay, Don’t Pay: Smart Home Upgrades as Stamp Duty Rises
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With stamp duty set to rise sharply at the end of March, more homeowners may choose to stay put and invest in improving their current homes instead.
In light of this, experts from our client’s National Homebuilding & Renovating Show offer guidance on the best home upgrades to consider across three different budget levels.
TIM PHILLIPS, founder of Quantiv and quantity surveyor for the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show:
£500 budget
Homeowners on a low budget should focus their attention on impactful, affordable improvements that upgrade not only the appeal but also increase functionality. This can range in everything from something as simple as giving the property a fresh new coat of paint in key rooms, e.g., the living room or kitchen. Replacing minor fittings such as door handles, light switches, and taps. This could also include energy-saving measures, such as draught-proofing of windows and doors or installing LED lighting throughout, a decent resolution that would help cut energy bills while improving comfort.
£2,000 budget
With this type of mid-range budget, homeowners can do some pretty significant updates that will introduce a new look and increased value into the home. Outdated flooring replaced with laminate, engineered wood, or high-quality carpets in a key hallway or living room can make all the difference. Alternatively, update the kitchen or bathroom with new cabinet doors, worktops, or a sleek, modern vanity. Energy-conscious owners might invest in smart thermostats or improved loft insulation, which could pay off long term.
£5,000 budget
If your budget can increase, you could do those more structural or functional changes that really add in both appeal and usability to a home. This can be taking away the non-load-bearing wall to open up a kitchen-diner, pending appropriate checks by professionals, i.e Structural Engineer. Installing bi-fold doors and letting natural light in, or fitting underfloor heating in high-traffic areas like the kitchen. Those seeking energy efficiency may want to invest in double-glazed windows or an advanced heating system that could future-proof the property and lower ongoing costs.
RICHARD HAWKES, founder of Richard Hawker Architecture, architect for the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show:
£500 budget
Understand how much energy your home uses. Understand how big the pie is and where you’re using the most energy. That way you’ll be able to make more informed decisions as & when you decide what to do next.
There’s a very clever free tool you can use which finds out how much energy your house is likely to use based on data it scrapes from various resources; https://app.ecofurb.com/
It then comes up with various suggestions about things you could do to reduce energy, cost and / or carbon.
Or you could get a more bespoke & individualised home energy masterplan which costs £470; https://ecofurb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ecofurb-sample-plan-v4.0.pdf
With this in hand you can then make much more informed decisions about where to invest money into your property and how effectively that investment might return itself in savings and carbon emissions.
£2,000 budget
Having perhaps first found out how big the pie is and how you could make it smaller following recommendations from your home energy masterplan, you could look at various items on the list; from changing a shower head to reduce water consumption to changing light bulbs to LEDs to switching to a smart tariff and utilising delay timers to put appliances on on to bigger investments like adding insulation into your loft (afterall heat does rise !) or reducing draughts to reduce heat leakage. There are often lots of small things which £2,000 (minus the cost of the energy masterplan) could do to dynamically reduce both heating and operational energy consumption.
£5,000 budget
Looking further down the list of opportunities to reduce running costs you might begin to look at larger projects like adding secondary glazing, replacing windows, adding extra insulation. Or you may desire to be less dependant on gas or oil for energy and switch to a lower carbon solution to heat your home. There are grants available to help soften the blow. I’m a huge fan of long wave infrared heating, for example. Not infrared panels, they’re too intense. Long I.R. (from companies such as Energy Carbon or AstecTherm) are extremely efficient, have few components or moving parts and are extremely efficient, effective and requiring of so little infrastructure it is quite the heating revolution !
So just to recap. Find out how big the pie is, see what can be done to reduce the size of the pie and then look at finding ways to service this new smaller & more efficient pie !
MARIANNE SUHR, founder of The Old House Consultancy, chartered building surveyor for the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show:
£500 budget
If you’ve just got £500 to spend, then maintenance is always a good investment. Commission a drain survey with cctv camera to check all is well underground, and get then jetted at the same time. This should be less than £300, leaving enough to get gutters cleared and checked with the remaining budget.
£2,000 budget
If you have £2,000 to spend, then window maintenance should be high on your list. Timely redecoration to wooden sashes and casements will stop decay, keep them looking their best and avoid the need for more extensive, costly repairs or replacement.
£5,000 budget
Depending on how many single glazed windows you have, £5,000 may pay for good quality secondary glazing, either with magnetic plastic panels that are great for lifting out in the warmer months, or a toughened glass sliding system that stays in all year. If you don’t open the window during the winter, then magnetic lift-out is a winner. Try Magneglaze or Extra Glaze for DIY solutions, Cocoon or Mitchell and Dickinson if you want it fitted professionally. All systems, properly fitted, will minimise condensation and heat loss. Glass systems also provide window security and best accoustic insulation on busy roads. Try Selectaglaze or Storm Windows. Finally, Gecko Glazing has a unique DIY solution that is worth checking out.
LUCY WILLCOX, founder of Lucy Willcox Garden Design, part of “Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club” and garden designer for the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show:
£500 budget
On a £500 budget I would suggest the best thing to do first off would be to give the garden good tidy and spruce up. Plus, add some really beautiful seasonal plants, either in the planting bed or in large pots for some instant impact.
Sometimes on a tighter budget large pots create more interest and impact than adding plants into a planting bed, as you can produce some really fantastic seasonal displays with them.
When selecting your plants you need to use the mantra “Right Plant, Right Place”. Work out the aspect of where you want your plants, sunny or shade spots and choose your plants to suit. And always selects plants suitable for your soil type.
When thinking about planting selections you want a good combination of evergreen structure some flowering perennials possibly some grasses and some good ground cover.
£2,000 budget
On a £2,000 budget there are some great tips to giving the space a visual uplift. But before you start buying items for the garden, think about how you really want to use the space. Put a wish list together: entertaining, relaxing, dining, bbq, somewhere for the kids to play and for you to relax?
Think about zoning the garden to make the most of the space. Possibly using planting beds or even furniture layouts to determine and create those zones. There can be simple ways to create what you want by some thoughtful planning.
There are some great furniture options on the market which always make a space for fresh and inviting. Again you could add in some new planting, either in the planting bed, in troughs or pots.
£5,000 budget
And for the £5,000 budget you’ve got more options available to make a bigger impact. One feature that’s becoming increasingly popular are metal pergola. London Stone have some great ones to choose from. https://www.londonstone.co.uk/aluminium-pergolas/. They are great in many ways, as they provide a focal point in the garden, the extend the seasons of being able to using the garden, especially if you add heaters and they also provides some much needed shade in our increasing hotter summers. A new pergola and furniture could be a great addition to a garden, surrounded by some gorgeous planting. A great way to create an oasis of calm! Always check your local planning laws before you install any outside structures.
To attend the National Homebuilding & Renovating Shows for free (20-23 March, NEC, Birmingham), claim your complimentary tickets via www.homebuildingshow.co.uk/pr-general-outlets.
