10 things that will devalue your house

If you’re looking to take the plunge and sell your home, you will want to achieve the maximum sale price and accept an offer that is as close to your valuation as possible.

However, there are a whole host of potential problems that could affect the value and sale price of your property.

To help, we’ve mapped out ten issues that could devalue your house that you need to be aware of.

House devaluation quiz

1. Does removing a conservatory devalue your house?

While conservatories can be an appealing addition to a home and add valuable square footage, in certain circumstances, they could be better removed to increase the value of your property.

If your conservatory is run down, dated, and was built a significant time ago, it could devalue your house.

Consider removing your conservatory if it:

• Is old and dated
• Cannot be used during hot or cold months
• Takes up space that could be used as an extension or to increase the size of your garden

It is well worth considering how functional your conservatory is and whether keeping it could reduce your property’s value.

2. Smoking

It is a known fact that smoking indoors can make your home less desirable and significantly devalue it.

There are several reasons for this, which include:

• Cigarette smoke can stain walls, ceilings, furniture, window frames and floors
• Smoke can create an unpleasant smell throughout the home which is difficult to remove
• Unsightly stains and odours can instantly put off potential buyers when they enter your home

3. Will a neighbour’s extension devalue my house?

A neighbour’s extension can often become a tricky subject and can at times cause disagreements.

Despite your neighbour being granted the appropriate planning permission for an extension, if it is too large or imposing, it can be off-putting for potential buyers through fear of being overlooked or blocking out sunlight.

Therefore, depending on the size, positioning and how imposing your neighbour’s extension is, this could end up devaluing your property.

4. Poor décor

We all have our personal tastes when it comes to home décor. However, when looking to sell your house, the colour palette needs to be appealing and to a standard that prospective buyers won’t envisage needing to spend too much time or money adapting.

Any extreme decorative changes will stick in the minds of buyers and will impact any offers, which will likely mean these will be reduced to factor in décor adjustments.

Ensure your home is decorated to a standard that will appeal to a broad range of buyers – aiming for a neutral colour scheme will act as a blank canvas and appeal to more potential buyers. This is one of the key tips for selling your house successfully

5. Clutter and lack of depersonalisation

Decluttering your home ahead of viewings is often cited as one of the best ways to help sell your house quickly.

A cluttered home will not only look unattractive and unsightly to potential owners, but it can be a complete turn-off as they won’t be able to easily envisage themselves living in that space.

It is vital that when selling your home you depersonalise it. Removing personal items such as photographs, personal canvases, and prints will help create an emotional connection and enable buyers to imagine themselves living there.

If the house is full of clutter, photographs and personal items, it could put off buyers, prevent them from being able to see the house as theirs and lead to your home being devalued.

Read more in our blog: Reasons to declutter your home before trying to sell.

6. Do high crime rates affect my home's value?

High levels of crime can be a significant turn-off for potential buyers, which could devalue your home.

If your street or area that you live has high crime rates and is deemed an unsafe place to live, this can have a detrimental impact on your offer amount. Learn more about how to sell a house in a bad neighbourhood.

While there isn’t much that can be done to reduce crime in your area, you could investigate crime levels, look to seek advice from your local Neighbourhood Watch group or install security cameras and specialised doorbells to help put potential buyers’ minds at ease.

7. Poor local schools

When it comes to purchasing a property, the standard of local schools is a key factor in determining the value of a house and will impact a buyer’s offer.

Catchment areas of high-performing schools are always high on the lists of families looking to buy a new home, or couples looking ahead to settling before starting a family.

If your house sits within a catchment area of poor-performing primary or secondary schools, this is highly likely to impact its value.

However, if your house is in a catchment area of a school rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, this can significantly increase the value of your property.

8. Lack of kerb appeal

Nothing can be more off-putting to potential buyers than a property that has been uncared for.

It instantly creates disappointment, a feeling that can be extremely difficult to shift. Whether it is an overgrown front garden, leaves, and debris on the approach to the front door or paintwork that is in desperate need of a bit of TLC, kerb appeal counts enormously in the minds of buyers.

Alongside the negative first impression, it is also unlikely that a buyer will want to pay full price for a property that has had little care put into it and that needs a great deal of work to reach an acceptable, liveable standard.

9. Will a low energy efficiency rating devalue my home?

Since the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in 2007, energy efficiency ratings have grown in importance for potential buyers.

If your property is deemed as having low energy efficiency, it could lead to buyers putting in a reduced offer – due to them realising they will lose money in increased energy bills once they have made the purchase and moved in.

A stronger efficiency rating is more likely to lead to a higher offer value. However, even with a solid EPC rating, a surveyor may still value your property lower than the offer you’ve accepted, which can impact the sale. Find out more about what happens if your house valuation is less than the offer.

There are several ways that you could look to increase the energy efficiency rating of your property, including:

• Installing insulation throughout your home
• Replacing standard light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs
• Upgrading your boiler to a more energy-efficient model
• Reviewing your specific EPC and making the necessary steps outlined

10. Other factors

There are several other factors that can devalue your house, including:

• Poor levels of cleanliness and unwanted odours
• Traffic and noise pollution
• Over renovation
• An unattractive property exterior
• Extreme issues, such as subsidence, water damage, or Japanese Knotweed
• Noisy neighbours
• Superstition – such as house name, road name or number

If your property is affected by any of these issues, read our full guide on selling a house with problems for tailored advice.

Get in touch today

If you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed by the factors that could devalue your house, we are here to help.

Selling your home to a genuine cash house-buying service, such as House Buyer Bureau, means that you won’t have to deal with any viewings, and we’ll even purchase properties which need a bit of TLC.

Get in touch today for an initial no-obligation house valuation to see if we can help you — or find out more about how we buy any house, regardless of condition.