Home Improvement for Warminster Property Owners

Unless you have been living on Mars (and not in Warminster) for the last few years, you will have realised that the value of your property is no longer guaranteed to increase year-on-year. Estate agents will tell you that it is a buyer's market, and has probably never been a worse time to sell.

In these recessional times, and pending an upturn in the Warminster property market, many homeowners are turning to home improvement and DIY (or perhaps DBSE - Done By Someone Else!) to increase the value of their homes. If you have a house for sale in Warminster, there are worse things you could do than look to increase its' value pending a sale.

This could be anything from simply redecorating your property and giving your garden a facelift, through to more costly changes such as adding a loft conversion, conservatory, double glazing or new central heating. The possibilities are endless as long as you are careful, savvy with your budgets and use appropriately experienced and recommended tradesmen to carry out the work (we'll assume here you don't plan on knocking up a conservatory yourself!).

According to Greg Lewis, of Greg Lewis Carpentry in Westbury (Tel: 01373 826400 www.lewis-carpentry.co.uk) the key trend at the moment is "gaining space". Greg comments "One of the key areas I have found where people are adding value to their homes is gaining space with an extension. These tend to be for an additional bedroom, a larger kitchen, an office or a family room. Also knocking down internal walls to convert 2 rooms into 1 room is a popular option as it can create fresh and more practical living space."

Simon Hill, of Simon Hill Architectural Design, Warminster (Tel: 01985 217623 www.simon-hill.co.uk) agrees that there is a trend for home improvement. "With changes in the economic climate, homeowners are improving and extending their existing properties to maximise space potential and future value of their homes. From single storey extensions to enlarge a kitchen or dining area, to two storey extensions to provide additional living accommodation and extra bedrooms / bathrooms to accommodate for growing families."

Simon continues, "With increasing popularity for contemporary designed extensions clad in modern materials with a large expanse of glass, it can be often suited to the character of the property and local area to keep the design of the extension in keeping with the existing property. To improve your home efficiently and effectively, ensure you have thought through all your requirements, and potential possibilities."

Designing/fitting a new kitchen is apparently also very popular at the moment. A lot of time is spent in the kitchen and it is often the focal point of a house. If budget does not extend to replacing the whole kitchen then there are companies (such as Bluebell Interiors, High Street, Warminster Tel: 01985 988192) who can supply made to measure replacement door and drawer fronts so that your existing kitchen carcasses can remain. Alternatively you could replace your worktop to freshen up or modernise your kitchen.

Many people choose to create more space upwards rather than outwards with a loft conversion as this is a good way to add an extra bedroom/bathroom.

Replacing external windows and doors can make a dramatic difference to the appearance of a house - solid oak front doors in particular are currently very in favour. It is surprising how something like renewing old wooden fascia and soffit boards with PVC can tidy up the look of your house as well as making maintenance much easier. Greg Lewis comments, "I have many clients opting to change their internal doors as this can make a huge difference to the overall look of your house too."

For DIY and home improvements purchases in Warminster, the logical choices are Cordens Ironmongers on the High Street (Tel: 01985 212115), and Sydenhams Builders Merchants on Crusader Park (Tel: 01985 213505 www.sydenhams.co.uk)