Kitchens 'vital' to increasing property value

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Improving a property's kitchen and bathrooms are the most effective way to add to its value and saleability, according to a home improvement expert.

Kitchens in particular are increasingly seen as the central point of a household's social dynamic and as a result prospective buyers are likely to examine their quality first, claimed Andrew Leach, technical consultant to the National Home Improvement Council.

Any landlord looking to sell one of their properties should also be aware of the importance of the bathroom in attracting a prospective buyer for a house or flat, he explained.

"The first thing to do is look at your bathroom and kitchen because, although you don't see them from the outside, you definitely have to have them in good order," Mr Leach said.

"The kitchen is definitely the kind of place you need to update. The kitchen these days is becoming more and more aplace where you meet people, rather than the lounge," he added.

According to the Nationwide, the quality of a property's bedrooms and bathrooms can add more than five per cent to its value.

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