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UK buyers choose renovation properties to try to save money, research suggests

Some 8% bought a home needing renovation but found that in reality they could not afford to do the work and 10% ended up living on a ‘building site’ for a year or more before starting the work.

The research from price comparison site Confused.com also found that for those who
persevere the hard work can be worth it 19% made a profit of between £25,000 and £50,000 from a successful renovation project.
 
The sale prices of properties that need renovation are normally much lower than the prevailing market price in that particular locality. On average, home owners who have bought a renovation property have saved themselves £44,037.

Home renovators are paying on average £152,792 for a property that needed some work done to it, compared to the average UK house price which is valued at £196, 829.

Some 38% admitted to buying a property that needed some work as it saved them thousands of pounds compared to buying a home that needed no work. In fact, 40% of home owners admit they would buy a property that needed renovation if it saved them money.

On average, home owners spent £33,089 on doing up their properties with 12% spending more than £50,000 renovating their home. Some 62% did work on the kitchen and 61% on the bathroom.

However, renovating a property can often be more expensive than first anticipated with 45% of home owners saying they spent more than intended, with many spending £2,886 over their budget.

Indeed, some 26% ended up going over their budget by more than £5,000 and 22% said that they would never buy a renovation project again. And the research also found that 41% who have carried out renovation work on their property have not let their insurer know.

‘As house prices seem to be continuing to rise, it would appear that more and more people are resorting to buying properties that need renovation. Deciding to renovate a property is a big decision and often more expensive than first anticipated,’ said Gareth Lane, head of home insurance at the firm.

 

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