Kitchens and bathrooms were once considered the biggest selling point of a property, but over a third of house buyers would purchase their new home based purely on a good view, according to new research.
A beautiful view of the great outdoors from inside the home can have a considerable influence on the value of the property. The majority of homeowners (87.5 per cent) believe that a garden view can add up to £15,000 onto the value of the home, while over half of homeowners consider a garden to be important.
Location, location, location is still a key element in the appeal of a house, as over a third of homeowners would choose a sea view as their favourite landscape. A quarter of homeowners prefer a view of the countryside, while 15 per cent enjoy a mountain or hill landscape outside their windows.
The research, which was commissioned by Origin, UK manufacturer of bi-folding doors, found that over half of the 2,000 homeowners asked thought the best room in their house is the one with the best views of the outside.
According to the study, a regretful 51 per cent of people feel they don’t normally get anywhere near enough time to enjoy their home and garden due to the British weather. However, the warm summer experienced in 2013 meant three in five homeowners have been able to make improvements to their gardens and outside space as a result. In fact, half of these feel the toil has paid off and their improvements to the garden have added value to their property overall.
Even if the weather doesn’t usually allow them to get outside, that doesn’t stop homeowners from appreciating the scenery outside – four in ten regularly take a few quiet minutes to just gaze out of the window at their surroundings.
Neil Ginger, CEO of Origin, said: “Over 80 per cent of homeowners agree that the British countryside and views are the main benefits of living in this country. Over the last two years we have witnessed an 86 per cent increase in bi-folding door sales, which shows that homeowners want to make the most of these stunning views.
"Bi-folding doors add value to a property by bringing the outside in and giving homeowners a great view, all year round.”
