When the British summer heats up, keeping your home cool can suddenly become a top priority. And with warmer days putting our homes to the test, you might be wondering whether air conditioning is worth the investment.
As well as making your home more comfortable, could air conditioning make it more appealing to future buyers? And, importantly, does air conditioning add value to your home?
Let's take a look.
Does air conditioning add value to a house?
There's no guarantee that installing air conditioning will increase the value of your home. However, a good-quality, professionally installed system could make your property more appealing to certain buyers.
How much difference it makes will depend on your property, its location and what buyers in your local market are looking for.
For example, air conditioning could be particularly attractive in homes or rooms that tend to get very warm during the summer, such as loft conversions, south-facing rooms and spaces with large areas of glazing.
Rather than thinking of air conditioning as a guaranteed way to increase your home's value, it may be better viewed as a feature that could add to its overall appeal.
Could air conditioning appeal to buyers?
When you're selling a property, the little details can help buyers imagine themselves living there.
Walking into a comfortably cool home on a hot summer's day could certainly make a good first impression.
Air conditioning may be particularly useful in:
- Loft conversions
- South facing bedrooms
- Home offices
- Conservatories and highly glazed rooms
- Open-plan living spaces
- Rooms that are difficult to ventilate naturally
If overheating is something you've noticed in your home, there's a good chance prospective buyers could notice it too.
A suitable cooling system could therefore help turn a potential drawback into a useful feature.
Things to consider before installing air conditioning
Thinking about taking the plunge? There are a few things worth considering first.
How much will it cost?
Installation costs can vary considerably depending on the system you choose, the size of your property and how many rooms you want to cool.
If you're installing air conditioning mainly because you're thinking of selling, consider whether the cost makes sense for your circumstances.
If you're planning to stay put for a while, you may also get the benefit of enjoying a cooler home yourself.
How energy efficient is it?
Running costs matter too.
An efficient, modern system may be more attractive than an older unit that's expensive to run. If you do install air conditioning, keeping details of the system, warranty and servicing could also be helpful when you eventually come to sell.
Where will the units go?
It's worth considering appearance as well as performance.
Air-conditioning systems can include both indoor and outdoor units, so careful positioning can make a difference. A professional installation that works well with your home's appearance is likely to be more appealing than something that looks like an afterthought.
Will it need maintenance?
Like many household systems, air conditioning needs looking after.
Regular servicing can help keep it working effectively, and having a clear maintenance history could provide useful reassurance to a future buyer.
What about portable air conditioning?
If your main goal is simply to make your home more comfortable during a spell of hot weather, a portable unit could be an alternative.
They're generally cheaper and don't require the same permanent installation.
However, because you can take a portable unit with you when you move, it isn't really an improvement to the property itself and is unlikely to have an impact on its value.
Can you keep your home cool without air conditioning?
Before investing in air conditioning, it's worth considering whether smaller changes could help.
Closing curtains or blinds before the sun reaches a room can help prevent heat from building up. Depending on your property, you could also consider shutters, improved ventilation or ways of creating more shade around particularly sunny windows.
Sometimes a combination of simple changes can make a noticeable difference.
So, is air conditioning worth it?
It depends on what you want to achieve.
If your home gets particularly hot and you're planning to stay there for several years, air conditioning could make day-to-day life much more comfortable.
If you're considering installing it purely to increase your home's selling price, the decision isn't quite as straightforward. Air conditioning could make your home more appealing, but there's no guarantee that you'll recover the cost through a higher sale price.
Before making a significant investment, understanding your property's current value can be a useful place to start.
Thinking of selling?
Whether you're considering making improvements or you're simply curious about how much your home could be worth, we're here to help.
With local knowledge and property expertise, your local Reeds Rains team can help you understand your market and take the next step with confidence.
The Reeds Rains Content Marketing Team
