Source: Mansion Global —
The U.K. is full of charming old homes. From Georgian to Tudor to Jacobean and medieval, there are homes on the market today that have been standing for 1,000 years.
Loaded with history, they have character in spades and offer features and details unlikely to be found in newer builds. Adding a few modern upgrades into the mix, too, can go a long way when it comes to appealing to today’s buyers—meaning a faster and potentially more profitable sale.
But finding the correct balance between celebrating the old and introducing the new is crucial, according to real estate experts, and the emphasis for sellers of these character-laden homes should be on the former.
“The joy of these houses is their rich history, that’s what you’re buying into,” said Sarah Brown, partner at Knight Frank’s country department. “For any seller looking to optimize their house for the market, I would say really sell its glorious history points and historic features.”
Whether that’s the beautiful stone flooring, the original shutters and windows or the wood-burning fireplaces, the sellers “should really sing the joys of the character and period features in place, and really enhance them,” Ms. Brown said. “Don’t try to block up fireplaces and take out shutters. Do not start taking out flagstone or original wooden floors.”
There is one major feature of historic homes that has become more of a trouble point: their size. With energy prices increasing drastically across the U.K., “it’s a real talking point for buyers,” she added.
Future Proofing
Fitting then, that one of the updates that should be top of mind for sellers is “renewable energy, heating in particular,” said Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s country-house department
That could come in the form of biomass boilers, geothermal energy or solar panels.
“Things like that certainly help future proof the house, and shows [potential buyers] that the hard work has been done,” he said.
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