Saturday, January 3, 2009

Smart Plumbing and Heating Systems can Improve Your House's Value

By Tal Potishman

During the last twelve months house prices in the United Kingdom dropped by around fifteen percent. This means that, even if a house is sold, it is most likely sold at a loss. For decades, United Kingdom residents have purchased real estate with the idea that its value would continue to appreciate infinitely. Now the opposite seems true - unless homeowners find a way to significantly raise the value of their homes. One of the best ways to do this is to upgrade the heating and plumbing systems of a house.

Home owners are applying more value to environmentally friendly house upgrades. Updating a house's heating and plumbing systems can be done by installing solar panels as well as a water heater that is energy efficient. The installation of solar panels can cut down a house's CO2 output by roughly half a tonne every year.

These panels increase the value of a house and simultaneously reduce the environmental impact of the house. An energy efficient water heater will impress all home buyers. The energy efficient water heater ensures that one's bath and shower always have hot water.

Underfloor heating is another popular upgrade installed by house owners in the UK. Underfloor heating transfers heat up through the floor by both wet and dry pipe systems. The rooms of a house are better able to stay at a stable temperature and the house owner won't have to rely on a radiator or a wall unit to heat an entire room or house.

These systems have an easier time of heating and cooling than other systems and cost less to operate. Recently underfloor heating's market share has grown and this has gone a long way to increasing the value of houses that have it installed.

Other methods of increasing the value of a house include a kitchen and bathroom upgrade. These rooms have a variety of upgrade options including installing modern fixtures, new flooring, new cabinets and modern lighting. These are just a few upgrades that house buyers appreciate and that add value to one's home.

An unpredictable housing market means that increasing the value of one's home relies almost entirely upon the home owner. Upgrading the heating and cooling systems of a house and taking steps to ensure that the plumbing is modern and efficient are two of the best ways that a home owner can make sure that he or she is able to increase the value of his or her home. Underfloor heating, upgraded kitchens and bathrooms and "green" additions are some of the steps a home owner can take to raise the value of a house. - 16069

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