Ex council house

[Sleepysally]

Anybody out there ever extended an ex council house?

We are looking to upsize from 3 bed to 4 and weighing up our options. We have a huge garden so could extend out to the back but would we ever re-coupe the money when we sold it?

Whether it's ex-council or not has nothing to with extending it really.

In terms of checking if you'd get your money back, check the prices in the area. How much is the house worth now? How much are extended houses going for? If the price different is enough to cover your costs, then you won't be out of pocket.

It is relevant as it impacts on the price of housing as market data is not clear cut because of the way the properties were sold off and the fact not many have been re sold since

There are no houses on my street that have had extensions or been sold as they are in the last four years that’s why I was asking for other experiences

The "way the properties were sold off" will have no impact on their current market value . Assuming it is actually yours free and clear, not just a percentage of it, and there was nothing in the contract to prohibit you selling on?
Your post is very unclear. Btw, I presume you know this but anyway... the amount you spend renovating your home does not increase the value by that exact amount.
Some renovations add no value at all.

Council houses around my way have a ceiling price, so no matter how you extended / decorated etc you wouldn't see the return you would on a non council house.

I extended from two to three bedrooms but with the aim of staying in the house long-term. I don't think that the value has increased as much as it would had the house not been ex-council, but as three double bedrooms and a garden are rare as hen's teeth in this area, and it's a very attractive location for families, I'm not worried about selling it if ever I want to. In my case, the cost of extending was considerably less than the cost of moving to a less nice house nearby.

I see what you mean. I'd say that if you're in a middle of an estate with weedy front gardens or rubbish lying around etc then probably no point investing too much. But if it's more a case of a few council houses in an otherwise desirable area, then the discount when selling wouldn't be much. Going by 2-2.5k per sq metre to build an extension and as the min price required when you sell, would a 100m2 3 bed house cost 200-250k+ (or say 230-300k for non-council)? If so, you'd likely to break even or make money by extending.

It's probably worth talking to a couple of local agents and getting opinions. Adding a bedroom is generally seen as a good thing for prices, but you need to have local knowledge to advise you on your specific home.

But if you need another bedroom, and are going to be there for a while, maybe there are benefits to your family other than the strictly financial?

Thanks all. My last message was a mess, broken phone means some of my keys don’t work.

The way they were sold off is relevant as allot of the market data is based on sale prises that were very low. (E.g Next door was sold for £21,000 and estimated to be worth £43,000)

I think it would be sensible to only extend if it is with the view to stay long term.

Who is making the estimate that the one sold for £21k is now worth double? If it's from a reliable source, then that is the current market value, is it not?

Because they bought it a number of years ago. I don’t know exactly how it’s worked out, I’m guessing based on the wider market.

Oh.. So it's a very cheap area, then? If you can get a house for under 100k, then I'd doubt you'd d even see the cost of materials back were you to do all the work yourself.

Less of the “weedy garden” remarks though.

People bought council houses at huge discounts though so in some cases it's first listed price is £9000 & it's next listed sold price is £190,000. Most website only assume a percentage increase rather than incorporating that someone was a council tenant. That's why the sites aren't necessarily reliable.

The council houses around us have all extended side & rear making a 2 bedroom into 4 bedroom with large kitchen. The council area is maybe 70 houses surrounded by private homes that's start at £400,000 for a 2 bedroom flat & £1,000,000 + for a l4/5 bed house. A 2 bedroom council house sells for £260,000-300,000 but once they extend they go up to £500,000 because they are seen as affordable 4 beds. It all depends on the area & the demand. In our area it's worth it but in another estate it might not be.