10 Things That Could Devalue Your Home in Today’s Market

10 Things That Could Devalue Your Home in Today’s Market

Are you selling a property in 2025 and want to achieve the maximum value? There may be unexpected aspects that are costing you thousands of pounds. From a yellow bedroom and an Artex ceiling to a damp patch and dodgy broadband speed, here are 10 things that may devalue your property in today’s market.

1. A poor EPC rating: buyers are determined to cut their utility bills and carbon emissions, with EPCs enabling people to make a quick judgement call regarding a home’s energy efficiency. Your home could potentially be worth less if it has a poor EPC rating (with A being the best and G being the worst). In fact, the Nationwide says properties rated F or G are generally valued 3.5% lower than a property with a D rating.
2. A short lease: with promised leasehold reforms slow to be implemented by the Government, leasehold properties remain a more contentious purchase. Those with the short leases are most at risk of devaluation. Lawhive says a lease with 70 to 80 years remaining may reduce the property’s value by 10-20%. That percentage rises to 20-30% when the lease has 50 to 70 years left, and jumps to 30% if the lease has less that 50 years left to run.
3. Dated décor: Artex ceilings, anaglypta wallpaper or an avocado-coloured bathroom suite? While the minority of buyers will find these features pleasantly kitsch, the majority will find them an interior turn off that will cost money to replace. As such, a dated décor will dent your home’s value by up to 5%, according to Property & Development
4. Poor communication connectivity: whether they’re working from home or binging on boxsets, buyers value the very best communication connectivity. According to a study by ISPreview, slow internetspeeds can knock an incredible 24% off the value of a property, while anecdotal evidence suggests a poor mobile phone signal can be detrimental to the sum of 15-25%. You might not want to be too connected, however. The National Association of Estate Agents has said a phone mast near a property could see a home’s worth drop by 5-10%.
5. A swimming pool: summer is here and who hasn’t dreamt of taking a cool dip when the temperature rises? While a swimming pool may sound the perfect property addition, thisismoney says a pool in your back garden could wipe £52,000 off your home’s value. Potential buyers not only see the dangers a pool poses to children but also the exorbitant running costs and year-round upkeep.
6. Contentious colours: when it comes to selling property, we’re a nation that loves safe neutrals. Our preference was confirmed by The Paint Shed, who found prospective buyers would pay an average of 5% less for a home that featured colours they didn’t like. In fact, almost a fifth of participants believed a bad colour scheme could wipe more than 10% off a home’s value. Colours to avoid include yellow, pink and peach. The advice is to stick with white paint when redecorating ahead of a sale.
7. Signs of damp/mould: not only is mould unsightly, it poses a health risk and can be the root cause of bubbling paintwork, peeling wallpaper, excessive moss growth and crumbling masonry. Rated People found signs of damp and mould topped its list of 15 issues most likely to devalue your home, knocking off £9,571
8. Pebble dash: A survey by Hammonds Furniture claimed one exterior treatment is guaranteed to devalue your home and send potential buyers packing – pebble dash. One in four buyers would look elsewhere if they saw pebble dash when they viewed a property as it’s dated, costly to remove and could be hiding more serious structural flaws.
9. Japanese knotweed: the presence of this fast growing, hard-to-eradicate, non-native plant is a huge red flag. Although it looks lush in the garden, its aggressive spreading habit and brute strength can see it damage structural elements, such as patios, driveways and brickwork. As a result, a study published by Nottingham Trent University found Japanese knotweed can reduce a property’s value by 5-15%.
10. Mess and clutter: when it comes to selling a property, less is definitely more. Buyers will want a clear view of a home, with the ability to move freely from room to room. Mess and clutter can indicate a home isn’t well cared for, may suggest flaws are being obscured and can send the message that there isn’t enough storage. Expect a home’s worth to be £9,290 lower if it’s full to the brim.

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