When extending or remodelling an existing house or bungalow, good design on what is likely to be the homeowners greatest asset is a great investment.

With good design just a Google search away, most people can identify a home that has been well designed and as a result, today’s home buyers are more aware, demanding and savvy when it comes to design, but arriving at that design for their own home is not something that comes naturally for many. And a quick search of homes for sale, reveals all too many examples of poorly designed properties, even when searching for new homes, which itself is not unsurprising when most are built speculatively for a profit, without the requirements and aspirations of the actual homeowner being taken into account.

Creating functional, feel good spaces that consider the needs of the homeowner, the location, orientation, practicalities of construction, planning restrictions and build costs and is yet still creative, is not so straightforward.

With design fees for a good architectural design being a modest proportion of the large investment required for the build and even less when compared to the sale value of a completed home, it becomes clear that even if a good design increased the value of a finished property by that same modest amount, it would be money well spent. But research by The Modern House an estate agent that specialises in well designed homes indicates that good design can actually increase the sale price by around 12%.

The value added to a property as a result of being well designed is not simply about its future sale value, but also the uplifting and pleasurable well-being experience that comes from living and socialising in a nicer space, that uplift in the built environment is a little more difficult to quantify, but well worth it.