Kirsty McLuckie: the five best house types to make your money when you buy, not when you sell

Figures for 2023 from Zoopla showed that those selling bungalows made £102,000, while homeowners selling semi-detached dwellings made a gain of £81,000 on average. Sellers of terraced properties made £65,000, and those selling flats got around £30,000 more than they had paid.

But, in between these figures, there are opportunities for those who don’t have the budget to buy the largest homes.

And while most of us purchase a residence for our own needs, having an eye on popular house types, and where you can add value, should pay off when you come to sell.

Jonathan Rolande, spokesman for the National Association of Property, says considering who each type of property will appeal to when you come to sell is a good way to future-proof your returns, and he agrees that, for those looking to add value, bungalows are a good bet.

He says: “Long overlooked by younger buyers, demand for the humble bungalow has seen a resurgence recently and it shows no sign of stopping. Bungalows are common in quieter areas on flat ground, which are also ideal for families. Fewer have been built in recent years, so bungalows usually benefit from garages and gardens that are more generous than you’d find in a more modern home, thanks to the ever-shrinking supply of land to build on.”

The best-buy would be one that has been well maintained but has become dated. Improvements can be made gradually, as finances allow.

Converted garden flats can be a good buy, for a different reason. For those priced out of purchasing a whole house, a garden flat is a popular alternative. A large Victorian or Edwardian example will have high ceilings, large windows, and spacious rooms – charms that are unattainable for many house hunters.

The right garden flat will have space and character at a relatively affordable price, and the outside space which young families in particular are looking for.

A home with a side garden is also worth considering. Rolande says they are sometimes overlooked, as they are perceived as having little privacy. But in recent years more and more have been able to maximise their potential by obtaining planning permission to extend or even build a new home on the plot.

Buying “the worst home in the best area” is another old adage that still rings true today. After all, you can spend what you like on improvements, but the location will not change, and that will always cap your property’s potential price.

With the gradual return to working from actual offices, rather than from home, there are opportunities once again to be had again in residences near transport links too.

Rolande notes: “Urban property close to stations and bus routes has seen a spike in demand from young buyers looking to escape the rental trap and return to the office.”

Keep these things in mind when buying, and you might thank yourself later.