If you’re considering selling your home, you may be thinking of which improvements will increase the value of your property.
Whilst interior refurbishments are a good way of doing this, outdoor renovations are also a great option. Gardening and landscaping can revitalise your outdoor living space, and adding a composite deck to your property is one of the best ways of increasing its value.
In this guide, we’re going to examine how composite decking can add value to your home. We’ll also take a look at some simple ways you can make your home even more appealing to prospective buyers.
Composite Decking Explained
In case you’re unfamiliar with it, let’s take a quick look at what composite decking actually is.
Composite decking is made from a combination of recycled plastic polymers and wood fibres. During the manufacturing process, this material is melted down through a process called co-extrusion.
The molten material is then passed through a die in order to shape it into composite decking boards.
The composite decking materials give the boards a huge amount of durability and longevity. This makes them resistant to harsh weather conditions and means they last for a very long time.
A composite deck also has many other benefits when compared to a wooden deck. For example, composite decking is environmentally-friendly, slip-resistant, water-resistant, rot-resistant, and UV-resistant.
All of these factors have seen the popularity of composite decking increase massively in recent years, and the trend only looks set to continue.
How Does Composite Decking Add Value To Your Home?
Adding composite decking to your home is a great way to reinvigorate your outdoor space and increase your property value. Composite decks also have lots of other pros, but how exactly do they add value to your home?
Aesthetic appeal
When it comes to selling a house, anyone who works in the real estate industry will tell you that first impressions are very important. With its natural wood finish and appealing aesthetics, a composite deck can help your home to stand out from the crowd.
An outdoor space with a composite deck will appeal to potential buyers and make your property more marketable.
Increased square footage
Although a composite deck won’t actually increase the square footage of your house, it will create an extra area in your garden which will increase your property’s value. Adding composite decking will create a separate outdoor area that maximises the potential of your garden.
This is sure to impress potential buyers who will view the composite deck as a bonus and should mean they’re willing to pay more for your property.
Increased safety
Safety is a factor that is often overlooked when people are considering home improvements to increase the value of their properties. However, it’s something that buyers will take into consideration when viewing your home, especially if they have children.
One of the advantages that composite decks have over wood decks is that they are far more slip-resistant. This minimises the risk of accidents and is particularly beneficial in wet climates such as the UK.
You can improve the safety features of your composite deck even further by adding handrails, which will also increase its aesthetic value. These are both things that should increase the value of your home in the eyes of buyers.
Low maintenance costs
One of the main reasons that composite decking boards have become so popular is that they require virtually no maintenance. Unlike a wooden deck, a composite deck doesn’t need to be treated, sealed, or stained, and only needs to be cleaned occasionally.
The low maintenance costs of composite decking will be appealing to buyers as they’ll be aware that the future upkeep of the deck will cost them very little.
Longevity
Another way that composite decking can add value to your home is through its longevity. Composite decking materials mean that the boards are very resistant to rot and mould. This gives them an average lifespan of 25 to 30 years.
If a potential buyer is aware that they won’t have to replace the composite deck for many years, then they will certainly view your home as being more valuable.
Wood decks need to be replaced around every 10 years. This means they would add less value to your home than composite decking.
How Much Value Can Composite Decking Add To Your Home?
So, we’ve established that composite decking can add value to your home, and you’ll probably now be wondering how much value that could be. This depends on many variables and will be slightly different for each home.
However, real estate experts in the UK estimate that a garden deck can add up to 10% value to your home. So, if your home is worth £200,000, a composite deck could add as much as £20,000 in property value.
Aside from adding a composite deck, there are also other outdoor renovations that can significantly increase the value of your property. For instance, gardening and landscaping can also add an estimated 5% increase in property value.
This means that with gardening, landscaping and a composite deck, you could be looking at adding 15% to the value of your home.
Uncapped or Capped?
There are two different types of composite decking boards, and which one you choose may slightly affect how much value is added to your home. Although they both have similar properties and benefits, there are some slight differences.
Capped boards have an extra layer of polymer coated on the outside of the panels. This increases their durability and longevity, which can make them a more appealing prospect for buyers.
The extra protection that capped boards have also makes them more resistant to UV light than uncapped boards. Although uncapped boards are also UV-resistant and don’t tend to fade much over time, capped boards will fade even less.
This means that they retain their aesthetic appeal for even longer and will be more enticing to potential buyers.
The upfront cost of capped boards is usually higher than it is for uncapped boards. However, this should be worth it in the long term as it could increase the value of your property even further.
Is It Worth It?
Building a new composite deck will cost you time and money, so it’s important that you ensure you’re going to get a good return on your investment.
On average, home renovations recoup between 50% and 80% of their total cost. Depending on the size and materials that are used, many studies estimate that the return on investment for decks is over 100%.
This means that installing a composite deck is one of the most cost-effective ways of adding value to your home. Interior renovations can still be very beneficial, but the return on investment will most likely be far less than it will be for composite decking.
Some studies put the estimated return on investment for garden decks at 106%. So, if you’re asking yourself whether adding a composite deck is worth it, the answer is a resounding yes!
How To Make Your Outdoor Space Even More Appealing
Once your composite decking has been installed there are many ways in which you can make it look even more appealing to prospective buyers.
These are inexpensive touches that may seem simple.
However, adding personality and charm to your composite deck is a great way to make your home more attractive to buyers.
Planters
Adding planters to your deck is a nice way to add a customised touch that will enhance the appeal of your garden. There are a huge variety of flowers, grasses and perennials that thrive in planters, so you’ll have plenty of options.
If you’re feeling extra creative, you could even construct your own planters from some of the shortcuts that will be left over from your composite decking installation. This is a great way to recycle material that may otherwise have gone to waste.
Planters can also be used to increase the privacy of your composite deck. If you use greenery of the right height, you can easily build a privacy wall around the edges of your deck that will give it a secluded feel.
Deck furniture
Style and comfort are two things that will impress prospective buyers when they’re viewing your home. A fairly simple way of adding style and character to your outdoor space is to adorn your deck area with elegant furniture.
Choosing contemporary deck furniture that matches the colour scheme of your deck will give it a welcoming feel. It’ll make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves relaxing in the garden and can increase the value that they put on your home.
You don’t necessarily need to invest in new furniture to have this effect. Revamping old furniture with a lick of colour-coded paint can often add as much charm and character to your decking area as brand-new furniture.
Umbrellas
Adding umbrellas to your deck area provides a focal point around which you can arrange your furniture. They also bring an element of practicality as they’re very useful for shade during the summer months. Standing umbrellas can be used to create defined entryways to your deck as well.
Cushions
Again, this may seem very simple, but something as basic as adding cushions to your deck furniture can enhance the appeal of your home to prospective buyers.
As well as providing extra comfort, if you choose the right colours, then cushions can also bring contrast to your colour scheme and give added character.
FAQs
How much does composite decking cost?
How much your composite deck costs will depend on the size of the deck you plan to have installed. On average, composite decking costs between £41 and £66 per square metre.
This means it is still more expensive than wood decking, but you will save money in the long term due to the lack of maintenance required.
Does composite decking warp easily?
As with all other types of decking, composite decking contracts and expands as temperatures fluctuate. However, it is designed to withstand these contractions and expansions, meaning it is very unlikely that composite decking boards will warp.
Do I need to clean my composite deck?
Although it requires minimal maintenance, composite decking does need to be cleaned around every six months. To do this, you can either use a power washer or hot water, soap and a soft bristle brush.
Do I need to seal composite decking?
Composite decking doesn’t need to be sealed, but it can be beneficial to do so. Sealing your deck will make it even more water-resistant and may increase its lifespan. It should also mean that you only need to clean it once a year rather than once every six months.
Final Thoughts
Although installing a composite deck can be costly at first, the value it could add to your home means that it’s definitely worth it overall. The longevity of composite decking means that this value will be retained for years to come, even if you don’t sell your house for some time.
Ultimately, composite decking will make your property more attractive to buyers and will revitalise your outdoor living space. Even if you decide not to sell at all, installing a composite deck is a great idea.
