Experts have revealed how reality TV stars have increased the value of their luxury properties by as much as £1.1million by renovating their gardens, kitchens and bathrooms.
UK price comparison website money.co.uk analysed updates stars have made to their impressive Essex pads and estimated the subsequent value increases of their properties, with the help of experts from London-based real estate agency housebuyers4u.co.uk.
The research revealed how couples like Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have boosted their property price thanks to a luxurious £25,000 kitchen makeover, while Love Island’s Olivia and Alex Bowen gave their tired home a total overhaul to include everything from a games room to home gym, increasing their property value by £200,000.
Meanwhile, TOWIE stars Lydia Bright and Jessica Wright spent an estimated £72,400 and £55,000 respectively on their stylish home renovations.
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash spent £8,000 renovating the outdoor area of their Essex home, which includes an outdoor fire pit
Stacey spent an estimated £500 on her utility room renovation, admitting on Instagram she wanted to inject some pink into her ‘house full of boys’
The presenter lives in the home with children Leighton, eight, Zach, 12, and Rex, one, and shared her stylish £25,000 kitchen makeover on Instagram
Stacey shared another snap of her chic and modern kitchen/dining area which features a bare brick wall and minimalistic decor
Stacey shared a snap of her sitting in her outdoor seating area sharing a glass of wine with her pal, cleaning social media sensation Mrs Hinch
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash’s stylish Essex pad has undergone several transformations since the pair purchased the property in 2018.
The presenter lives in the home with children Leighton, eight, Zach, 12, and Rex, one, and often shares her home improvement hacks with her three million Instagram followers.
The Loose Women host has completed a kitchen conversion, installed a pink utility room and landscaped the garden complete with a fire pit.
Stacey does much of her DIY herself, but the home improvement hacks she’s now so famous for have had a serious effect on her property value.
According to estate agent expert, Paul Gibbens from Housebuyers4u , a kitchen is one of the most worthwhile improvements to make to increase the value of the home, which can increase from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.
Solomon’s newly landscaped garden complete with firepit would also add additional value to their home, providing a tidy return on investment for the approximate £33,500 she has spent on her renovations.
Billie Faiers
Billie Faiers had no trouble making her mark on her £1.4 million Essex home after £220,000-worth of home improvements
Billie took to Instagram to share her plans for the home, which included two extension; a double storey and single storey
The Mummy Diaries star has previously admitted the interior of the sprawling house is ‘old and dated’ and says she wants to give it a glitzy revamp. Pictured, the home’s previous interior
The TOWIE star lives in the Brentwood home with her husband Greg Shepherd and shared a picture of the £25,000 kitchen renovation
Experts from housebuyers4u estimated Billie’s home could easily be worth in excess of the £2.5 million mark, gaining a property increase of around 75 per cent following renovations
When it comes to renovations, it seems Billie Faiers had no trouble making her mark on her £1.4 million Essex home.
The TOWIE star lives in the Brentwood property with her husband Greg Shepherd and their two children Nelly, six, and three-year-old Arthur.
In September this year, the couple received planning permission to begin building their Essex dream home. The couple celebrated the milestone as they toasted their glasses of wine in an Instagram post on Friday, after facing setbacks from neighbours to convert their run down 1920s property into a five-bedroom luxury family home.
Adding two extensions, a double storey and single storey, as well as a home gym, kitchen and walk-in wardrobes, Billie has spent roughly around £220,000 – £230,000 on her home improvements.
Whilst this may seem a large expense, renovating the kitchen and creating extra living space with both extensions means that Billie’s home will become more desirable on the market.
Experts from housebuyers4u estimated Billie’s home could easily be worth in excess of the £2.5 million mark, gaining a property increase of around 75 per cent.
Olivia and Alex Bowen
Love Island couple Alex and Olivia Bowen have undergone an incredible transformation of their £1,000,000 home in Chelmsford, Essex – including a Lazyspa costing £899
The couple bought their second house together back in February for a reported £1 million, but according to experts the home is worth far more since their renovations. Pictured, the hallway of the Bowen’s home before (left) and after (right) renovation
In total, all the features – including their kitchen renovation costing £40,000 – could easily add between 15-20 per cent onto the value
Another dramatic change to their home was the stunning transformation of their cinema room, costing a whopping £55,000
The couple share snaps of their home renovations on their The Bowen Home Instagram account, which has racked up over 600,000 followers
Love Island couple Alex and Olivia Bowen have undergone an incredible transformation of their £1,000,000 home in Chelmsford, Essex.
It’s estimated the couple have spent anywhere between £130,000 – £150,000 on these renovations including a new cinema room, kitchen, home gym and a brand new hot tub.
The couple bought their second house together back in February for a reported one million, but according to experts – it’s clear the five-bedroom property would value far greater than this now.
While kitchens are usually one of the highest value additions to a property, other features such as a games room and gym don’t add as much value to a property as one may expect.
In total, all the features could easily add between 15-20 per cent onto the value, meaning Olivia and Alex may have added up to £200,000 onto their property value.
Lydia Bright
TOWIE star Lydia Bright’s renovations include a stylish and chic new en-suite bathroom costing £7,400 (pictured)
Sharing a snap of her new bathroom, Lydia told she wanted this room to be ‘traditional, minimalistic and space savvy’
Lydia purchased her sanitary ware from AD Jones, a retailer based in East London her Tiles from MGA tiles which were put up by her father
Lydia’s renovations also includes a loft conversion with skylight costing an estimated £65,000 (pictured, left and right)
After spending around £72,400 on her loft conversion and bathroom renovations, it’s thought this extra space could add around 20-25 per cent to her value
Whilst Lydia’s renovations seem stylish and chic, her loft conversion and new en-suite bathroom are pale into comparison with some of the grander renovations done by fellow celebrities.
Thought to be a neighbour to Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash, a rough estimate of her property stands at around £650,000 – 700,000.
After spending around £72, 400 on her loft conversion and bathroom renovations, it’s thought this extra space could add around 20-25 per cent to the property’s value, anywhere between £140,000 – £175,000.
Documenting her renovation journey on Instagram @lydiabrightshome, her 150,000 followers have loved the way she’s transformed her chic Essex pad.
Whilst Lydia may not have completed as much work on her property as other home improvement influencers, her savvy choices have meant she’s added a quarter of the property value onto her Essex home.
Jessica Wright
TOWIE star Jessica Wright has increased the value of her Essex home after spending an approximate £55, 000 on renovations of her Chigwell property
The transformation includes a walk-in wardrobe costing £11,600 – with experts suggesting her house could now be worth around £1.3 million – £1.5 million
Jess also renovated her bathroom for £35,000 (pictured) and experts estimated that the bathroom renovation is probably the biggest influence on the house’s value
As well as her luxe walk-in wardrobe, Jessica also has her very own make up area with a Sofabed , footstool and lamp from Sofology, and chandelier from Debenhams, and the Alex drawers and lymonin desk top from IKEA
Among Jess’ renovations was also underfloor heating, which was added to the home at the cost of £7800
After spending an approximate £55, 000 on renovations, including a pink marble bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, it’s clear that TOWIE star Jess has increased the value of her Essex home.
The reality star, engaged to business owner William Lee-Kemp, purchased the Chigwell property for around £1.25 million back in 2015.
It’s thought these additions could add anywhere between 4-8 per cent of the value, meaning it’s likely Jess’s house is now worth around £1.3 million – £1.5 million.
This means Jess is likely to have only broken even on her renovations, with estate experts adding that the bathroom renovation is probably the biggest influence on the house value.