FEATURE: HOME OFFICE
TRANSFORMING A PANDEMIC WORKSPACE COULD ADD AS MUCH AS £19K IN VALUE
The latest analysis from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, has revealed that when it comes to upgrading our pandemic home offices spaces, it’s a dressing room, reading room or games room that make for the most worthwhile endeavours based on the potential value they can add to our homes.
T
he pandemic is now firmly behind us, and whilst many of us have maintained a degree of flexible working,
many companies are enforcing a mandatory return to the office, meaning that those home office spaces that became vital during the dark days of lockdown, are no longer required as much on a day- to-day basis.
So for those looking to maximise these spaces with a fresh lease of life, Yopa (
www.yopa.co.uk/online- valuation) has analysed the value that can be added to a home with some alternative options and how these compare to the perceived added value of a home office.* It’s thought that a home office can add as much as 7.5% to the value of a home, which based on the current average UK house price of £268,548, equates to a respectable £20,141 in added value. However, transforming an
underutilised home office into a dressing room or walk in wardrobe
£32,226. So converting your home office space would see you add an additional £12,085 on top of the value boost a home office already brings.
could add significantly more value. It’s estimated that such a feature could boost the value of your home by 14.5% or £38,939 in today’s market, meaning that upgrading a home office space would add an additional £18,798 when you take into account the value already
added by your home office. If fashion isn’t your thing, then a library or reading room is thought to add 12% to the value of a home or
Not into books? Then transforming your home office into a games room could see the value of your home climb by £6,714. A gym or workout room is thought to add 7.4% to the value of a home, so converting your place of work into a place to workout could reduce the value of your home marginally in the eyes of potential buyers, but it’s well worth the change if it means making use of the space whilst you’re living in the property. However, other transformations, such as a laundry or utility room, or cinema room, are thought to add less value in the eyes of potential buyers, so if you are thinking of selling, it’s probably best to keep your current home office as is.
*Estimated added value based on the % added value applied to the current UK house price of £268,548 (Source:
www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-house-price-index- for-january-2025/uk-house-price-index-summary-january-2025)
OFFICE SUPPLIES SPENDING UP 234% AS BRITS INVEST IN WORKING FROM HOME
Despite many businesses calling staff back to offices, Visualsoft’s data shows consumers are still investing heavily in home working setups, suggesting hybrid living is more than a temporary shift. New analysis from ecommerce platform Visualsoft shows how shopping habits have changed since the pandemic, with consumers spending more on making their homes comfortable, functional and fit for flexible living. Furniture, home furnishings and DIY have seen the average order value (AOV), adjusted to reflect
24 DIY WEEK MAY 2025
inflation, rise from £132.59 in 2018 to £222.91 in 2025, a 68% increase. Office and stationery supplies have seen even sharper growth, with AOV rising from £177.14 in 2018 to £592.11 in 2025, a 234% increase. A particular jump came in 2021, when many were adapting to longer-term remote or hybrid work patterns. The figures, which already account for inflation, show that Furniture, Home Furnishings and DIY AOV increased by 27% between 2020 and 2021. Office and Stationery Supplies rose by
17% over the same period. Senior Data Analyst at Visualsoft, Jenna Pollard, says: “We have seen this trend play out across our client base. Home and furnishings have been strong for a while
now, and we are also seeing stationery and office supplies seeing sustained growth. It points to a broader shift where people are choosing to build the life they want at home, rather than commute back to old routines.” The continued strength of categories like homewares, flooring, and office supplies points to sustained behavioural change. People are not just spending more because of price rises. They are choosing to make their homes better places to live, work and relax.
www.diyweek.net
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