Connor Walters Estate Agent, Covering Swansea and Surrounding Areas

Connor Walters Estate Agent, Covering Swansea and Surrounding Areas 🏡 See Swansea homes before Rightmove & Zoopla!
👇 Like & follow for first access! WhatsApp me👇
wa.me/447917014449

Thinking of selling?
✅ Free valuation👇 valuation.connorwalters.exp.uk.com

💬 Questions? I am committed to my clients....with me, it's personal! I take great pride in ensuring my clients are guided and advised from the very outset as if I were helping one of my family or friends. Marketing is absolutely key, average marketing equals average sale prices, however, premium marketing equals the best possible outcome for you. My sole aim is to ensure that my clients receive the best possible price for their largest tax-free asset. My clients will deal with me on a one-2-one basis from our initial first contact right through to the point of handing the keys to the new owner. A journey we shall share together through the highlights, and those tougher moments. My business will be built upon personal recommendation

25/09/2026

🏡 SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM ISN'T YOUR HOUSE...

I remember marketing a property where the owners had done a great job looking after their home, but selling it was made much harder by the property next door.

Bins at the front, rubbish lying around, an overgrown garden and brambles coming across the boundary.

And it highlighted something sellers often don't think about.

Buyers aren't only looking at your kitchen, bathroom or garden.

They're looking at the neighbours too.

An untidy or neglected neighbouring property can create concerns about noise, future maintenance, resale value and simply what it might be like living there every day.

Sometimes you can do everything right with your own home and still have something outside your control affecting how buyers feel about it.

If you're thinking about selling in Swansea and want an honest opinion on how buyers may view your property, feel free to message me.

📲 WhatsApp me: https://wa.me/447917014449

25/09/2026

🏡 DOES WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOUR SOLD FOR DETERMINE YOUR HOME'S VALUE?

It can have a big influence, but only if the property is genuinely comparable and the sale is recent enough to still be relevant.

When valuing a home, I ideally want to look at around three recent comparable sales.

That means similar properties, in a similar location, with similar size, condition, bedrooms, parking, garden and overall specification.

But timing matters too.

If your neighbour sold three years ago, the market may be very different today.

Why does this matter?

Interest rates may have changed.

Buyer affordability may be completely different.

There may be far more homes available for sale, or far fewer.

Supply and demand can change significantly in just a few years, so an older sale does not always reflect what buyers are willing or able to pay today.

That is why I would much rather look at similar properties that have sold within roughly the last six to twelve months, ideally starting within around a quarter of a mile and widening the search if there are not enough good comparables.

And one really important point.

A house being advertised for £300,000 does not prove it is worth £300,000.

That is simply the asking price.

The strongest evidence comes from what buyers have actually been prepared to pay.

Your neighbour's sale absolutely matters.

But only if you are comparing like with like, at the right point in the market.

If you are thinking about selling in Swansea and want to know what recent comparable sales suggest your home could realistically achieve, feel free to message me.

📲 WhatsApp me: https://wa.me/447917014449

25/09/2026

🚿 DOES AN EN SUITE ACTUALLY ADD MUCH VALUE?

Nationwide's latest research suggests an additional bathroom can add around 4% to the value of a typical property.

But I don't think that means every house should have one.

When me and my partner were looking at three bedroom semi detached houses, we saw properties where an en suite had been squeezed into the main bedroom.

Yes, you gained another bathroom.

But you lost so much bedroom space there was hardly anywhere sensible for wardrobes.

And when the house already had a downstairs toilet and a family bathroom, personally, I'd have preferred the bigger bedroom.

On a larger detached family home with plenty of space, absolutely. An en suite can be a really desirable feature.

But on a smaller home, I'd be very careful about sacrificing valuable bedroom space just to squeeze another bathroom in.

Sometimes improving a property isn't about adding as much as possible.

It's about getting the balance right.

Would you rather have a bigger main bedroom or a smaller bedroom with an en suite?

If you're thinking about selling in Swansea and want an honest opinion on what improvements are actually worth doing before you sell, feel free to message me.

📲 WhatsApp me: https://wa.me/447917014449

25/09/2026

🪟 BEFORE YOU ASSUME THAT WINDOW NEEDS REPLACING…

This is something I think buyers can sometimes unnecessarily worry about.

If you're viewing a property and one of the PVC double glazed windows doesn't open properly, it doesn't automatically mean you need a brand new window.

I had exactly this happen at my own house recently.

One of my windows wasn't opening properly and I had the hinges changed.

The cost?

£40.

Obviously every situation is different, but if the glass isn't blown and the frame itself is still in good condition, the issue could simply be the hinges, handle or locking mechanism.

So before mentally adding hundreds or even thousands of pounds to your renovation budget, get a window fitter to have a look and give you a proper quote.

Sometimes what looks like an expensive problem is actually a relatively small repair.

And that's why it's worth properly investigating things before deciding whether a property needs more work than it actually does.

📲 WhatsApp me: https://wa.me/447917014449

25/09/2026

🏡 HOW MUCH CAN A BAD VIEW AFFECT YOUR PROPERTY'S VALUE?

Most people think about bedrooms, bathrooms, extensions and condition when working out what a home is worth.

But what about the thing you can't renovate?

The view. 👀

A pylon, busy road, industrial building, car park, neighbouring property in poor condition or simply being heavily overlooked could all influence what a buyer is prepared to pay.

And sometimes the impact is bigger than people expect.

There's no universal percentage because every property and every location is different, but the important thing is comparing your home with genuinely comparable properties and understanding how buyers will perceive it.

If you're thinking about selling in Swansea and would like an honest idea of what your property could achieve, feel free to message me.

📲 WhatsApp me: https://wa.me/447917014449

Connor Walters Estate Agent

24/09/2026

🏡 Would you spend £20,000 on a new kitchen before selling your house?

You might assume that spending £20,000 automatically adds £20,000 to the value.

It doesn't necessarily work like that.

Zoopla says a complete kitchen redesign is thought to add around 15% to a home's value, making kitchens one of the improvements that can have a significant impact.

But there's an important catch 👇

Zoopla also warns that simply replacing kitchen units and cupboards can sometimes cost more than the additional value you create.

Why?

Because buyers aren't necessarily paying extra for the most expensive worktops or appliances.

They're often buying the space itself.

A good kitchen layout.

Plenty of storage.

Natural light.

Room for a dining table.

A kitchen that connects well with the garden or living space.

Rightmove also advises sellers that buyers can prioritise layout, overall condition and presentation over expensive finishes.

So if you're thinking about selling, don't automatically assume you need a completely new kitchen.

Sometimes replacing cupboard handles, painting units, improving lighting, repairing anything damaged and presenting the room properly could give you a much better return.

The question isn't simply:

“Is my kitchen new?”

It's:

“Does this kitchen make somebody want to buy the house?”

Thinking of selling in Swansea or the surrounding areas and wondering what improvements are actually worth doing before you go to market?

Send me a message 👇

📲 https://wa.me/447917014449

24/09/2026

🚗 Could adding a driveway increase the value of your home?

Potentially, yes, and in some areas it can make a surprisingly big difference.

Zoopla lists off street parking as one of the improvements thought to add the most value to a property, with estimates of up to £50,000 in premium locations where private parking is particularly desirable

But that definitely doesn't mean every driveway adds £50,000 and this is in more premium locations.

The interesting part is that its value depends heavily on what the alternative is.

If almost every house on your road already has a driveway, yours may simply be expected.

But if parking on your street is difficult and buyers regularly have to search for a space, private parking could become a major selling point.

There's also something homeowners sometimes overlook 👇

Simply paving over your front garden doesn't necessarily mean you have proper off road parking.

Swansea Council states that dropped kerbs, also known as vehicle crossovers, allow vehicles to legally access driveways.

So when I'm marketing a property, there's an important difference between having space at the front of the house and having proper usable vehicle access.

Another thing worth considering is electric cars.

As more buyers move towards EVs, having your own driveway can potentially become even more useful because it gives you somewhere you may be able to install a home charger, subject to the property being suitable.

So the question isn't really:

“Does a driveway add value?”

It's:

“How valuable is having guaranteed parking on THIS particular street?”

And that can be a very different answer from one property to another.

Thinking about selling in Swansea or the surrounding areas and wondering how much features like parking could affect your home's value?

Send me a message 👇

📲 https://wa.me/447917014449

24/09/2026

🚗 Would you pay more for a house with a garage, even if you never intended to park your car inside it?

That's actually becoming a really interesting part of how buyers look at garages.

Zoopla research found that “garage” was one of the most searched for property features in the UK for two consecutive years, with “double garage” also entering its top searches.

But here's what a lot of homeowners don't consider 👇

A garage and a garden shed aren't really valued in the same way.

A shed is primarily storage.

A garage could potentially offer:

🏡 Secure parking

🚲 Bike and equipment storage

📦 Considerably more storage space

🏋️ Space for a home gym or workshop

🔨 The possibility of converting it into additional living accommodation in the future, subject to the relevant requirements

And that's where it becomes interesting when you're selling.

You might think converting your garage before putting your house on the market will automatically make the property worth more.

It doesn't always work like that.

For some houses, additional living space could be more valuable. But for another buyer, particularly somewhere where parking or storage is difficult, losing the garage could actually remove one of the property's biggest selling points.

So when I'm valuing a home, I wouldn't simply say “garage equals another £10,000”.

I'd look at the type of property, parking available, size of the garage, local buyer demand and what alternatives that space gives the next owner.

Sometimes the real value of a garage isn't what the current owner uses it for.

It's what the next buyer imagines they could do with it.

Thinking of selling in Swansea or the surrounding areas and wondering what your property could be worth?

Send me a message 👇

📲 https://wa.me/447917014449

24/09/2026

🚽 Could a downstairs toilet actually increase the value of your home?

Potentially, yes.

But unlike adding another bedroom or a large extension, there isn't a sensible national figure that says a cloakroom automatically adds a certain percentage to your property's value.

Rightmove says whether improvements such as an additional bathroom are worthwhile varies hugely from one property to another.

What I find much more interesting is WHY buyers can value them.

A downstairs cloakroom can make your home more practical without necessarily increasing its overall floor area.

Think about a typical family house.

You've already got the main bathroom upstairs, but now:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Children don't have to keep running upstairs

🚽 Guests don't need to use the family bathroom

👴 It can be much easier for older visitors or buyers who struggle with stairs

🛏️ The upstairs bathroom isn't being used by everybody throughout the day

Zoopla actually highlights having space to install a ground floor toilet as something that can give a home potential to add value, particularly because of its appeal to families and older buyers.

But here's the important bit.

I wouldn't automatically sacrifice useful living space just to squeeze one in.

If you're taking away half of an already small kitchen or compromising the hallway badly, you could simply be moving the problem somewhere else.

It's all about how the house functions.

That's why sometimes one of the smallest rooms in a property can actually make the entire house more appealing to buyers.

Thinking of selling in Swansea or the surrounding areas and wondering what features could affect the value of your property?

Send me a message 👇

📲 https://wa.me/447917014449

24/09/2026

🏡 Could you spend £80,000 extending your home and still NOT increase its value by £80,000?

Yes.

And this is one of the biggest things I think homeowners should consider before carrying out a major extension.

Rightmove has recently introduced a Renovation Calculator that estimates the potential value of extensions using local sold house prices, planning information and typical extension sizes in the area.

And that tells you something important.

There isn't one national figure for how much an extension adds.

It depends on the house AND the area.

Zoopla also advises homeowners to look at local house prices before renovating because improvements do not always add back the amount you've spent.

Here's where it gets really interesting 👇

Every road and area effectively has a ceiling price.

Imagine you own a three bedroom semi detached house worth £250,000.

You then spend a huge amount creating a massive kitchen extension, additional bedrooms and considerably more floor space.

Your house might eventually be bigger internally than a detached property around the corner.

But buyers will still compare it with other semi detached homes.

At some point, you can simply spend more money than the local market is prepared to give you back.

There's also another trade off that is easy to overlook.

Garden space.

Zoopla specifically advises people considering extending outwards to think about how much garden will remain afterwards.

That huge kitchen might look incredible.

But if you've turned a fantastic family garden into a tiny patio, you've improved one part of the house while potentially weakening another.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't extend.

If you're staying there for ten years and the extension completely changes how your family uses the property, the financial return isn't the only consideration.

But if you're extending specifically to make money when you sell, I'd always look at comparable sales and the ceiling price first.

Sometimes the best extension isn't the biggest one.

It's the one that creates the most useful additional space without overcapitalising on the property.

Address

Swansea
SA70NB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+447917014449

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Connor Walters Estate Agent, Covering Swansea and Surrounding Areas posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Connor Walters Estate Agent, Covering Swansea and Surrounding Areas:

Shortcuts

Share

Category