Updated kitchen 'appeals to buyers'

People looking to sell their home should consider adding fittings and alterations to their kitchen to add "kerb-side appeal," the director of the National Home Improvement Council says.

A stainless steel kitchen is a selling point, but homeowners need to be aware how expensive this is, director of the council Andrew Leech advises.

Instead, work surfaces and new front doors can be effective at selling a drab kitchen and prospective buyers may lean towards an up-to-date kitchen when looking at similar properties, he adds.

"The state of your kitchen is going to be the crucial aspect so far as your sale is concerned," Mr Leech says.

Nationwide found this August that an average home was priced at £164,654, down by 10.5 per cent from last August.

The price was 1.9 per cent higher in July this year.

Meanwhile, insurance company Liverpool Victoria found that half of people improving their home over the current 18 month period were completing the work themselves or with the help of family.