Two-thirds of homeowners say the kitchen is the most important room in the house, research finds – how to add £20,000 to property’s value by spending half that on kitchen

* Home-owners can double their money with kitchen improvements – with £10,000 of investment adding £20,000 to the property’s value;

Almost two-thirds of homeowners say the kitchen is the most important room in the house, research finds.

The kitchen is valued most by 64% of owners, followed by the living room (15%), master bedroom with en suite (10%), quality upstairs and downstairs bathroom (9%), and separate dining area (2%).

Owners overwhelmingly chose the kitchen because it is the central hub of the home – where we meet together, eat and socialise.

More than half of those polled (55%) say a kitchen’s appearance is improved by an island.

The biggest kitchen design turn-off is dated units (chosen by 32%), followed by old appliances (24%), pour tiling (18%), cramped space or galley design (15%), having white goods such as washing machines in the kitchen (6%), and poor lighting (5%).

A well-designed kitchen can add up to 10% to the value of a home, according to estate agents;

Interiors expert and former estate agent Laura Rich from the online store  Furniturebox says home-owners can double their money with kitchen improvements – with £10,000 of investment adding £20,000 to the property’s value

* She has ten kitchen renovations which can add value to the value of your house.

1 Switch up the colour – if you don’t have enough cash for a full overhaul and investing in new kitchen units, a great way to add value and completely modernise the feel of a kitchen is to add colour – the bolder the better. Tired and dated natural pine cabinets can be transformed with a lick of paint. Autumn colour trends include forest greens, burnt oranges and warm browns.

2 Light it up – improving the lighting in the kitchen is a great way to boost value without busting the budget. Who says lamps are only for living rooms and bedrooms? And suspended pendant lights over an island can be the jewellery of the kitchen – a key fixture which sets the mood.

3 Accessorise – yes rugs can have a place in a kitchen, particularly flat-weave designs which are easier to clean. A well-placed mirror bounces light back across the room, boosting brightness and adding a sense of depth. Bar stools work brilliantly around an island and a bench can work well for table seating.

4 The appliance of science – nothing dates a kitchen more quickly than old appliances. Invest in a decent cooker and, if you have a family and enough room, a double fridge freezer.

5 Spruce up tatty tiles – replace any cracked ones and deep clean all the flooring with a strong cleaner from a DIY store. Use specialist grout cleaner to clean inbetween tiles.

6 Handle with care – dated handles can make a kitchen seem old fashioned. Look to replace ageing handles with more contemporary designs.

7 Upgrade the worktop – tired surfaces can have a huge visual impact. A stunning marble or cheaper quartz worktop and splashback can make all the difference.

8 Bin the bins – try to incorporate the bins into existing units so they are not stand alone items damaging the visual appeal of the kitchen space.

9 Maximise storage – the thing people coo over the most when looking around a home is the storage. In the kitchen the trick is to maximise storage, without the room looking too full of identikit cupboards.

10 Consider a built-in pantry – if you are spoilt for space then a larder or built in pantry for storing food is worth considering, even if you have to sacrifice space elsewhere in a home refit. They are now top of the must-have list, beating even a kitchen island.