You need to research the immediate market area to understand the type of buyer that the house will attract after development. Avoid uninformed assumptions and get free advice from local estate agents. If residents are primarily couples with young children the local amenities and property features which are relevant will be quite different from the successful single executive. Ignore your likely buyer at your peril. Priorities for a family with young children include pre-school nurseries, schools, room for the children to play, and an eat-in kitchen may be popular. The single executive will be attracted by nearby restaurants, bars, a fitness club, ease of commuting and a small kitchen may well be entirely acceptable.

Ask local estate agents if they are selling any houses they consider ripe for redevelopment and find out how they would add value. Whichever way you find your property, always use estate agents for advice on features that will add value and the market value today if the property had already been developed

Position, position, position is an overworked phrase, trite and certainly true. It is the thing you cannot change or improve much. An adjacent busy road will be a minus for parents with young children, and proximity to a railway or metro station will be important to young executives.