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How much value does an attic conversion add


Does a loft conversion add value to a house? Property experts reveal all

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If the primary reason you're planning to embark on a home improvement project this year is to eventually sell at a great price, then you'll want to know the best ways to add value to your home by adding, remodelling, or renovating one or perhaps multiple areas.

However, if the return on your investment is your main concern, not all home improvements are created equal. Some, while they may be very desirable to you, the current owner, may even do more harm than good to your property price.

Most of us have limited resources when it comes to funding a major home project, and typically the choice is between making a few cosmetic changes here and there, or go for one substantial improvement – usually an addition to the existing liveable space. Which one should you go for?

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According to brand new research, you should definitely go for the latter renovation idea, and the one home improvement that will almost certainly make a dramatic difference to your home value is an attic – or loft – conversion. 

The research into live Rightmove listings* revealed that adding a loft conversion to your home can add almost 20 per cent to its value (or even 25 per cent if you live in a big city where space is limited) – although expert opinion on whether it's always the best option for every house varies. 

Attic conversion experts at Abbey Lofts point out that the maximum value add-on of 20-25 per cent will likely be achieved only if you create 'the perfect self-contained sleeping space' in your attic – that is, a bedroom with an ensuite. And this will only work in an area where larger, family homes 'are scarce'. If you already live somewhere where spacious, multi-bedroom homes are abundant, a loft conversion is unlikely to have the desired effect on your house price.

(Image credit: Future)

Louis Harding, Head of London Residential Agency at Strutt & Parker , advises to also be aware of the inevitable impact of a conversion on the amount of storage the home will have. 

'You will have to consider how you incorporate additional storage space into your home to make up for the storage space you are losing,' he explains. If you are planning on living in your home for a good while longer, adding a loft conversion may simply not be practical enough.

However, having said all that, loft conversions are having a renaissance, not least because home owners are increasingly using theirs as home offices. Once something of a niche offering, a home office is now one of the most in-demand property features, with demand in London alone going up from eight to 27 per cent in 2020, according to Benham & Reeves . 

Although converting your loft into a home office won't fetch you as much added value as an ensuite bedroom – 10 per cent as opposed to 20 – it is also likely to be at the cheaper end of the typical loft conversion cost, so can still be well worth the investment.  

* Research conducted by Flooring Superstore

Anna Cottrell is Consumer Editor across Future Plc Home titles. She has a background in academic research and is the author of London Writing of the 1930s. She writes about interior design, property, and gardening .On H&G, she specializes in writing about property – buying, selling, renting, mortgages – sustainability and eco issues.

These Attic Renovations Will Increase Your Home’s Resale Value

Real Estate

Home Financing

renovating

by Sarah Magnuson

updated Sep 1, 2020

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Horror films have given attics a bad rap. Many people are more focused on the haunting shapes of their old furniture draped in sheets, the eerie chirps of trapped bats, and straight-up haunted dolls to think about the potential of these spaces. But if your household could use an expansion, attic remodels offer the bonus room you’ve been dreaming of, as well as welcome added value to your home. Clear out the cobwebs, call up your contractor, and take a look at how you can transform your attic and your resale value. 

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The basics of an attic renovation

Generally, updating your attic space is a strategic way to expand your home’s footprint without the costly task of adding an addition, which risks taking up valuable yard space. Just by adding insulation to an attic, you’ll get over a 100 percent recoup on that investment—so you might as well think bigger.

According to the 2019 National Association of Realtors Remodeling Impact Report, by converting an attic to a living space—we’re talking bedrooms, home offices, and playrooms, for example—homeowners can expect to recoup 56 percent of that investment. That percentage increases if a bathroom is part of the equation.

Keep in mind, while attic renovations are far less expensive than adding an addition, these remodels still require an investment. The average cost of an attic remodel is $19,645, but the renovation will have favorable appraisal results no matter how you utilize that extra square footage. An attic bedroom can easily be reconfigured for a home office or other use, so you can feel confident tailoring that remodeling to your household’s needs without fearing you’ve made the wrong choice for your resale value. Here are some ideas for how to utilize your new space.

Turning your attic into a bedroom

An added bedroom is an obvious possibility for attics, and I must say, I’m a big fan of a dreamy attic bedroom. While the value of an additional bedroom varies by region, you can expect your resale value to jump by $30,000 to $50,000 for each bedroom added to your home. Depending on the size of your attic, you may be able to fit multiple new bedrooms—and if you can budget for an added bathroom, expect to reap some major ROI benefits. Plus, bedrooms on a separate floor enjoy added privacy, which would be ideal for a main suite.  

Turning your attic into a home office

In the past, home offices were considered a luxury in your average home. But given the changes nationwide in how and where employees log in to work, home offices are becoming essential. Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict how long Americans will be working from home. But it’s safe to assume that the way we work, and specifically the place we work, will look different for the foreseeable future. Converting your attic to a home office space may not just be a wise investment for your sanity—the return on investment may reflect this necessity in the future. 

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Turning your attic into a playroom or remote learning space

Kids and parents alike benefit from a dedicated space for children’s play and learning. Just as we’ve seen folks update their spaces to accommodate working from home, many families have scrambled to adapt to e-learning and remote instruction for the household’s students. (Even Chrissy Teigen converted a room for her little ones to learn at home, and it’s incredible!) Renovating an attic to provide a space for playing, studying, and mess-making takes the pressure off of other spaces in the home to sustain the delightful chaos that comes with entertaining kids. And as children grow, the playroom can easily adapt to serve as a rec room for hanging out, playing video games, and letting teens be teens.  

Turning your attic into an in-law suite

Whether you’re hoping to keep your family close or to enjoy some added rental income, converting a larger attic into a studio apartment or in-law suite is not a bad idea. Especially during a time when multigenerational households are increasing and we’re doing our best to keep our loved ones close, these types of dwellings are gaining popularity. Keep in mind, the cost for remodeling a suite is more expensive, averaging $90,000 to accommodate a bathroom and kitchenette. But the return on investment has potential to be 100 percent if rented out.  

An investor who spits from the roof › Novaya Gazeta in St. Petersburg

In the previous issue, Novaya published a photo fact informing the public and the city authorities about a new potential urban planning error - an unauthorized superstructure of building 37 along the Moika Embankment invades the panorama of Palace Square. We were informed about the serious investigation that had begun, during which things that were ridiculous to tears were found out: there is no one to be responsible for what is happening, and the investor can only be “persuaded” to correct the situation. nine0004


Construction crane on Dvortsovaya st.
Once upon a time, attics were considered a refuge for poor creative people - artists and poets. Today, with a rather mediocre level of modern construction, the main value of square meters is the view from the window - what was created not by the sellers of prestigious real estate themselves, but by the genius of architects of the past centuries, which is at the same time an object of admiration and concern for heritage advocates and a source of extra profits for investors, merciless is the legacy of the exploiters. And the very opposition to the process of the chaotic increment of historical buildings with awkward neoplasms today can cost a lot - sometimes even a human life. nine0007 - In the story of attempts to build an attic at 23 Millionnaya Street, where I have the good fortune to live, it came to fights and an attempt to kill the chairman of the HOA, who strongly opposed it, - said a well-known architectural historian, Professor Andrei Punin. - Our chairman was stabbed with a knife, thrown into the Moika, and he only miraculously got out of the water and survived. Fortunately, the attic on our house (built in 1837 according to the project of the architect Gedicke) has not yet appeared. However, this project, approved by the former head of KGIOP Nikita Yavein, exists in the archives of the committee. Look what a responsible place this building occupies, the implementation of such a project will seriously distort it! But it was not discussed beforehand at the Heritage Preservation Council, we were informed about the project retroactively . .. nine0007 Last week experts and officials discussed issues of mansard construction in the historical center of St. Petersburg at a round table in Rosbalt news agency, on the same day another project from this series was presented at a meeting of the Council for Heritage Preservation under the city government. The highlight of the program of the first meeting was a two-story superstructure that claims to be a new urban planning error, overlooking the Palace Square building along the Moika embankment, 37.
The topic was set in the last issue of Novaya Gazeta, which by the time of publication had received the first clarifications from the CAA. From them it followed that the ROSSTRO company, which received permission only to re-equip the attic, arbitrarily erects two additional floors and a metal staircase. KGIOP, responding to our appeal, announced an emergency meeting with a site visit and an investigation that had begun. However, we still have not received answers to the editorial request sent to the security department on November 6. We were only kindly invited to attend the scheduled meeting of the Heritage Council (where they promised to discuss the issue raised) and patiently wait for the completion of the investigation. However, at the meeting, the members of the Council were given “heartfelt greetings” from the ailing head of the KGIOP, Vera Dementieva, and suggested that the topic of Moika, 37 be considered another time. nine0007 "Novaya", wishing Vera Anatolyevna a speedy victory over the disease, still cannot understand: why should KGIOP wait for the end of the investigation or the meeting of the Heritage Council to answer elementary questions addressed to the committee? For example, about whether this project was coordinated by KGIOP, what kind of instructions it issued to the developer, and whether the head of the security department considers it acceptable in principle to change the appearance of a historical building in such a responsible place.

Deputy governor, not familiar with the governor nine0004
The desire to blame the sore bureaucratic head on the heads of experts of public councils (be it the City Planning Council or the Council for Cultural Heritage) is already becoming a trend. Despite the fact that none of these councils has the right to decide anything, it is on them that they try to shift the responsibility every time the consequences of the documents adopted privately in the Smolninsk offices become obvious to everyone and another scandal breaks out. So it was in the case of the new stock exchange, when the government promised to cut off as many "extra" floors as the city council decides. And in the case of the skyscrapers of the LEK near the Novodevichy Convent, when neither the lack of a building permit, nor the violation of both the existing and currently adopted urban planning norms, did not prevent Vice-Governor Alexander Vakhmistrov from declaring that the height of the complex would remain the same, because it allegedly " previously approved by the City Planning Council. nine0007 Professor Vladimir Lisovsky, Deputy Chairman of the Council for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage under the Government of St. Petersburg, said at a round table at Rosbalt Information Agency:
- First of all, let's clarify who I'm the deputy. This is Valentina Matvienko. I don't know her. She doesn't give me any directions. This is done by Vera Anatolyevna Dementieva. Which is also a deputy - that is, we are, as it were, on the same shelf horizontally, but she, of course, is more equal than I am. And everything, of course, is subject to the administration. nine0007 Andrei Punin made a desperate attempt to recall the main task of the country and society formulated by the President in his address to the Federal Assembly - to develop democracy.
- It seems to me that our Council for the Preservation of the Heritage is one of the forms of that very democracy, - the professor believes. “But one gets the feeling that they are gathering us there for some trifling reasons, but not for very serious ones. Why this happens, I don't know. Maybe this is connected with another aspect, which the president also spoke about: the worst enemy of democracy is corruption. It can be obvious and sometimes hidden when money is paid for the necessary expertise, a solution that is beneficial to the customer. And today we find the results of these investor pressures everywhere ... nine0007 A two-storey attic, which appeared near the house on Mytninskaya Embankment, fits even into one of the most charming panoramas of St. Petersburg - the arches over the Winter Canal. Another such absurdity was “decorated” on the house at the corner of Moshkov Lane and Moyka, not far from Pushkin’s last apartment - they were in time for the anniversary year. The project, as Professor Punin explains, was agreed upon by Nikita Yavein. Another add-on hopelessly ruined Chertkov's mansion at the corner of Moshkov Lane and Palace Embankment - without any approval. Now here is the Moika, 37, growing into an attic with a view of the Palace ... Will it be too much for our "Golden Triangle"? nine0005


Frunze department store - in the web of the banana king

Distractions
Alexander Margolis, Mikhail Milchik, and other members of the council have repeatedly tried to draw attention to the fact that most of the city's life-changing projects are not submitted to the council at all. Suffice it to say that even the fate of such unique monuments of federal significance as the complex of the Senate and the Synod was determined without the participation of the council.
- The object of discussion at the council does not become questions of principle, but we discuss some kind of nonsense, - Professor Punin is also indignant. nine0007 Another confirmation of the correctness of his words was the last meeting of the council, which, in particular, submitted a project for the construction of an attic over another historical building - the surgical complex of the former hospital of the Community of the Sisters of Mercy of St. George on Orenburgskaya st., 4. Experts discussed for a long time whether this three-story house could be built on with a one-story or two-story attic, and what should be the roof pattern, until suddenly someone mentioned that a business center building 65 meters high was already designed nearby. And this is in the most important place on the Neva embankment, not far from the Aurora and Mont Blanc, already recognized as urban planning mistakes. We closed the discussion, agreeing with the professor's metaphorical conclusion: "What is the point of talking about preserving the outlines of the nails when it comes to amputation of the leg!" nine0007 In addition, as it turned out, another agreement, to which they tried to bring the members of the council, could simply be an illegal act. According to the deputy chairman of the KGIOP, according to the order received from the prosecutor's office, any actions in relation to the identified objects of cultural heritage (which is the house on Orenburgskaya) are prohibited by law. That is, nothing can be done with them - neither reconstructed, nor demolished, nor built on - until they receive a permanent status (the object is included in the list of identified objects for a while, until the final verdict - or removed from this list, considering all the same insufficiently valuable, or secure the status of a full-fledged monument for it). nine0007 Surprisingly, this extremely important definition of the prosecutor's office also remained unknown to both professional experts and the general public. Although it could put an end to many discussions disturbing the city. For example, around the Frunzensky department store, which is also on the lists of identified heritage sites.
Why shouldn't KGIOP inform Mr. Kekhman about the prosecutor's order, instead of waiting so painfully long for the results of the examination ordered by him, designed (by Kekhman's own definition) to "prove that the building is dangerous"? Since any actions are prohibited in relation to the identified objects, then on what basis does the banana king surround the Frunzensky department store with building structures of unknown purpose that are passed off as scaffolding? nine0007 As Vladimir Popov reasonably noted, the ban should apply to both design and approval of projects - if we are talking about the inadmissibility of "any actions" in relation to the identified objects.

Tops cannot
Returning to the topic of attics, it is worth noting the call of Alexander Margolis made at the meeting of the council - to finally decide what to recognize as "reconstruction of the attic space", what is considered an attic, and what is a superstructure? nine0007 - It is quite obvious that both on Moika, 37, and on Orenburgskaya, 4, we are dealing with attempts to pass off the superstructure of the building with new floors as an attic, - Margolis is convinced. “The Heritage Council, together with the city council, needs to develop clear rules that should guide decisions on such projects.
In the meantime, the head of the development department of the city of KGA Sergey Semenov proposes to be guided by the definition that is available in SNiPs (construction and design standards): “Attic floor is a floor in the attic space of a capital construction object, the facade of which is completely or partially formed by an inclined, broken or curved roof. nine0007 - In general, it is somewhere between the top floor of the building and its roof. This floor is considered the attic. Of course, without any additional floors there, - adds Sergey Anatolyevich.
Although the simplicity of the above definition for some reason does not at all allow officials to immediately stop work on the unauthorized construction of two new floors identified at 37 Moika Street in exchange for the “reconstruction of the attic space” authorized by the CAA. Semenov indulges in lengthy explanations, the essence of which boils down to the following. Pre-existing Decree No. 339gave the KGA the right to issue design and construction orders to the owners of buildings (and house 37 on the Moika embankment is wholly owned by ROSSTRO). But in September 2006, this order was canceled, without any transitional period - that is, the orders of the CAC issued in that legal field are not subject to extension. “And we can no longer control them,” the official concludes.
KGIOP also, it turns out, can do little:
- Since 2007, we have not participated in the approvals and have no control over the protection zones, only at the monuments, - reminds the deputy chairman of KGIOP Alexei Komlev. nine0005

Unidentified tunable Montferrand
And the house overlooking the Palace and the Moika, although it is located in the joint security zone, does not have the status of a monument. The latter circumstance is all the more surprising since the authorship of this building, perhaps, belongs to Montferrand himself.
Professor Punin read out at the round table in "Rosbalt" an excerpt from a certificate prepared by an employee of the KGIOP, based on the data of the famous researcher Anatoly Petrov, back in 1959, who reported the following.
In 1836, it was decided to light the surroundings of the Winter Palace and Palace Square around the Alexander Column with gas. To implement this plan, it was necessary to build a gas tank. The place was chosen next to the house of Arakcheev - on the site attributable to the modern address nab. Moika, 37. The design was entrusted to Montferrand, and they built a four-story building, in the courtyard of which a gas tank was to be located. But the fire in Zimny ​​in December 1837 frightened the emperor so much that he abandoned the idea of ​​building a flammable object near his palace. The gas holder was not built, but the building built according to the Montferrand project remained. It is now that they are disfiguring it with the addition of additional floors. nine0007 - When agreeing on this project, no one looked at this review. The 2005 project was approved by KGIOP unnoticed by anyone, and this was not discussed at any council. How could this happen? the scientist wonders.
- Making a decision, we relied on the findings of the examination, - reminds Alexey Komlev. - And, I think, it is necessary to talk about the mutual responsibility of all participants in the process.
Alexander Margolis agrees with him:
— It is not enough to admit town-planning mistakes. It is necessary that those who committed them bear personal responsibility. The measure of this responsibility is a matter for lawyers. But let's take the first step: we must know and publicize the names of those officials who signed and approved, we must also know the author of the false examination. Perhaps this will affect his future career. At least we won’t be able to say that we didn’t know who he was when we still shook hands with him ... nine0005

Spitting together
Well, let's remember everyone by name.
The initiator of the "spit in the face of the city" - the Central Committee of the Institute of Financial and Industrial Group "Rosstro" - OJSC "Rosstro", President Alexander Makarov.
The order on the "reconstruction of the attic space" was signed by the head of the KGA Alexander Viktorov. Coordination of KGIOP - by Vera Dementieva. Pre-project proposals were made by LLC "Architectural workshop Melnichenko A. V." and "Grand Terrier-ATRITUM". Drawings of the working stage of the project - the First workshop of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Research Institute "Spetsproektrestavratsiya". The same workshop issued an expert opinion "Viewability of the building superstructure (reconstructed attic space) in the surrounding urban development." Please note that already in the heading of the examination, the definition of “superstructure” appears, the appearance of which only now came as a surprise to both the KGIOP and the CAA (which assures that it did not allow the building to be built on). nine0007 The examination package contains illustrations showing (with the help of a montage of photographs of real views) how the new volumes of the building will be perceived from different points after the reconstruction. The view from the Atlantes, the main entrance of the New Hermitage, especially shocked the experts of the Heritage Preservation Council. Barely noticeable now, the horizontal of the roof grows with the volume of two new floors, connected by a rough external metal staircase.
However, in the expert opinion signed by Artem Konov, a specialist from the first workshop of Spetsproektrestavratsiya, the conclusion is quite different. It is recognized that when perceived from most of the selected points (from Pevchesky Bridge, Palace Square, the opposite side of the Moika embankment, etc.), the building built on in the dimensions specified by the project “practically does not change the existing urban planning situation”. nine0007 As for the view from Millionnaya Street, here a restrained recommendation is given to change the configuration of the building of new dimensions specified by the project in the end part of the roof of the house (from the side of the New Hermitage) "in order to conditionally preserve the relief of the existing roof. "
But even this timid attempt at an objective assessment of the nightmarish consequences is crossed out by the remark: "The last remark is not obligatory for execution, but is desirable from the standpoint of expertise."
— How can you agree with that?! Andrey Punin is indignant. nine0007 For many members of the council, a real shock was the appearance of such a conclusion under the heading of such a respected organization as Spetsproektrestavratsiya, known for its fundamentally careful attitude to historical heritage. According to Andrei Lvovich, it was only from him that the chief specialist of Spetsproektrestavratsiya, Mikhail Milchik, learned about these unfortunate facts. And when the information was brought to the director of the institute, he was also extremely surprised and upset by the news of the involvement of his employees in such a business. nine0005

Capitalist terrorists
— This story shocked us all, — admits Alexander Margolis. “The fact that one of the workshops of the Spetsproektrestavratsiya Institute, bypassing the director and chief specialist, issued a favorable conclusion on this project requires the most thorough investigation.
By the end of this week they promise to complete their investigation in KGIOP.
Its interim results are not encouraging. According to Andrey Punin, surveyors sent by the committee to check whether the heights of the structures being erected were exceeded relative to those allowed by the agreed project, revealed a retreat of a few centimeters. Alexey Komlev assures that the investor is “ready to consider” and “negotiate” changes in order to “reduce this dissonant effect.” nine0007 Professor Vladimir Lisovsky is traditionally pessimistic:
— What can we talk about when we are dealing with capital? Capital is interested in only one thing - its income. It is incomprehensible to the mind how an attic could appear on Palace Square. This is a fat spit in the face of the city. In the face of that handful of people who care about the preservation of the historical landscapes of the city. An excellent law on the protection of monuments, adopted back in the 80s, clearly defined what could and could not be done in the protection zones. But since 90-s there is a constant redrawing of these zones, a change in their regimes. And I am sure that their current version will not work in the same way as the previous ones did not work. UNESCO's warning that the skyline of historic St. Petersburg could be hopelessly damaged must be corrected as follows: it is already damaged. Hopelessly damaged. Everything that will be done in the historical center in the future is only a quantitative accumulation of those horrors, those vandalisms, those acts of urban terrorism that we have already received. nine0007

Tatyana LIKHANOVA
Photos 1 and 3 - Mikhail MASLENNIKOV


By the way
Adopting from the highly respected Professor Punin the manner of seeking out meanings in the messages of the first person of the state, it is impossible not to notice: the party and the government call on terrorism to resist. Increasing vigilance, uniting, mobilizing the masses... This, apparently, will continue to be done by our caring public - if the city's official authorities prefer not to leave the camp of accomplices of urban terrorism. nine0005

What is the value of your business? — Marketing on vc.ru

Hello! I'm Andrey Fedorov, the founder of Rocketyze and the author of a telegram channel about marketing and entrepreneurship. We specialize in the development of value propositions, and we will talk about them today. If suddenly you are not familiar with the term, I recommend that you first look at the introductory article here on vc.ru.

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I periodically hear from small businesses that they do not need a value proposition: “This is for large companies, but we need to sell. To do this, you take and sell, and do not talk about strategies.” Or another option: “This is for complex products, and we are simple guys - we fix stoves, and we don’t need these difficulties. ” nine0005

I think both statements are wrong, and here's why:

  • You already have a value proposition anyway. The question is how consciously it is formed.
  • The value proposition is the most practical thing if used correctly (I'll show you).
  • Every business, regardless of size, must manage its value proposition. The differences are only in the scale, resources applied, volumes of artifacts and methods of use. nine0119

I will show by example why I think so. We were approached by a company that produces wooden stairs for country houses. And certainly not with a value proposition request. Of course, they came to us with a request for a landing page, as it always happens.

There is always a value proposition, but who formulates it?

Making a converting landing page without a value proposition will not work - it does not work. Rather, it will work, but the result will not be the one you expect. Therefore, regardless of the request, we always start with a value proposition - both for our own and for client projects. nine0005

And, if you think about it, this is a completely logical approach. There is a business, it has customers. The business wants to be paid by these customers. But paid for what? For some value that they will receive in exchange for their money.

People do not pay for products, they pay for solving their problems and problems. Therefore, the value proposition should essentially be a promise to solve the customer's tasks and problems.

It doesn't matter if the business thinks about it this way or not. The client doesn't think so either. Everything is much simpler: the client sees the value for himself - buys. Doesn't see, doesn't buy. nine0005

For this reason, any company already has some kind of value proposition. The question remains: to what extent this value is consciously formed and whether it is managed by the business or independently formed in the client's head (and it is formed there anyway).

Only large companies need a value proposition?

Why is small business worse? It also offers customers some value in exchange for their money. Or is it only complex products that have value? But don't the simple and understandable have value? Of course it isn't. nine0005

Large companies can work on a product value proposition for months and constantly adjust it based on market feedback. The document or documents describing the value proposition can be tens or hundreds of pages long.

In the case of a small business, resources and time need to be spent much less, and the document may consist of only a few pages. It will be used in the development of marketing materials (presentations, commercial offers, catalogs, brochures), website, scripts for sellers, etc. This is necessary in order for the message to be end-to-end: if a value for the client has been formulated, then it must be conveyed unchanged through all communication channels. nine0005

If one thing is written on the site, another is written in the commercial offer, and the sellers say the third, then what should the client think?

In fact, he will not even think of anything - he will form a chaotic image of value in the form of Dr. Frankenstein's patient.

Do you think you are wrong? Ask a few of your employees right now what value your company provides to customers. And then compare the answers with each other and with your own understanding. nine0005

And note that this is not about company values. It's about the value a customer gets in exchange for their money.

How to put the value proposition into practice?

I've heard that writing a value proposition is a purely theoretical exercise, because companies spend many man-months developing a document and then put it in a box. And we don't need that.

You really don't need this (put in a box). As I wrote above, the document, or rather the value proposition described in it, must be constantly used in any communications with the client, otherwise there is zero sense. nine0005

But back to the beginning of the article - the request, as I said, came to the landing page, so we'll talk about the application of the value proposition on the sites. At the same time, let's do this using the example of a small business and a relatively simple product - since I say that everyone needs it.

Value Proposition for Wooden Stairs

Next, I will show examples of sites from Yandex.Direct. No advertiser's budget was affected - I can copy and paste links without clicking on them. nine0009

Look, there are wooden stairs. Manufacturers of stairs may not agree with me, but from the point of view of the client, this is a simple product - well, a ladder, well, made of wood. Not a spaceship.

But is value lost for the customer? Of course not, it’s hard to live in a two-story house without a ladder - here it is certainly more valuable for a particular person than a rocket.

But we can't just write "stairs" on the landing page, can we? Or can we?

The guys did it:

In these cases, the companies acted like this: “We sell stairs, what else to add, so we will write “stairs” like that. ” nine0005

Here and below, let's try to put ourselves in the place of the client and understand his thoughts when he sees such sites.

Ok, stairs. Is this a ladder guide? World catalog of stairs? A collection of photos of a stairman? Of course, I'm exaggerating, but the examples given do not even indicate what exactly the landing page owners are doing with these stairs. Sell? Produce? Design?

You have already made contact with the client, but have not yet reflected the most obvious value for him - what you will do for him. Of course, with some effort, the client will understand, read, study the catalog, maybe even call. That's just a person is lazy, and the brain seeks to minimize energy costs and avoid incomprehensible situations. nine0132 Not clear? We close this site and open the next one - good, there are a lot of them.

Here you can say: “Well, you didn’t bring landing pages, but catalogs, what did you want?” My opinion is this: if you forget about formal definitions (who defines them, by the way?), then any page on which you put traffic is a landing page. Traffic is actually people, not numbers in analytics. And people want to understand what value you give them. And you call it a catalog, a landing page or the devil in a mortar - people don’t care. nine0005

Let's look at other examples and try to understand what the value proposition of these companies is.

It's already better, a lot becomes clear: the stairs are wooden, but they cost from 40 thousand. It is even indicated that they can be ready-made, or they can be made to order - I really don’t understand what difference it makes to me as a client.

"High-quality wood" - and everyone else deliberately uses low-quality wood?

In general, I understand that the value proposition of this company boils down to “quality stairs at an affordable price”. Feeling a problem? Everyone around is just saying this - a good product for adequate money. nine0132 So they say when there is nothing more to say, because the product does not stand out in any way and there is no value that distinguishes it from competitors.

Then why should I buy here? The neighbors also have a good product for adequate money - they say so. Like you. I will toss a coin.

Here we are offered stairs ready and made to order. That is, the value, apparently, is that they are both ready-made and custom-made, but I can choose? And what have I to do with it? I need a ladder. Ready? Will she fit in my house? To order? Well, it’s clear that it’s made to order - I pick it up in my own house, and not in a typical apartment. nine0005

Staircase with wooden base. Here the lazy and energy-saving brain of the client begins to boil a little. It turns out that the stairs have a base? Is this the platform below? So there is no platform there. Or is it a frame? Ok, so be it, but why wooden? Why are you emphasizing this? Does this have any advantages? Some questions.

Buy sale of stairs to the floor (hello, low-frequency queries from wordstat). It is clear that the floor, thank you. Ready again - I think I'm starting to understand what it is. And on the right in the photo is the finished staircase? Well, why are you, what is your value? Apparently it's cheap. nine0005

I will find my ideal staircase. Can't find others? And they say they will.

Here, of course, there is a problem with the design, but at least the company has identified its USP:

  • Own production, delivery, painting. Well, my own production tells me that this is not an intermediary, that is, I will not overpay - that's good. Own painting? Why is it important? What does it affect?
  • 250 sizes, expert selection - what sizes? Do you mean projects? And what difference does it make to me, how many standard sizes, if anyway the specialist measures, and you produce - you yourself said so. nine0119
  • All models from the manufacturer in Moscow - I didn’t understand here. It is important that all models or that from the manufacturer or that in Moscow? What is the value of this message?

On this I will finish with criticism and, in order not to be unfounded, I will move on to the project that we did - for illustration. You can arrange the same analysis for us in the comments.

How do we approach this

There are different approaches to developing a value proposition, for example:

But in this case, both Osterwalder and JTBD seem overly complicated, so let's go the simpler way.

Let's look at the needs of the client and decompose them into the client's tasks (what he wants), problems (what he is afraid of) and benefits (what he wants to receive as a result) , formulate a value proposition and messages based on it. Messages will be used on the landing page.

Let's get started.

Client task

Why do you need a ladder at all? Obviously to move between floors. But there are many ways to move between floors: climb, like a climber, along a wall, jump, climb a structure made of boards, etc. nine0005

That is, a ladder is needed not just to move between floors, but to do it comfortably. Thus, we need a staircase in a country house in order to move between floors comfortably, conveniently, not paying attention to the staircase itself, without fighting with it , as we would have to fight, say, with goats knocked together from boards.

Problems

Now we put ourselves in the place of the client. What will disturb his comfort and peace of mind? And here's what:

  • Squeaky.
  • Has fallen apart and needs repair.
  • Peeled off.

These are problems that the client wants to avoid.

Benefits

And what does he want to get, except for the actual ability to move between floors?

Well, for example, to be beautiful and pleasing to the eye for as long as possible, and also not to be ashamed in front of the guests.

Thus, in addition to the functional task of moving, which is so obvious that it can not be mentioned, we have added emotional and social benefits. nine0005

Barriers

What else do I care about as a customer in the process of choosing and installing stairs?

For example, I want to understand:

  • How much will it cost.
  • What's the timing.
  • Who will install - do you need to look for a brigade or will you do it?

This is the minimum requirement.

And also desirable:

  • Look at the visualization not from the catalog, but specifically from my stairs. nine0119
  • To be able to choose - maybe I want a glass railing or a metal railing - can I? And if a tree, what kind and how much does it cost? Not a grandmother's option for a Soviet dacha?
  • By the way, my neighbor told me that his ladder didn't get up the first time and he had to finish it on the spot, and it's still not perfect - I don't want that.
  • But the main thing is that it doesn't creak - I want to watch TV shows in the living room at night and go up to the bedroom without waking the children. Yes, and friends will make fun. nine0119
  • Well, they are beautiful, right? Where to look?

Etc. Here, for example, I give an abbreviated example, but, of course, the lists will be larger.

Let's put it together and put it in this format:

  • What we do: manufacture and install stairs
  • For whom: for owners of country houses in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region
  • Why: so that the stairs give comfort and please the eye for a long time
  • How (reasons to believe): (1) does not creak, because is made from prepared wood with a moisture content of 8-12%, cut on CNC machines, using professional adhesives and sealants (2) fits perfectly into the room, because that must be measured by ourselves, cut on CNC machines, pre-assembled and adjusted in production (3) retains a beautiful appearance for a long time, because we paint and dry in a special chamber.

Result

And now we need to reflect this formulated value proposition on the landing page. Let's see what happened.

There was no budget for the design, so the design was light, prepared by the layout designer in the course of work, but the landing page was assembled on Tilda.

All content is on the landing page not because we thought it was beautiful or just filled out the template, but because everything is needed and follows from the value proposition. nine0005

We have a simple consumer product - in this particular case, we do not need to invent any tricks and write marketing nonsense like "We help you move vertically in space quickly and with pleasure." That's why we write like this: we manufacture and install stairs. Our task is for the client to immediately understand what we are doing.

St. Petersburg and Leningrad region are added so that the client can easily consider himself. After all, we work only in these regions, so we do not risk scaring away customers from other cities, but the target recognizes himself - this is what we want. nine0005

We also want to inform you that our stairs will provide comfort and delight the owner for a long time, but we cannot just say - this is an unfounded statement. Therefore, we will express this value proposition with the help of beautiful photos , clearly showing which stairs and for whom we make. Let's add a USP with "reasons to believe" - ​​due to which our stairs do not creak, do not fall apart and do not peel off.

Here we also write about a 5-year warranty (we suggested extending the term or even writing “lifetime warranty”, but the customer was reinsured against abuse). nine0005

Simply claiming we have great stairs will not work well - claims don't work at all. To avoid this, we prove a guarantee - for this it is needed. Since we give a guarantee, and even 5 years, it means that we are not balabols, but the stairs are really good - we prove it with deeds.

Our stairs make the owner happy, which means they are beautiful — we put a beautiful photo in a trendy Scandinavian style. We make sure that the client also wants such a staircase and imagines how beautiful his house will be. Remember that all felt-tip pens are different in taste and color, so we make a note to ourselves: the photo must be checked through an A / B test. nine0005

And one more thing. Remember that customer wants to understand the cost? Add calculator:

Be sure to keep in mind that we have no task to give an accurate calculation. This can be achieved with a hell of a complex calculator that no one will use. We give an approximate calculation, because our task is to satisfy the client’s desire to understand the value (and not to find out to the penny), lure him into interaction, cut off non-target customers, and demonstrate care.

nine0002 We show that the client has a choice, and wooden stairs are not only a country option:

Above, I cursed at the word “base”, and we use it, but we clearly show in the photo what is meant.

And again we are pleasing to the eye.

We understand that the beauty above can scare away some of the customers (“Surely space is worth it”) and we inform you that there are options both in style and in budget.

We tell in detail why the staircase will fit the room, and the neighbor who had to redo it just turned to the wrong guys:

Tell, why they don't creak:

Why don't they peel:

We remove the possible fear that prices will rise in the process, and explain why this will not happen:

Remove some more concerns:

Below is a rather atypical "How we work" section for a consumer product. Of course we do not have the task of explaining exactly how we work . Our task is to make it clear that, firstly, we will meet the deadlines, because we have a well-established process and there are regulations, and, secondly, we show that we are professionals. nine0005

Well, a couple of mandatory sections like additional "reasons to believe" : portfolio (at the same time beauty again) and reviews (and beauty again).

Full landing page can be viewed here.

It may seem that this article is about how to make a landing page. But no.

My main point is that value proposition even for small businesses is not a complex and useless marketing exercise from the world of large corporations. This is the most practical thing that any business needs to work with, regardless of its size. nine0005

If you do not work with your value proposition, then the client will form it on their own and not the fact that it is beneficial for you.

Think about what you give to the client. It doesn't matter if you fix stoves or launch rockets into space, there is value in any case - otherwise you will not be paid. Or, in a market with weak competition (for example, Russian), they will pay, because there are not so many options, but they will pay less often and less. Because people give money only in exchange for value for themselves.

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