How much do buyers really care about electric vs gas heating in a 1-bed flat?

Hi everyone,

My partner and I bought our first home about 3 months ago. It's a spacious 1-bed flat in Rotherhithe in an ex-council building. On paper, it ticks a lot of boxes: river views, a lovely Juliette balcony, a well-maintained communal garden, and a decent amount of space.

Since moving in, I've been questioning whether we made the right choice. I'm not really looking for advice about buyer's remorse itself — what's done is done. My main concern now is making sensible financial decisions and planning our next steps.

The flat needs some updating. We have already decided that we will renovate the bathroom and kitchen regardless, as they're dated and we believe those improvements will make the flat more enjoyable to live in and potentially more attractive to future buyers.

The bigger question is about heating. The flat currently has electric heating, and we were considering converting it to gas central heating, which could cost up to £10,000.

My concern is whether we'd ever see that money back if we decide to sell in a few years (potentially around the time we remortgage). Realistically, I think we'd already struggle to sell the flat for what we paid, so I'm trying to be careful about putting money into improvements that won't add much value.

My partner believes gas central heating is a major selling point that many buyers actively look for and that it would increase the value and saleability of the flat. I tend to disagree. My feeling is that most buyers are more interested in the overall condition of the property, the quality of the kitchen and bathroom, and the running costs. In a 1-bed flat, I'm not convinced that the heating system is a deciding factor.

So if you were in our position, would you:

• Spend up to £10k converting from electric heating to gas central heating?

I'd be particularly interested in hearing from people who have sold or bought similar London flats and whether gas heating actually made a noticeable difference to value or buyer demand.

Thanks!