You may be surprised to hear this, but despite all the negative headlines, property remains one of the best investments you can make.

Have a look at the chart below, which shows the growth in house prices over the last 50 years. It clearly shows that, while there certainly has been a hiccup over the last few years, the overall trend is resolutely upwards.

Obviously, these are the national averages, and ‘your mileage may vary’, as they say. Also, the past may not be a guide to the future. But we can’t ignore the key messages from this graph. Most notably, those who’ve owned homes for 30 years or more have clearly done very well. Those who bought nearly 50 years ago, when average house prices were in single figures, have seen a staggering return on their initial investment – perhaps as much as 5000%!

Yet those who have only been on the housing ladder for 10 years or so have also been rewarded. And those who joined the party over the last few years may already be looking at gains, or perhaps a modest loss that will soon be reversed. Despite the headlines, very few people have lost out.

There’s no doubt that these are difficult economic times. In the wider economy, growth is low, inflation is high, and many people are struggling with real hardship. And the idea of investing in property seems to have disappeared from most people’s minds – certainly, we’re hearing a lot less about buy-to-let landlords than we used to. But for many people, the rationale for putting their cash into property, one way or another, is as strong as it ever was. It all depends on your individual circumstances.

For most people, their home remains their most significant asset and the largest single purchase they make in their lifetime. The equity in their home represents a huge commitment of time and funds, and may also become an important support to them in their old age – or a key part of the legacy they hope to leave to their children or other dependants.

We think it’s important to keep this in mind when considering maintenance work such as roofline replacement. Most people feel that £2500 (on average) to replace their fascias and gutterings is a lot of money. And, from one point of view, it is – for example, if you weigh it against spending that cash on a holiday. But it’s important to realise that updating your roofline is an investment, not just a spend.

Maintaining the integrity of your roofline is a great way to protect your most important asset. On the most superficial level, it makes for an attractive home that will be easy to sell. But go deeper, and it also protects the fabric of the roof and walls from damp, which can be a serious structural enemy.

On top of that, improving what you already have is a great alternative to moving. In the heyday of the housing market, people moved on to larger or better houses just because they could. The credit was there, and there was almost no reason not to. Now, with loans much harder to come by, they’re focusing their efforts on consolidating what they already have – keeping it safe, preserving its fabric and making it the most pleasant, well-kept place to live that they possibly can.

Finally, investing in your property doesn’t just preserve its value – it increases it. Every improvement you make to your home gives it another step up in terms of value – so while the ‘trend is your friend’ in terms of prices increasing over time, you’re also giving it an extra boost by creating added-value features.

Another perspective on this is to consider the alternatives. If you have spare funds, leaving them in the bank brings you almost no interest. There may be buying opportunities in the stock market, but it remains volatile and unpredictable. In our view, putting your hard-earned cash into a home improvement such as roofline maintenance is one of the wisest financial moves you can make.

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