Does a Water Softener Add Value to Your Home?

So, you’re considering a move, and you have a quality water softener installed in your home. Will this water treatment system add value to your property? Or will it make more sense for you to take the softener to your next home?

We’ve shared everything we know about water softeners and house value in this guide.

🤔 Does A Water Softener Increase Your Home’s Value?

Yes, a water softener may increase the value of your home. However, there’s no guarantee of this. It depends on the demand for homes with water softeners in your local area.

We’ve seen a few sources claiming that “studies” and “research” have shown that water softeners increase the value of a property, but they haven’t cited their references. In our own research, we couldn’t find any surveys or data to prove for certain that water softeners increase home value.

However, based on the benefits of water softeners, including their ability to protect household appliances and decrease energy bills, we think it’s likely that water softeners add value to your home.

This is especially likely if you live in a region with very hard water, where many homebuyers are looking for properties with pre-installed water softeners.

In short, there’s no guarantee that even a high-quality water softener will increase the value of your home. If you’re thinking of selling, speak to your local estate agent to see if they consider appliances like water softeners when they’re valuing a property.

💵 How Much Value Does A Water Softener Add To A Home?

We could only find one source that said water softeners increase home value by $5,000 to $10,000 – but, in the interest of transparency, that source is a water softener manufacturer, so of course they’re going to tell you what you want to hear. These figures were said to be based on “research”, but the source didn’t link to this research, so we question its legitimacy.

We think it’s more likely that a water softener would add about the same amount of value to your home as the amount that you paid for the softener upfront – so around $1,000-$3,000, depending on the model’s age and performance specs.

🏠 How A Water Softener Might Add Value To Your Home

There are a few reasons why a soft water system might add value to your home:

Protects Your Plumbing System

First, a water softener protects your pipes, plumbing, and bathroom fixtures.

Softer water doesn’t deposit hard minerals on the inside of your pipes and water fixtures, so there’s no risk of clogging, reduced water flow, or leaks.

That should appeal to a potential buyer because it tells them that your home’s plumbing system should last longer and have fewer hard water-related issues.

Longer-Lasting Appliances

With soft water, your washing machines, water heaters, dishwashers, and all your other water fixtures and home appliances, will be protected against scale build-up.

Limescale clogs appliances and causes them to work harder, potentially leading to early burn-out.

With a soft water system, you eliminate the minerals responsible for limescale, so your appliances can operate as intended and last as long as anticipated by the manufacturer.

Reduces Your Energy Bill

Water softeners can also decrease your energy costs, especially your water heating bills.

Softened water is unable to form mineral deposits on your water heater, which means the heater can perform efficiently and heat water faster.

Soft water also keeps your water-using appliances running efficiently throughout their lifespans, so you can save money on their running costs.

Cuts Costs With Cleaning

A water softener also helps you save money on soaps, detergents, and cleaners – another reason why this unit may add value to your home.

With soft water, you can use less fabric softener and detergent in your washing machine, and you won’t have to spend money on expensive cleaning products to tackle limescale.

You can use less shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair, and you won’t have to buy new clothes as often because they won’t be damaged or altered by soap scum deposits.

💸 How A Water Softener Might Deter Potential Buyers

There are a couple of reasons why potential buyers might be deterred by a water softener:

Extra Commitment To Take On

First, water softeners require commitment.

A softening system isn’t as commitment-heavy as a water filtration system. The only tasks are topping up the salt, replacing the sediment pre-filter, and cleaning the resin from time to time.

However, that might be too much commitment for a prospective buyer who wants to move into a new home with no fuss and no upfront responsibilities.

Even if the family that moves into your home decides not to use the water softener, they’ll still have the commitment of hiring a plumber to disconnect the system from your plumbing line and install pipe replacement to fill in the gap where the softener used to be.

Costs Money To Run

The other downside of a water softener from a buyer’s perspective is that it isn’t a quick-fix, install-it-and-never-touch-it-again solution to all your home’s hard water problems.

A water softener costs money to run – there’s the cost of salt, resin cleaner, and, as the softener gets older, repairs, new resin, and replacement parts. No, it’s not expensive, but it’s more money than nothing – which is what the prospective homeowner may prefer to spend after purchasing their new home.

This additional spend may be off-putting to somebody who wants to put their budget into other more exciting opportunities, rather than maintaining a unit that they didn’t particularly want in the first place.

This is especially likely if you have an old water softener that will need replacing within the next couple of years.

📥 Does A Water Softener Decrease Your Home’s Value?

So, you know that a water softener might deter potential buyers – but will it decrease the value of your home?

The answer is most definitely not! Despite the commitment that a water softener requires, it’s truly a valuable appliance, which means it will only ever increase the value of your home – not decrease it.

Again, we recommend chatting to an estate agent in your area to determine how your home’s sale price might be affected by a soft water system.

📑 Final Word

So, a water softener might add value to your home, but if you want to know for sure, speak to your local estate agent.

Yes, a water softener might deter some potential buyers, depending on what they’re looking for and their personal preferences.

But ultimately, if a prospective buyer loves your home, they’re highly unlikely to be so repelled by something as small, simple, and harmless as a water softener that they decide not to make an offer.

If a buyer really didn’t want the hassle and small expense of owning a water softener, they could easily arrange to decommission the softener, or ask you to do this before they moved in.

And the good news is that for most people, a water softener is a bonus, especially if you live in a region with very hard water, where water softeners are common and folks are used to using them. So, rather than deterring most buyers, a water softener should prove to be an attractive feature of your home.

Either way, it might make more sense for you to disconnect your softener and take it with you to your next home. That’s a decision you can more easily make when you know for certain whether your home’s sale price will be affected by the presence of a water softening system.