What Increases Home Value?
Are you currently in the process of putting your house on the market and being directed here because you typed phrases like “want to sell my property fast” into Google or your preferred search engine? Then, it is a good idea before you list your property to think about alterations and updates that you could make to your home to increase its value.
That may sound a little daunting and expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. There are a lot of things that you can do to your property to increase the value that will not break the bank too much.
Redecorate
Perhaps the most obvious, but still nonetheless effective, option is to redecorate. Filling holes and cracks and giving all walls and ceilings a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a property. It’s best to stick to neutral colours as these are the most appealing to buyers as they showcase your property as a blank canvas that they can personalise.
Repair Any Superficial Damage or Defects
Although these finer details are unlikely to be the dealbreaker, if there is any superficial defects or damage, it may give buyers the impression that your home has not been well cared for and certainly won’t show it in the best light. Some of the issues you should consider dealing with before you start listing your home include:
- Paint peeling
- Dirty surfaces and walls, particularly around light switches and doorframes as these areas are often overlooked by homeowners
- Dripping taps
- Squeaky stairs, doors, and floors
- Moldy bathroom and kitchen sealant
- Bathroom and kitchen fittings with a build-up of limescale
- Badly fitted laminate flooring
- Lightbulbs that are broken or lighting fixtures that don’t work.
Front Door
You need to remember that first impressions count for a lot and can make all the difference between whether a potential buyer shows interest in your property and puts in an offer or not. While it’s great to focus a lot of attention on the interior of the property, it’s only going to work in your favour if you don’t sacrifice time and effort that could be spent on the exterior and, in particular, the front door.
Potential buyers can learn a lot and form their own opinions just by the condition of your front door. Okay, so you may not be able to afford to replace the front door. However, you should go to great lengths to make sure it looks as good as new. In addition to giving it a thorough clean, you need to also give it a fresh coat of paint or another appropriate finish. Also consider replacing the letterbox, doorknob, knocker, house number and any other furniture that is looking worse for wear.
Tidy and Declutter
Cleaning is obviously very important when you are trying to show your property in the very best light possible. However, if your home is impeccably clean but untidy and cluttered, potential buyers are likely to be put off. Remember, although you want them to see that it is a place you enjoyed living in, you want them to be able to picture themselves living there.
They will find that harder if all of your stuff is still there. Try to minimise the number of ornaments and other features you have around the house. This will also help when it comes to moving because if you get rid of a lot of stuff you will have less to put in the back of a van.
High impact rooms like the kitchen and living room should be neat, tidy, and clear. Although there is obviously going to be some appliances on the worktops, if there are too many it may make potential buyers feel claustrophobic. So, while you may want to keep the toaster, kettle, and microwave out, you don’t necessarily need to keep the blender and pasta cutting machine.
Lighting and Heating
Make sure you schedule viewings, where possible, on bright and sunny days or that you have high-quality bulbs in all your lighting fixtures. You also need to make sure that the heating is on, and all of the property is warmed to a reasonable temperature for the time of the year. Buyers will be looking to see if there is enough light in the property and if the central heating works.