It’s easy to fall into a routine at home. Drape your clothes on the backs of chairs, shove the kids’ toys behind the sofa when guests come calling, and chuck towels into cupboards once they’re washed. But what’s easy to live with won’t sell your home.
Put yourself in a buyer’s mind. You’ll want potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. A clean and tidy home will attract buyers and raise your property’s value.
How to add value to your home before selling? Here are some quick tips for increasing value:
1. Declutter and organise your home
Imagine visiting a home you’d like to buy. Imagine seeing sweeping expanses of new carpet, fresh from the vacuum, and ready to receive your furniture.
Appealing, right?
It’ll be easy to shape this house into your home. So showing more floor space can add value to a house. Do you have surplus chairs or cabinets? How about renting a storage unit to house them until your sale goes through?
Sort out what’s inside your closets. Most buyers will want to peek inside, so stack everything neatly, whether its clothes, crockery or towels. Replace any worn out carpets or rugs and give every room a deep clean so everything is fresh. Pay attention to floors as well. Make your visitors envious of your well-kept home and you’ll increase its value.
2. Increase useable square footage
Do you have a basement or an attic waiting to be turned into extra living space? Could a garage or shed become a work studio or a garden office? Or could a patio extension add value to your house by increasing your outdoor living space?
These alterations will be expensive, but they’ll boost your home’s value.
3. Enhance energy efficiency
We’ve all seen energy prices soar recently, but investing in energy-saving measures will damp down your bills, and raise your home’s value.
Can you add to your attic’s insulation, or improve your cavity wall insulation? Plug any draughts around windows and doors, and replace any old-style light bulbs with modern LEDs. Now’s a great time to replace any tatty light fixtures or switches.
4. Upgrade kitchens and bathrooms
Prospective buyers will check out your kitchens and bathrooms. Any outdated or tired countertops will drag down your home’s value. Replace any outdated appliances such as fridge-freezers, washing machines, or dryers. Modernise surfaces with granite or quartz. Scrub any limescale from your taps.
Can you spruce up your bathroom by upgrading your sinks and toilets?
5. Boost curb appeal
Your potential buyers will probably first see your home from the road. And they’ll often decide about your house in those first few seconds.
First impressions are critical.
So power wash your driveway and patios, and any other external surfaces. Replace any battered exterior doors, including garage doors. A fresh coat of paint will work wonders, and you can dot colourful flowers and shrubs across your garden to attract viewers. Can you call in the landscapers to freshen up your garden?
6. Incorporate smart home technology
You won’t want to heat your living room if you’re delayed at work. Nor will anyone buying your home. Install a smart thermostat and show potential buyers you’re on top of energy costs. Smart locks and cameras will reassure them they’re buying a secure home.
7. Improve functionality and flow
Today’s house buyers tend to seek out open plan homes. If you’re selling an older house, consider knocking down any unnecessary walls to open up those living spaces. Can you improve the flow of natural light around your rooms by adding skylights and extra windows?
Many families want rooms they can use in several ways. One room might have to work as a playroom, and as a dining room, and as a spare bedroom. Can you help this happen by adding extra shelves or storage cabinets?
Many of your potential buyers will want to work from home, so can you add a dedicated office space?
8. Focus on high-impact areas
Some improvements will cost, but can give you a high return. Priority areas are usually kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas.
Fix any problems with your roof or your foundations. Anyone buying your home will order a survey, and you’re best off sorting out any issues beforehand.
Stay up to date with local building codes and regulations. Make everything as easy as possible for your buyer.
9. Avoid home improvements that do not add value to your home
A few improvements look like great investments, but won’t raise your house’s value. Swimming pools or ornate gardens may leave buyers worried about maintenance costs. Any intensely personal touches may put buyers off, so go easy on decor like words on walls.
Converting a bedroom into a dressing room may suit your needs, but deter a large family from buying your house. Read our helpful guide on what not to fix when selling a house and what y0u should, that can help you maximise value.
Conclusion
When your looking to add value to your home, some steps will cost nothing, or a few tens of pounds. Others will see you shelling out thousands. But if they’re done properly, home improvements will almost always pay for themselves. Install them, and you can charge a higher price for your home. You’ll attract more potential buyers and you’ll speed up your house’s sale.
If you want to sell your house fast for cash, Zapperty will buy any house in any condition. There’s no middlemen, no heaps of paperwork, no unnecessary fees or hassle. Learn how to sell your house quickly today.
Best ways to add value to your home based on your budget
Zero or low cost: (£0-£100)
- Paint the exterior
- Power wash visible surfaces
- Tidy your house
Low to Medium cost: (£100-300)
- Modernise light sources/fixtures/switches
- Add extra storage cupboards or cabinets.
- Add coloured plants and shrubs
- Put surplus furniture in storage
- Deep clean everywhere
- Add smart home thermostats and cameras
Medium to High cost: (£300-£1,000)
- Refresh carpets and tiles
- Improve insulation
- Upgrade older kitchen appliances
- Upgrade sinks and toilets
- Update tired work surfaces
- Add skylights and new windows
- Fix roof or foundation problems
High cost: (over £1,000)
- Consider a basement or attic conversion
- Landscape the garden
- Knock down surplus internal walls
- Create a home office