Simple Tips To Add Value To Your Home

Simple Tips To Add Value To Your Home

The average homeowner in the UK spends around £16,100 on renovations for their home. According to Zopa, this could potentially increase your properties value by up to £30,000 in some cases. Nathan Tobin, Manager at James Douglas gives his advice for homeowners on what the majority of buyers look for when searching for their dream home.

Top tips for adding value to your home (with as little spending as possible) include, but are not limited to:

1. Neutral decoration
2. Revealing the character of your property 
3. Increasing kerb appeal 
4.  Garden makeover

 1. Neutral decoration

By neutrally decorating your home, you can add some value along with making the property more appealing to potential buyers, such as paint work and flooring. In recent months, we’ve seen greys and beiges make appearances in more homes which buyers give great feedback on. Another great tip is to paint some of your rooms with white paint, as this makes the room feel more clean, tidy and appear more spacious. Any peeling paint, mould in bathrooms or cracks in plaster will be more than visible to potential buyers and may appear worse than it actually is. Touching up these little bits will make your home look more conditioned and cleaner in the process.

2.  Revealing the character of your property

If you have a traditional property, a great way of showcasing this is to reveal it’s heritage. We have found, that original features such as coving, original tiled flooring, original floor beams and cast iron fireplaces in the reception areas and bedrooms are a great way to bring out the history of your home. It’s just a case of making sure these features are brought back to their best with polishing, sanding or painting the relevant feature.

3. Increasing Kerb Appeal

“You get one chance to make a first impression”. Not a truer word said. When a potential buyer arrives at your property to take a look around, the first thing they will assess is the front of the property. By making the property more appealing from the kerb, you will put your potential buyer’s emotions in a happier place once setting foot over the front door.

Consider repainting any brickwork, up cycling your front door, repainting any tired window sills and frames, re-painting any pillars and possibly replacing any old house signs or door numbers. If you have a front garden or courtyard, adding plant pots can be the finishing touch to increase your properties’ kerb appeal. You’d be surprised how much these small changes can add value to your property.

4. Garden Makeover

Giving your garden a makeover is a great way to put across that you maintain your property to a great standard. In the summer months, it gives a fantastic impression to potential buyers. Give the garden a feeling of security and privacy is really beneficial, this can be done by adding fences or mature trees to your garden (you can raise the height of boundary wall/fence but you may need planning. You may need to this with your local authority). Create functional areas for seating, bbq’s and work spaces, this will make the garden feel more welcoming. 

Quick and easy jobs – Recap

To recap, here are our top tips on the “easy jobs” when you’re looking to add value to your property.

• Paint exterior 
• Repair windows and doors as well as old rainwater goods
• Paint old kitchen units and consider a new worktop
• Tidy and organise the garden space
• Repair, paint or re-carpet stairs and broken balustrades
• Board or convert the loft into useable space
• Add new light fittings
• Re-grout tiles
• Upcycle Front Door
• Repaint rooms
• Replace old floorings, such as threadbare carpets or chipped tiles
• Tackle damp issues

If you are looking to sell your home and are looking at ways to add value, contact us.