If you’re selling your home, it’s understandable to want to get the best price. Adding value to your home is beneficial both in terms of boosting your coffers and making your home more appealing to potential buyers. Large-scale projects like extensions and loft conversions can add substantial value, but there are lots of more budget-friendly ways to increase your asking price and achieve a quick sale. Here are some affordable home improvements that could make all the difference.
- Enhancing the exterior
It takes a matter of minutes for most buyers to decide whether or not a house is right for them, so first impressions are crucial. A shabby exterior and an unkempt garden can affect the value of your home, as well as its saleability. Many people won’t even give a house a chance if they don’t like the way it looks from the outside. One of the simplest ways to make your home more valuable and more appealing is to enhance the exterior. Refresh paintwork on windows and door frames, give the front door a new coat of paint, mow your lawn, weed your flower beds, and scatter some planters around your porch. You could also use window boxes or hanging baskets to add colour and character. These simple touches will make your home more inviting.
- Spruce up your kitchen and bathroom
Many people will go into a property looking at two main rooms: the kitchen and the bathroom. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on a glitzy makeover. There are some incredibly straightforward, budget-friendly ways to make your kitchen and your bathroom more visually appealing. Start by decluttering. Clutter is a major turn-off for buyers, and it can make your rooms look small, dark, and cramped. Free up floor space, and maximise natural light by sticking to neutral tones on the walls. Throw out old bath mats and tea towels and tablecloths that have seen better days and use accessories like toothbrush and toilet brush holders, candle holders, storage pots, and vases to jazz up the aesthetic. Clear surfaces and use plants and flowers to add freshness and vibrancy. If you’ve got dated units in your kitchen, consider painting them. White is an excellent option for compact spaces, and you’ll be amazed at the difference something as quick and easy as painting the units can make.
- Add a conservatory
Adding a conservatory can increase the value of your home by up to 10 percent. With conservatories available from around £8,000, investing could prove lucrative when it comes to selling. A conservatory can enhance your living space and make your home more attractive to a more diverse range of buyers.
- Get your paintbrush out
Cosmetics may not seem like a killer when you’re searching for your dream home, but garish walls and clashing prints can put people off. If you’re hoping to boost the value of your home, and you don’t want to blow the budget, arm yourself with a brush and freshen up your interiors with a clean, muted palette. Neutral decor appeals to most buyers, as it gives them a blank canvas to work with. Light shades and subtle tones can also maximise space and light. If you’re keen to add colour, you can do this using soft furnishings, lamps and light fittings, flowers, ornaments, and wall art.
- Open up your layout
If your home has a series of small reception rooms, you could explore the option of knocking through and creating larger, lighter, more versatile spaces. If you have an archway between a kitchen and a dining room,for example, you could make a stunning family-friendly kitchen-diner simply by removing that arch. You’ll need to enlist the help of a building firm to ensure that the project is viable and complete the work, but you might find that a relatively inexpensive build adds significant value to your home. Open-plan layouts tend to be much more popular among modern-day buyers.
- Don your gardening gloves
Many people are eager to see what’s hiding at the back of the house when they’re checking out living rooms and bedrooms. Having a beautiful garden can increase the value of your home, even if you’ve only got limited space. Compare a yard overrun with weeds and moss, filled with old, rickety chairs and a table that needs serious TLC with a low-maintenance area adorned with gravel, paving, decking, potted trees, planters filled with flowers, and a pair of cool teardrop chairs, for example. It doesn’t take thousands of pounds to convert your outdoor space into an eye-catching area that will boost your home’s value substantially.
Whether you’re selling your home, or you’re looking for ways to increase the value of your property, you don’t have to embark on a full-scale renovation project. Simple touches and small-scale home improvements can often have a significant impact.
Related external guides: Lending Expert’s 8 home improvements you can do on a small budget
