Foolproof Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

If you’re a homeowner who’s looking to sell, you’ll be surprised by how relatively small changes can make a big difference to the price your property achieves on the open market.

So aside from obvious things like carrying out major renovation works or adding an extension, what straightforward options do you have for boosting what your home is worth?

Spring cleaning is cost-effective and transformative

A home that’s grimy and cluttered with possessions won’t look attractive in real estate listings, and could put off potential buyers from even visiting for a viewing, let alone making an attractive offer.

Whether you clean up your property yourself, or call in the experts, even a few hours of scrubbing, vacuuming, dusting and decluttering will be enough to tip the balance in your favour.

This is also an opportunity to sort the items that you need from those that are just taking up space. Holding a garage sale or using online auction sites to shift unwanted objects is advised before a big move.

A lick of paint gives tired rooms the wow-factor

For major remodelling work, you might need a HELOC (home equity line of credit) to cover the costs. Even smaller jobs may seem like they are out of your budget, but flexible lending makes them attainable, and redecoration is a great example of this.

It’s generally best to start with rooms that need the most TLC; for example, if you’ve got a spare bedroom that was once occupied by a teenage child, this can be brought back to life with a neutral paint job.

Exterior maintenance jobs will make a killer first impression

Realtors always talk about curb appeal, and it’s tough to bowl over buyers if the outside of your home looks run down or unloved.

Loose guttering, or even guttering that’s overflowing with leaf litter, should be addressed, for example. And if you’ve got a driveway and front lawn, sprucing these up with a little jet washing and landscaping respectively will restore the sheen and green.

Even something like a new front door could be considered, if you’re willing to stretch your budget a little further. For a cheaper fix, repainting your existing front door in an eye-catching colour will work.

Dealing with electrical issues eases buyer concerns

Another thing which can make a home feel scruffy and less special is if there are light bulbs which have blown and not been replaced, or wall switches that no longer function.

Getting a professional to come and rectify the more complex electrical snafus which are present in your property but you’ve not got around to until now is sensible before you put it up for sale.

Sprucing up the kitchen and bathroom will turn heads

For many people, the kitchen is the most important room of the house, and if the kitchen in a property they’re viewing is outdated and unkempt, it might be a deal breaker.

Luckily you don’t need to rip out all of your old units and replace them with new ones to win them over. Sometimes all that’s required is a replacement of the cupboard doors, or even just the handles, to bring that much-needed hint of modernity to kitchens that haven’t been updated in decades.

Then there’s the bathroom, which might be the smallest room in your home and so won’t be too much hard work to set right.

Refreshing the sealant around the shower and bath is one speedy, inexpensive option if mould and discoloration are present. Buying new towels to hang on the rack can also work wonders.

Final thoughts

As you can see, you don’t need to be a construction expert or an architect to increase the value of your home. A few hours of your time and a few hundred pounds really do make a difference.