Selling your home can be a nerve-wracking time, to say the least. You might be moving to a different town, city or country, which will no doubt occupy a great deal of your thoughts. While you might be preoccupied with finding your new house and all the excitement and anxiety that can come with that, it’s important to spare a thought or two for your existing property. Even if you’re relatively happy with the current value of your house, there are things you can do to boost that value and increase the sale price.
Even if you’re not looking to sell your house just yet, spending some time on increasing its value can save you a lot of hassle in the future. Whether you’re looking to do a mini makeover, fix some structural issues or just give it a lick of paint, here are some simple tips on how to increase the value of your house.
Fix It Up
If your home has a damaged roof, gutters or pipes, now is the time to get it fixed. Even if it’s just a few loose roof tiles, it’s absolutely worth sorting it out before you have your house valued, and definitely before anyone comes to view it. Potential buyers are likely to notice these issues and be put off, so make sure there’s no reason for them to complain. This also goes for damp or mold, which are very common and can be a deal-breaker for many buyers. Fixing these problems before anyone points them out will give you a much smoother selling process and could add value to your house.
Make It Lighter
Homes with more natural light consistently sell at a higher price, so it’s absolutely worth investing in ways to make your house look lighter. The simplest way of doing this is to thoroughly clean all of your windows, as this can make a surprisingly big difference. Painting your home white, or another light, neutral colour, will also help to make it look brighter. This is due to light colours reflecting natural light better. You might also consider applying this to ornaments and furniture in your home.
If you’re looking to invest more to further increase the value of your home, adding skylights in darker rooms, or replacing windows with newer, larger ones, is a great idea. Higher quality windows will add value to your home and be much more attractive to buyers. For an even more impressive look, you could install bifolding doors, which increase the natural light coming into your home and also function as a statement design piece that is bound to impress. Have a look at some of these for inspiration.
Although it might seem counter-intuitive to makeover your home just before you move, the increase in value will be proportional to the amount you invest at this point.
Look Outside
The external appearance of your property is surprisingly important to potential buyers, and can also affect the value of your home. If you have a garden, especially at the front, make sure it is tidy, even if you’re not enthusiastic about gardening. Hiring a gardener to do this for you once could be a big help if you don’t have time to pull up all those weeds, and adding a few potted plants certainly won’t hurt.
If you have a fence, make sure it’s not broken and consider giving it a lick of paint or varnish. If you have a gate, make sure it’s in good condition and oil the hinges to avoid any off-putting squeaks. Remember that the outside of your house is essentially the first impression buyers will get, so take this seriously and make it look as attractive as possible.
Be Secure
Don’t give potential buyers any reason to worry about the security of your property. Make sure any alarms are in working order, in case they ask to test them and ensure that your locks meet the current standards. If you have any doubts, consider changing the locks or installing a new alarm. It might seem a little extreme, but a lack of security will certainly affect the value of your home.
Get Practical
Be aware of the more practical elements that are important to the day-to-day functioning of your home. It’s likely that potential buyers will look at the placement of electrical sockets, and in this age of tech devices, charging points are very important. If you don’t have as many electrical sockets as you might like, or if they’re somewhat awkwardly placed, consider installing a couple of new sockets in places that could be prime charging locations.
Another vital factor in the value of your home is heating, so make sure your boiler is in full working order before you try to sell. Potential buyers may well ask you to turn on the heating so they can test the radiators, so be prepared for this and make sure it’s all in working order. If not, having a new boiler installed will add significant value to your home, so it’s definitely worth it.