Are you looking to add value to your home before selling? If challenging market conditions are concerning you and you don't want to be affected by buyer apathy or sliding sold property prices any more than necessary, it's natural to think of ways to boost your property's value. However, before you roll up your sleeves or spend any money, be careful! The "ceiling price" of a road or neighbourhood is a genuine phenomenon and, if anything, is even more pertinent at the moment. Moreover, remember that, aside from structural work, much of what is done to a home is a matter of subjective opinion. A buyer is not necessarily going to pay more for your home merely because you've wallpapered the living room in a print they dislike or installed a grey slab kitchen that makes them think of a morgue. With this in mind, here are ten ideas to consider if you are looking to make changes and hopefully add value to your home before putting it on the market.
1. Create a driveway or offroad parking
The lack of private offroad parking is a real bugbear for many people, especially those with limited mobility or small children. It's no surprise, therefore, that homes with private parking often attract a premium. As a result, if you can create private parking for your home, it's worth considering. Of course, this may mean saying goodbye to all or part of the front garden - and, don't forget, you'll also need to apply for permission to drop the kerb. Before you decide whether or not to go ahead with the idea, look at what nearby neighbours have done and, ideally, look at whether there's any difference in the selling prices of homes with and without private parking.
2. Repair superficial defects
Even if you're not much of a DIY-er, there are almost certainly small wins to be had around your house. A dripping tap, for example, or the chipped paintwork on the skirting board in the hallway. And what about the mouldy, peeling sealant around the bath? These types of tasks are ideal candidates that most people can undertake with the help of a YouTube video or two and a trip to Wickes or B&Q. It's also the sort of job that can radically transform the first impression given to a potential buyer of your home.
3. Tidy up the outside space
If you have a garden, make the best use possible of it. Exactly what this means will probably depend on the garden's size, its current layout and who is most likely to be interested in buying your home. For example, a family house that's in catchment for a great school probably works better with a lawn that can be used for football games rather than a formal rose garden. And, even if you don't have much of a garden, don't forget that you can do a lot with the help of planters, hanging baskets, and even window boxes. If you're not much of a gardener, keep it simple, as you'll need to keep on top of it all while your property's (hoped-for) sale goes through.
4. Declutter
Anyone thinking of moving should take the opportunity to declutter. However, the task takes on extra importance when it comes to showing off your property to best effect to potential buyers. Although some buyers will be able to see past your possessions, others will not have that degree of imagination. Your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to imagine themselves living in the property. Decluttering helps enormously, as does removing very personal effects, such as family photographs. Decluttering has another advantage too: it suggests that your home is sufficiently spacious with adequate storage. Yes, you might need to fill your car boot, stuff boxes into a friend's attic or even hire a storage unit, but your buyer doesn't need to know that!
5. Energy efficiency
This is a big one - and not always a cheap fix. However, with tighter legislation around the energy efficiency of properties, it's an important aspect of home ownership and worth tackling. You may be eligible for one of the grants still currently available. If not, however, and assuming that new windows or double glazing are out of your financial reach, think about other measures you can take. Loft insulation, for example, isn't very expensive and if you're mobile enough and handy, you can lay it yourself. Similarly, perhaps you are comfortable sealing gaps around windows after following a YouTube video or seeking advice from staff in your local DIY store. Anything you do to improve your home's energy efficiency has a real chance of boosting its value, as homes with better energy ratings often fetch higher sold property prices.
6. The front door
Yes, front doors are expensive, and that's regardless of whether you go for traditional wood, composite, uPVC or some other material. However, even if you don't have the budget for a new door, perhaps you can make your current one look better. A painted door could perhaps benefit from a fresh coat of paint in an appropriate colour. And any door might benefit from some new, stylish door furniture. This doesn't have to be expensive and you might even be able to source really high-end pieces via sites such as ebay at bargain prices.
7. Redecorate
We touched on this one at the outset. Redecorating is a tricky one. Your tastes won't necessarily coincide with those of your viewers. However, provided you don't go for anything too "out there" or difficult to remove (so, no anaglypta wallpaper, please), a freshly redecorated home is almost always more appealing to viewers. You won't necessarily get any more money for it, but you may find it attracts a buyer much faster. However, if you're thinking of extending your redecorating to installing a new kitchen or bathroom, take advice from your estate agent first. It's quite likely that the financial outlay won't be recouped from the sale, and the effort may not even help the property sell faster.
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