When it comes to selling your home, there are many ways to make sure you are maximising the potential value of a property.
What it all boils down to is what a buyer is willing to pay.
By following these ten tips on how to add value to your home, you can always be sure a buyer is seeing something exciting, fresh and packed with potential.
If you’re trying to sell your home or looking to sell in the future, then these tips may just see your house price rocketing up and can have a big effect on your own future home.
Let’s take a look.
1. Cosmetic Care
When people look around a property, they want to find a place they can see themselves living in.
No-one likes to see wear-and-tear when looking around a home, so keeping up with the small jobs such as putting an extra layer of paint on the walls and making sure there are no gaps in the current paintwork can end up having a big contribution to your house price.
Painting cupboards in the kitchen or the walls of the living room can give a newfound freshness to your home which is sure to be noticed by potential buyers.
And it doesn’t stop with paint. Adding some pictures on the wall, accessories such as candles, and making sure things like door handles and furniture are all looking new and clean are great ways of giving a great impression of your home and making sure it is always looking its best.
2. Does a loft conversion add value?
This question has many answers. What it boils down to is what you are actually converting your loft into.
Converting a loft costs a lot of money, and will inevitably end up losing some storage space, but it can make back that money in the value of your home.
An average of 20% potential increase in value can be achieved if you install a clean, bright bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. For other things such as home offices, the figure drops to around 10%.
It is wise to look at the figures and speak to professionals on whether the amount you would be putting into the work would be rescinded in your home’s worth.
3. Bathrooms and Kitchens
Two of the key rooms that potential buyers focus on are bathrooms and kitchens. This is because living rooms and other areas can be fixed with mostly cosmetics, whereas installing new bathrooms and kitchens can be a big and expensive task.
So is it worth you paying for a new bathroom or kitchen?
Well, not all renovations have to be expensive. Why not think about painting your cupboards and getting a new worktop. Touches like this can give a whole new lease of life to a kitchen.
The issue with bathrooms and kitchens is that they can easily look outdated, so a quick cosmetic fix can work wonders.
If you want to install a whole new room, then opting to get a professional to renovate can be expensive, but like a loft conversion, the value that this adds to your home can exceed the price you pay.
Speaking to estate agents such as the team at Leysbrook is a way of gaining professional advice on if this move would benefit you.
4. Make your Garden Summer Ready
If people are looking around the house and it’s a sunny day, having a nice garden can prove to be a great selling point.
If your buyer can envisage themselves in the garden enjoying the sunshine with a nice cold drink, they will be more tempted to buy.
Making sure your garden doesn’t look unkempt by performing such tasks as mowing the lawn and making sure you have lots of colourful plants is always a positive and is a good way of enticing higher bids.
If you can create a seating area where people can relax such as decking or a group of outdoor furniture, you are providing a place ready-made for people to socialise and hold outside events, which is often a key factor in choosing which home to buy.
5. Go Open Plan
Knocking out some walls and creating an open-plan area can really boost the chance of selling for a higher price.
In fact, value can increase by around 15% if you create a well done area.
The reason for this is because open plan is perfect for families as parents can cook away in the kitchen or eat tea in the dining room while in full view of the children.
It’s also very beneficial when it comes to socialising, allowing people to always be a part of the conversation.
It’s also great for natural light as well, which is always a positive when it comes to selling a property. If you can install big windows that really light up a large area, you are onto a winner when it comes to attracting big offers.
6. Perfect your Parking
Another key factor that can help raise your property price is off-street parking. Research has suggested that the value can rise by around 10% if you add a driveway, which is a huge leap in some cases.
Especially if you live down a busy road where parking isn’t always easy, if you can pay to drop the curb so you have access to a drive or extend your front garden and make it acceptable to park on, this is a huge plus.
Off-street parking saves people time trying to find a spot and drastically minimises the risk of the car being damaged.
If you already have a one car drive, see if you can turn it into a two and really make the most of the space you have at the front of your house.
What you must remember is the buyer may have to pay for permit parking if you don’t have a drive which would be a recurring cost that could be avoided with off-street parking, so this should be reflected in their offer.
7. First Impressions Count
As with anything, first impressions are important.
This starts the moment the potential buyer leaves their car and walks towards the house. Making sure the front of the house is clean and looking welcoming is vital to creating a good impression immediately.
Something as simple as ensuring your door is looking tidy and undamaged can provide a great platform from which to show your house to someone.
At first sight of every room, an impression will be made. Making sure it is tidy, that there are no immediate issues that stick out, and that it smells good and is bright are all key components in leaving an overall good impression.
If you have pets, try and keep them contained in a room and make sure they’re not making a mess or fussing the viewers as some people may find this off-putting.
Open windows to get some air in and ensure the house feels warm and welcoming. If it’s not, the buyer’s value may be dropping from the moment they walk through the door.
8. Sell at the Right Time
There are hot and cold markets in the property industry.
Hot is when there are a lot of people looking to buy, and cold is when viewers, and offers, are scarce.
If you choose to sell in a cold market, you may be waiting a long time for a bid. People may see your house has been on the market a long time or realise there isn’t a huge amount of interest and this could lead to lower bids.
Hot markets on the other hand are goldmines for big bids.
If someone knows they must act quickly to get a bid accepted, they are a lot more likely to bid a higher amount in the hope that they can stand out amongst the other bidders.
Unsure of what the market is like right now? Get in touch with your estate agents who will be able to give you all the details.
9. Be Structurally Sound
In a recent survey, over a third of recent buyers said avoiding renovations was a key issue when looking for a new house.
This means that if your house is in severe need of work, you are going to be putting off a lot of potential buyers and the offers you do receive will reflect the structural issues.
So how can you fix this?
Well, ensuring everything is up to scratch and fixing what needs fixing is one solution. This may be costly, but the value of your home will rise accordingly. If you need a new roof for example, this may cost £10,000, but the value of saying you have a brand new, structurally sound roof, could put this cost and more back onto your home.
If you want to go ahead with issues, make sure you make the buyer aware. Issues that are found later on in the process often put an end to a sale and this can cost a lot in fees that have already been paid.
Some structural issues can’t be stopped, so if you can confirm there are none and everything in your home is in a great condition, this can be a big boost to the value of your home.
10. Get Serviced
Another thing that most viewers will check is the gas and electrics.
If you can get your boiler serviced and show it is in great working order, this is a huge plus. A brand-new boiler can be a big expense, so if a buyer knows they are in safe hands with your current one, they can be persuaded to pay a few extra pounds for the house.
Providing a good heating system and electric certificates lets people know your house is well run and safe. This is always a plus.
No one wants to be channelling electrics or cutting through walls to reach faulty pipework, so by proving everything is above board and works well, you are boosting your chances of a high sale.
If you don’t have certificates, paying for a professional to do a quick check and provide the needed documentation can be hugely beneficial when it comes to selling.
Summary
When selling your home, you want to make the most money possible.
A high sale price can alter the size of your new home and make the whole moving process much simpler.
From the outside of your house to the inside, every aspect of your property can be optimised to promote the highest value sale possible.
If you are looking to sell and would like some advice, then why not get in touch with Leysbrook today and see how our team can help you.