When tight on time and cash, here’s how to add value to your home.
Even if you aren’t planning to sell your home anytime soon, it pays to know how to add value to your home to get more profit for your pound. First impressions count, especially when buying property. Wherever you are in your home-selling journey, it’s a good idea to give your home a little TLC before putting it on the market. Not only does it make a good impression to buyers (a great-looking home suggests it’s been well-taken care of), but it can ramp up the asking price.
There are plenty of home improvements to make when looking to add value to your home, but here are just a few to whet your appetite.
How to add value to your home
Spruce up the garden
When it comes to the garden, size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use the space that impacts the value. Spend a bit of time to decide what you’ll do with it to spruce it up. Start by spending an afternoon tidying the landscape. Cut back overgrown plants and trees, mow the lawn and give the patio a good scrub. You could invest in a few potted plants to liven up the space, adding texture, depth and colour into the garden (that you can also take with you when and if you move house).
Experiment with new lighting
A budget-friendly way to improve a room’s appearance is to add brighter or more flattering lighting. If a certain corner looks dingy, drab or small, add a warmer lightbulb or a brighter lamp to breathe new life into the space. Whatever your style, there are lighting fixtures to suit – from Scandi chic to industrial to rustic or modern.
Add an alarm system
Protecting your home with an alarm system pays in dividends when it comes time to sell the property. Buyers will want to see the convenience that your home can bring them, so a pre-installed alarm system is a great addition to boost your home’s value easily.
That said, it doesn’t mean you need to break the bank to install a system. There are many deals to be had, so look around for one that aligns with your budget.
Get a new front door (or give it a lick of paint)
Yes, really. Once again, first impressions count. A brand new, freshly painted door could stick in the mind of a potential buyer without them even realising it. A new door can be costly depending on the style you choose, so if that’s out of the question, choose to give your current door a new coat of paint.
Improve with paint
Painting the interior of your home can yield a decent increase in value. It’s a quick (and relatively inexpensive) way to make the space feel fresh and new. It hides imperfections, covers up old marks and makes your home’s best features pop. If you can’t stretch to enough paint to cover all the rooms, prioritise the key rooms: kitchen and living room. Dining rooms and bedrooms come next.
Switch out kitchen and bathroom hardware
You don’t need an expensive kitchen or bathroom renovation to boost your home’s value. To make an impact, switch outdated hardware in these two rooms. That means replacing cabinet knobs and drawer pulls to give your home the boost it needs. To really tie the space together, upgrade your taps and light switch covers.
Consider your staging
When preparing to sell your home, you’ll start to titivate the space for the photos. This is the prime opportunity to showcase the different ways buyers can use the space by turning the space bedroom into an office or gym. However, losing a bedroom can harm your property’s value. Hold off on converting the bedroom – unless you show buyers that they can work from home in an accessible, practical office, which has boomed in desirability since the start of the pandemic.
Keep an eye on your budget
Now you know what adds value to your house when you’re thin on time and money, we recommend choosing which tips best suit your budget. Consider your timeline and finances before landing on a decision. Remember that all homes have a ‘ceiling price’ – which is the maximum price that buyers are willing to pay for homes like yours in the area.
Essentially, even if you turned your terraced house into Buckingham Palace, there’s a limit to how much people will pay for it.
Get a house valuation
Ready to sell your house? Get started with a free house valuation to determine its current value. Simply enter your postcode and select the local agents you’d like to value your home. It’s never been quicker or easier to find out your home’s true value so you know where and how to improve it.