When you’ve reached the stage in life where you’re ready to move home, nothing is more important than maximizing the value of your current property. Most people don’t have the money to invest £20,000 into building an extension, or converting a loft space, however there are a number of small tweaks that you can make, which will really make a difference to how much people are willing to pay.
Structural Repairs
One of the biggest factors that can deter a potential buyer is finding issues with the structure of the house. Before you start considering investing money into making cosmetic changes to your house, fix any major defects. Buyers aren’t stupid, and neither are the conveyancing solicitors looking for potential problems with your property, so the integrity of the structure will be one of the first things they investigate. If it isn’t up to scratch, the sale could fall through. This will be more one of the costly renovation tips, however you are certain to get the money back against the value of the house. Potential issues to look out for include; a leaking roof, or loose roof tiles, an unstable chimney, damp in the walls, cracks in the exterior building work, bowing walls etc.
Focus on the Bathroom
Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. It is a place for tranquility and often the room people go to in order to relax, so it needs to reflect this. Luckily, sprucing up your bathroom doesn’t have to be costly. You can make a bathroom look almost brand new by re-grouting and replacing any broken tiles. You can pick up tiles pretty cheap these days and bathroom grout costs next to nothing.
If your bathroom floor is looking worn or murky, you can replace it with vinyl flooring which is easy to apply, cheap but can make a world of difference.
Curb Appeal
How your house looks from the outside will be an enormous selling point for potential buyers and can potential add a few thousand pounds to its value. There are lots of buyers out there who will decide whether or not they like a house before they step foot through the door, so try to impress them from the offset. Ensure your front door has a fresh lick of paint, update the brass handles and letter box, or if you have a UPVC door, give it a good wipe down. As for the rest of the house, try investing in re-pointing your brick work, clear your drain pipes, replace any wooden fencing that has rotted, paint any metal fencing if it is chipped or rusty and generally ensure the front of your house is in tip top condition. You would be surprised how much bigger a kept lawn can make your garden look, compared to one that is overgrown, so don’t neglect this either.
About the Author
Georgina Bullock is a freelance writer and research journalist, who specialises in a number of core areas, including business and residential property. Through studying journalism at university, Georgina was introduced to a number of contacts in different industries, where she was able to build her portfolio of feature articles. She is currently a regular contributor to a number of online magazines and, where she researches and writes about the latest trends across the housing market.
