Buying a property is the single biggest investment any of us are likely to make in our lifetimes. But the investment doesn’t stop when you get the house keys and cross the threshold. Owning a home means you will need to improve, modify or overhaul it at some stage, and when you make renovations, it’s a savvy move to make sure they add value to your property. No matter if you’re renovating to sell or just making some minor improvements to the quality and comfort of life in your abode, here are some great tips to save some money and have fun!
Low Cost, High Return
Let’s start small. You may not need to break the bank to give your home a massive boost in marketability. Many improvements can be done cheaply, and without hiring professional help and yet are often overlooked by prospective sellers.
Painting
Painting is a cost-effective way to make dramatic improvements to your home, inside and out. Neatly painted walls inside (keep it bright and neutral) will refresh and rejuvenate a tired room, and will present potential buyers with a ‘blank canvas’ effect – not too imposing, and suggestive for their ideas – should they end up buying. Best of all, you can do it all yourself!
Cleaning
It may seem obvious, but nothing puts potential buyers off than a property that hasn’t been cleaned. Make sure you clean inside and out, get rid of any trash, eradicate any odors. You’d be surprised how much of a difference this will make to your home’s saleability, so get scrubbing!
Features And Staging
If you don’t want to commit time and money to a complete overhaul, try improving certain features to bring up the shine in space. New taps, cupboard handles, lampshades or curtains can enhance a room – as can staging, or giving rooms a purpose or theme. This brings them to life in the eyes of potential buyers, making your property feel more like a home than a series of rooms.
Bigger Investments
Some renovations cost more than others – but it’s important to keep in mind that an initial outlay to make improvements, refits or conversions should reap the rewards when you come to sell.
Maintenance
Anyone buying a home wants to take it for granted that everything functions perfectly, and above all else, dealing with basic maintenance issues is an added cost which will have potential buyers running for the hills. So before any fancy upgrades, the shrewdest investment you can make it into the basic infrastructure of the property. Clean the gutters, check the boiler and the radiators, make sure the plumbing is shipshape – it all pays off.
Renovate Kitchen Or Bathroom
It’s a big task if you completely overhaul either the kitchen or the bathroom – but these rooms are focus points when you show your house to potential buyers, so their importance cannot be stressed enough. The kitchen is the hub of the modern home, the room in which we spend much of our time and which is a big selling point.
The bathroom should be a comfy little retreat from the world. If you don’t want to commit time and money to a full overhaul, try making smaller improvements.
Curb Appeal
Let’s talk about the outside of your property. First impressions are crucial when adding value to your home, so it is very important to get it right. A splash of paint (warm or neutral), new or cleaned windows, a new or painted the front door, clean garden, and good looking ironmongery are all surefire ways to make your home look inviting.
Conversions
Got a cellar or basement? An old attic space? Maybe a garage which isn’t being used for much? Convert dead spaces into living rooms or bedrooms (or just about anything!) to add square footage to your property. Housing regulations change from place to place, but quite often you won’t need planning permission to make these modifications (please check before you do anything though!).
Flooring
Updating what’s on the floor can add the ‘wow’ factor to any home. Update those old carpets, or rip them out and replace with wood or high-quality laminate. Get rid of tatty old linoleum and consider tiling the bathroom or kitchen floor instead.
It’s important to remember this is YOUR home, and first and foremost should be a space you enjoy inhabiting. But while making renovation decisions, it pays off to look at things through a potential buyer’s eyes. When the time comes to sell up and move on, you’ll be glad of the added value your property has.