If you’re planning to sell your home, you’ll want to make the biggest possible profit.  The best way to do this – besides choosing a great estate agent – is to make changes to the building itself.

It’s even better if you can do this while spending very little, as this will push the value of your property (and therefore your net profit) way up.

So: which home improvements add the most value to UK property while costing very little?

In this article, the team at Property Solvers will explore how to add value to your home on a tight budget.

Clean, Tidy and Declutter

The quickest and easiest way to improve the perceived value of a property is to have a clear-out and give everything a deep clean.

All it will take is some of your free time and a little investment in the right products to get everything looking as good as new.

To make this process easier and to avoid having to find storage space for too much bric a brac, go through your belongings and decide which you actually want to keep and which you’re simply holding on to through force of habit. 

Donating items to charity is a great way to dispose of them sustainably – and, to save time and effort, you can hire a skip to throw out anything remaining waste. 

Cleanliness is naturally attractive to potential buyers and will prevent distraction from your property’s inherent charms, while removing your own clutter can help them to imagine what the space would be like with their own belongings in situ.

Redecorate

Redecorating costs a little more than simply cleaning and tidying, but it can also command a higher value – so you might consider it worth doing.

Don’t overspend on improvements, as this will eat into your profits. Something as simple as freshening up paintwork can be enough.

There are also small scale options available – such as the painting or replacing of kitchen cabinet doors or purchasing new hardware like handles and switch and socket covers.

Going a step up from this, you could install new affordable and attractive flooring – such as quality laminate.

These little touches can make all the difference to how your property is perceived by valuers and viewers.

Remember, particularly if you’re looking for a quicker sale, you should not raise the price of your property price too much simply because you’ve done some redecoration (or made some other basic changes).  You may want to get a free or paid-for house valuation before the advertising starts to establish the best price.

Improve the Exterior

Great kerb appeal is the golden ticket to improved property value.

When scrolling through real estate websites, house hunters will often make immediate comparisons between the “cover” images of each property – usually pictures of the front of the house.

To be able to stand head and shoulders above the rest, upgrade your home’s facade as soon as you can. This doesn’t need to be costly – a little weeding and pressure washing goes a long way.

You might also decide to repaint your fence, gate or front door, replace your house number and get your windows washed. Decide for yourself how you can most effectively improve the “first impression” offered by your property: it can make a huge impact.

Lighten Up

A good flow of light will put visitors in a better mood. It will also help them to see each space in detail and generally make the place look more attractive and inviting.

Before a viewing, turn on all lights and open curtains. Remove any window dressing that might block the ingress of natural light, and polish reflective surfaces for more shine.

You might also decide to invest in a few mirrors. It’s well known that these make a space look larger, but they also improve the flow of light.

Some Tips on How to Add Value to Your House Cheaply

Add Features

The installation of attractive new features can really add to your potential asking price. From the implementation of clever storage solutions in areas of dead space to the addition of a pretty outdoor structure like an arbour or summer house, the options are endless.

It’s easy for the cost of this to ramp up fast – a stylish stove or a new bath is highly desirable, but can be very pricey – so try to prioritise touches that you feel your home is noticeably missing before moving on to more inessential but attractive ideas.

Take Great Pictures

By taking the best possible photos of your property, you can make it appear much more attractive and pave the way for buyers to start fighting over it – pushing their offers up and up.

Ensure that every image is clear and sharp, and don’t use filters or lenses to try and enhance what is there, as this can leave viewers feeling tricked. 

Make rooms look larger by shooting diagonally from the best corner, and make sure each space is illuminated by as much natural light as possible.

Make sure there are plenty of images to look through, starting with an attractive picture of the property’s facade – on a sunny day if possible – then moving through the home in order, room by room.

Include an image of the best view from the house as well as a clear floor plan, and take pictures of unique or period features to give the listing some personality.

Upgrade a Room

If you have a room that could be made into a bedroom or home office, it may significantly improve your home’s value. 

So, how much does an extra bedroom add to the value of a house? UK properties can often become worth between 10 and 15 percent more with an additional sleeping space.

What’s more, with the recent rise in home working, office space is now highly in demand too.

You could also transform a good-sized understairs cupboard or similar feature into a downstairs bathroom. This is naturally a little more expensive to do, and can involve a lot of effort, but the amount of value it will add may just tip the balance.

Apply for Planning

Everyone wants a property with potential. As a result, you don’t need to add an extension, conservatory or other structural feature to your property before you sell.

Where possible, all you need to do is to get planning permission in place before you put the house on the market, then let all potential buyers know that this has been done for a nice value boost.

Remember to also check if you could get Permitted Development Rights (PDRs) in your area.  This essentially means that you would not need to get full planning permission in order to extend and/or convert your property.

Name Your House

It can cost as little as £40 to officially “name” your property, but doing this could boost by (potentially) a few percentage points.

Do a little research into house names that add value, then fill in the required paperwork to see an exciting increase at very little expense or effort.

There are very few home improvements that do not add value to UK property, but the above advice encompasses many of the more effective approaches.

For further information about property value, or the process involved in the buying and selling of houses, simply get in touch with Property Solvers today. Our team of experts will be happy to provide you with all of the advice you need.