Your home is your biggest asset and you should make the most of it. Listed below are a few ideas to increase the value of your home.

1. Create an extra room.

An extension, especially one that creates an extra bedroom or reception room will increase the value of your home. In fact, you may not even have to do the work, selling a house with planning permission for an extension already sorted out will allow you to ask a higher price.

2. Improve your bathroom.

Many prospective buyers look for fresh, up to date bathrooms, so tear out that 1970’s avocado suite and replace it with a modern white bathroom suite – if it is just a case of replacing existing fittings then you can probably do it yourself. Wet rooms are also currently very fashionable but make sure that the installation is done by an experienced professional as a leak can be both disastrous and expensive to fix.

3. Create a basement room.

In some areas of the country basement excavations or cellar conversions are becoming increasingly popular. This is not a job to be undertaken lightly however given the practical challenges that they can present. The upside is that by adding another floor the work can increase the value of the house.

4. Central Heating.

If your home doesn’t have central heating (and many older buildings still do not) it can have a negative effect on the price you can get for your home. Consider fitting an energy-efficient heating system.

5. Convert an outbuilding.

If you are lucky enough to have an unused garage or outbuilding consider converting it into an office space. An increasing number of people are working from home so office space can be a real plus. Don’t, however, convert the only garage into an office as this may decrease the value of your home – many people look for a garage with a house.

6. Revamp your kitchen.

Kitchens are major selling points so think about updating the oven sink, units and work-top (even just putting new doors and handles on the kitchen units can improve the look of a kitchen). Just make sure you have a good range of appliances, units and worktops to choose from.

7. Extend upwards.

Converting your loft into another room (or rooms) will add value to your home. Who knows it may even allow you to take in a lodger as well giving you some extra income.

8. Double Glazing.

Double glazing is a must for many people and can be a valuable asset. You must make sure that it is in keeping with the rest of the house though. If you have an older house with sash windows replacing them with uPVC windows may even reduce the value of the property and could be breaking by-laws if you are in a conservation area.

At the same time you may wish to look at improving the amount of light coming into your home by using skylights, patio doors, solar tubes or even glass floors. By adding glass your house you can increase the feeling of space and make that dark room a much more pleasant space to be in.

9. Decorate.

A quick coat of paint gives a good return on your investment although it’s probably more likely to speed up a sale than increase the value. Go for neutral colours where possible.

10. Keep it tidy.

Obviously a clean, clutter free home will sell quicker than a home that is dirty and has all the surfaces piled high with junk. Remember, first impressions count.

11. Do some basic maintanance

It may sound obvious but if you have an older house you should spend a few minutes tighting loose doorknobs, making sure that windows are close properly and generally fixing any problems with the fixtures and fittings.

 

Before you start making any serious improvements to your home that will cost you a lot of money it would be worth asking a local estate agent a couple of questions :-

1. What would my house be worth if I do such and such work ?

2. What is the ceiling for properties on my type in the local area?

If your home is currently worth £200,000 and you are thinking of spending £20,000 on a new, top of the range, kitchen you may be wasting your money if properties of your type have a maximum price (ceiling) of £215,000. If this is the case it may be worth choosing a new kitchen that is slightly cheaper to install.

You should also investigate what would be the best way to fund the renovations.

As we said above, 1st impressions count. If you are selling your house do not :-

  • Leave rubbish in the front garden or door step.
  • Cook fish or curry the night before.
  • Let your dog bark at visitors or greet them at the door.
  • Hang out washing in the garden or over radiators when propective buyers are due.
  • Hover around people while they are looking around – it can put people off.