Ways to Add Value to Your Home, Big and Small

Have you just bought a home or are you looking to sell your home but the offer you’ve been given isn’t as high as you wanted? There are many ways you can make your home more appealing to potential future buyers as well as adding value that will guarantee a great return on investment when you decide to sell. Some of these improvements may cost a greater amount and take longer than others, such as loft conversions and basement renovations, however, there are smaller and quicker jobs that can have the same effect in adding value to your home.

Update Your Rooms and Decorate

Interior design is an important aspect of a home as it speaks a thousand words about the owner and the length of their occupancy. If your home hasn’t been redecorated in more than five years, chances are the interior will not appeal to the new market and future buyers. Trends change and what once was a popular a decade ago may now be very outdated. Making your rooms modern and applying current trends such as using pale colours and having a bright centerpiece instead of letting one bold colour dominate a room, can make your home appeal to a larger group of buyers. Adding stylish wooden window shutters will also give the room a perfect amount of sophistication and a modern feel, all while keeping a good amount of privacy to the home- something that many buyers look out for in particular.

Introduce Latest Technologies

Home technologies such as smart TVs and surround sound speakers have become popular in recent years as they enable a home to be equipped and convenient for social occasions. Also technologies such as Hive, allows you to control your heating system from your mobile phone or device and this is attractive to own as it helps the overall energy efficiency of your home, save money around the house and being an eco friendly house can be engaging for prospective homeowners.

Fix Obvious Structural Issues

Potentially one of the first things you will think of doing when selling your home is to fix any obvious structural issues your home may have. This includes, leaking roofs or ceilings, cracks in walls or floors, paint damages, possible insect infestations and any distinct damages to the home in general. These may be some of the most expensive improvements you make to your home as external help might be required but they are essential in adding value and initially preparing your home to be sold. Fixing any internal and external structural components of a house can provide security and protection from possible outside surroundings like wet or windy weather.

Don’t Forget Your Garden!

We often get carried away focusing on the interior of our home and it can be easy to forget about the garden space when you live in a typically cold and wet country like the UK. However, when the sun does make an appearance it is important to have an area where you can enjoy the weather without leaving the comfort of your home. It is said that people decide whether or not they are going to purchase a house before they have even stepped foot inside so first impressions count!

With prices of drinks and meals out increasing and a limitation of time to split business and leisure, it has been said that staying in is the new going out and so the garden space can be utilised to provide a great area for social occasions and also for a relaxing space to be at one with nature. It is important that your garden has a degree of privacy and this can be achieved through purchasing fencing, although rules apply to the height and type of fencing you are allowed so be careful and make sure you are complying with the rules if you choose to use fencing.

Think About a Drive-Way

Building a drive-way is a good way to add value to your home and can attract more buyers than if you were to have parking on a public road. You could build this drive-way in your front garden, side of your home or behind your home wherever there is space, however you have to comply with local authority Highway regulations and this is dependant on the location of your home. Having a drive-way is more attractive as it is convenient and less time consuming than driving up and down the road at the end of the day looking for a parking space, also you don’t have to worry about parking permits and tickets.

Build or Renovate Your Basement or Loft

This is the more costly and lengthy process to make your home’s value increase and is estimated to take four to six weeks to complete depending on the complexity of the renovation. The benefits of this is that you can create an additional room and potentially bedroom to your home which is undeniably attractive to buyers looking for more bedrooms and space in general. Before you you call your builders and begin any renovations make sure all the flooring, walls, plug sockets etc aren’t cracked or leaking. Basements are prone to leaking and flooding during wet periods and this can lead to damp walls, floors and mould forming so make sure you have a basement waterproofing system implemented.

Build a Conservatory

A bright and spacious conservatory might be exactly what your home needs in order to attract buyers as it will increase the available living space. People tend to spend more time inside than outside and having an open space where you are able to sit and work, read, eat and relax after work is essential in keeping sane. In some cases you have to apply for planning permission to build a conservatory depending on your home so make sure you research to know your limitations beforehand.