Moving up? Tips to increase the value of your home when selling

You’ve decided to sell your home and want to get the best price that you can by adding some improvements to entice a new buyer. However, you don’t want to overspend as you need to recoup what you’ve put into it also. So how do you increase value on a budget?

We spoke to Robert Glynn of Habu Interior Design who gave us some handy budget-friendly tips for adding value to your property, without over-spending in the process.

Declutter

Glynn’s first piece of advice for clients is to declutter and depersonalise. Remove excess clutter throughout the house, ensuring all shelving areas are clear. Eliminate personal effects so that your home becomes a place where potential buyers are able to envision themselves living. In particular, replace personal photographs with more generic art. This will open up the space and leave room for the imagination of the potential buyer. Don’t have messy closets and cupboards.

Paint if you can

A fresh coat of paint can revitalise a house. Don’t be afraid to paint internal doors and window frames that may look tired and dated. A fresh coat of paint can completely change how doors and windows look. You may have paint left over from a previous redesign, so you may not even need to spend a great deal on paint.

Excess furniture

Remove any excess items of furniture if you can, as this will make the property feel spacious and allow more potential for the buyer to really see each space. If you can’t remove furniture, try to push it back to allow maximum space to be seen.

Kitchen

There is no point in replacing a kitchen as it’s unlikely you will make that money back. But a very effective way to freshen up an old dated wooden kitchen is by painting the units and replacing the door handles with something slightly more modern and bright.

Lighting

Ensure that the lighting throughout the house is sufficient. Increase wattage of bulbs if a room feels a little dark and cold. Floor and table lamps are also very effective in enhancing the features of a room. Play around with lighting for a little while, especially if you have evening viewings with potential buyers as you will want to showcase the property to maximum effect.

Bedrooms

Use plain neutral bed linen throughout the bedrooms, and scatter with luxurious cushions and throws to give them that elegant hotel feel. They need not cost the earth, and lots of shops now offer luxury feel cushions, covers and throws, that won’t break the bank.

Flooring

 If your budget allows it, replacing the flooring in worn out areas will impress potential buyers. However, if the budget is limited get a professional carpet cleaner to liven up the carpets and if possible re-grout any areas of tiling that are exhausted.

Mirrors

The use of large mirrors give an illusion of space and in darker areas of the house can bounce light and give the space depth.

Accessories

The use of scented candles always gives that luxurious feel, and they are especially useful in living rooms and bathrooms. It’s also a way to eliminate bad odours, for example pet smells. Adding fresh flowers brings colour and luxury to a room, while plants can add a contemporary touch, creating a feature within a living space.

Repairs

It may seem obvious but if there is a broken door handle, or a cracked window, replace it. This will give a very bad first impression. Potential buyers may wonder, what else has not been taken care of, or left in a state of disrepair.

If the budget allows:

Bathroom updgrade

A modern, up-to-date bathroom can give a property the wow factor and could make the difference for potential clients. For small bathrooms high gloss tiles give excellent light reflection and make the room feel bigger. A heated towel rail, some fresh paint and new accessories will work also. If the bathrooms is in serious need of some TLC, a new bathroom suite may be needed and this can really add value to the property.

Gardens

Make sure the garden is well tended with a freshly mowed lawn, weeds pulled and any litter cleared from the front of the house.

Finishing touches

On the day of viewings make sure everything is sparklingly clean, have coffee brewing or candles burning. It really does make all the difference to people arriving in your home.