Putting your house on the market is an exciting time. It marks the beginning of a new chapter and is the start of your journey towards securing your dream home. But you need to get the right price. To do this, it’s important to increase your property’s value before putting it on the market.
According to research by Rightmove: “February and March are the best months to list your home, with the highest number of homes listed in these months making it to completion.” Getting your property ready for selling and timing its advertisement well can go a long way towards securing a great price.
In this article, we will discuss how you can increase property value before you sell by sharing our top tips. Let’s get started.
Renovate your home to improve aesthetics
You might read this first point and wonder whether fixing superficial defects around your property will significantly improve your property’s value. However, you’ll be surprised how much fixing small defects can make a difference. It’s important because a run-down house that hasn’t been well looked after can be a big turn-off for potential buyers.
Many superficial property defects can harm your sale success if they’re not addressed in advance. Here are some of the most common issues to fix before putting your house up for sale:
- Old, worn carpet
- Peeling paint (interior and exterior)
- Dirty walls – especially around light switches and door frames
- Leaking faucets
- Mouldy sealant in kitchens and bathrooms
- Limescale build-up on taps
- Dirty or badly fitted laminate flooring
The great news about superficial problems is that they’re generally quick and easy to fix and doing so doesn’t cost you the earth. The sooner you make these changes the better. After all, they could secure you a great price: to find out more, readDiscover our sustainable maintenance and repair solutions.
Create off-road parking solutions
Off-road parking is a hugely attractive feature of homes and can raise your property’s value instantly, especially if you live in a neighbourhood with restricted parking. While everyone likes to have a garden space, the majority would sacrifice a garden if forced to choose between that and their own private parking space.
Is there a way you can create an off-road parking space for your property? Perhaps you already have one but it needs an aesthetic makeover, whether that be replacing the concrete with gravel or investing in electric garage doors. Sometimes, a few small changes can make a big difference.
If you don’t have any off-road parking, think about how you might change this. Could you dig up some of your garden? Convert an old bedroom into a garage? Off-road parking is a major selling point that could secure you a great final price.
Invest in quality garden landscaping
The garden is often a space homeowners neglect when looking to sell their property. However, while it might feel less important than your home’s interior, according to Ideal Home, “a beautifully kept garden makes a home feel like a complete package, rather than like you have a project on your hands.”
The garden is a huge selling point for many potential buyers. Whether they’re looking for a space to host, plant a vegetable garden, or let the kids run wild, having a functional and enjoyable garden can be a major selling point.
There are many ways you can invest in your garden before selling your home. Here are a few of our top recommendations:
Garden rooms
With an estimated 38% of the UK population working from home, creating a usable workspace somewhere in your home is hugely attractive to potential buyers. If you don’t have room inside, a garden room is a great alternative, offering a separate retreat from the main house. There are plenty of garden room types and styles to choose from, allowing your buyers to utilise the space however they choose.
Outdoor seating and patio area
Creating an outdoor seating area is a huge draw for potential buyers. Patios with quality decking and long-lasting garden furniture create a space that is welcoming and designed for hosting. And potential buyers will love imagining themselves entertaining and relaxing there. This has the added benefit of speeding up the buyer’s decision-making process.
Landscaping
Landscaping your garden is a great way to increase usable space and demonstrate to potential buyers how they can adapt it to fit their needs. Regardless of your garden’s size (and some UK properties have extremely small outdoor spaces), landscaping will ensure you get the most out of the space. Whether it means creating tiered sections, a patio area, an outdoor fire pit, or a well-laid lawn for the kids to enjoy, having your garden professionally landscaped will be a big selling point.
Invest in Smart Home solutions
In today’s technology-driven world, smart home solutions are increasingly important to home buyers. As you might expect, high-quality and reliable security systems are at the top of everyone’s list, especially when it comes to moving into a new neighbourhood. Let’s take a look at some of the smart home solutions that could make your home more desirable to potential buyers:
Smart locks
Install a smart lock and you have a home that can lock and unlock remotely, making it easy to get inside when you’ve got your arms full of shopping. Smart locks can also unlock your doors for authorised personnel (such as your friend coming in to feed the cat). It’s convenient, it’s secure, and it gives you peace of mind.
Security cameras
Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make. So, you want to keep it secure. Security cameras monitor your home’s interior and exterior, including useful features such as motion detection and remote access.
Smart alarm systems
Get alerts about intruders, fire, and carbon monoxide, and automatically alert the authorities with a smart alarm system. Smart alarm systems keep your property safe – a huge draw for potential buyers. Buyers want a home that is secure. When you can offer smart home technology, buyers will have increased confidence in the property’s security, putting your home at the top of their list.
Take your property open plan
This sounds more daunting than it really is because all it really involves is knocking down an internal wall to make your space bigger. And someone else does that for you. This one change would cost a few thousand to implement but it could add around £50,000 to your property’s value. So, we think it’s well worth the investment.
Not only does taking your property open plan add more property value, it also creates a brighter and open living space. Big, open communal areas are attractive for potential buyers, providing a welcoming space for friends and family to enjoy together.
While we’re not suggesting you need to carry out extensive renovations (as home renovations can be costly), knocking down walls can really open up your space without costing you the earth. So, it’s definitely worth considering.
Don’t rush your home improvements
We know you want to sell your property, but it’s important not to rush these things. Taking the time to plan your home improvements properly, making a list of priorities and researching which offer the best return on investment, can be a game-changer.
When potential buyers can see how much energy, thought, and love you have poured into your property, they will see its true value.
We hope what we’ve shared has been helpful to you. By making the changes we’ve suggested above, you could add tens of thousands in value to your property, potentially securing an even better price than you expected!
By Annie Button 
