Those looking to sell their homes have always made improvements in order to nudge up the perceived value of their property. In today’s turbulent economic conditions these tweaks and tune-ups are more important than ever in generating interest in the property and boosting the chance of a sale at the asking price.
Those with some free time and a keen interest in DIY should be able to complete most of these alterations themselves. However, if you are too busy, do not have the right tools, or just want a professional to get the job done right first time then BBOJ’s team of highly-skilled handymen are here to help.
So what are the best ways to boost your home’s value?
Kerb appeal
First impressions matter. Potential buyers looking at photographs of your home on Rightmove and even more importantly when they turn up for a viewing will notice the entrance to your home, and so you need it to look good. Exactly how to improve the first impression of a property depends on a variety of factors, but for most people this will mean tidying up the front garden or entrance path and repainting the front door.
Removing weeds, tidying up any flowerbeds, and jet-washing the pathway should be a relatively quick task, and repainting the front-door is also relatively inexpensive. It is debatable how much the color of a property’s front door changes the perceived value, but according to some research quoted in Ideal Home magazine, “homes with red doors sold for approximately 36% above the national average house price”, meanwhile homes with grey, black, blue or white doors also sold for above the national average.
Storage everywhere
Built-in wardrobes that stretch wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling can be a great way to add large amounts of storage space to a room as well as adding some structure and style. Everybody needs somewhere to hang their clothes, and a fitted wardrobe offers buyers immediate access to this space as soon as they move in.
Similarly, clever additions of built-in cupboards under the stairs, or at the bottom of the eves in an attic room can all add significant extra storage space, which is something house buyers are always looking to find. If your home has any odd-shaped nooks and crannies, think about adding shelves or cupboards and making use of the otherwise wasted space.
YouTube is full of people making great use out of Ikea Billy bookcases and making them look like fitted storage solutions with a little DIY ingenuity, or for a little more investment you could have storage custom-crafted by a professional carpenter.
Repaint
Cracked paint or peeling wallpaper gives the impression of a property unloved, and so to make your home enticing for a potential buyer a fresh coat of paint is a must. Recent research by Dulux found that nearly a third of UK buyers expect to pay 25% more for a freshly painted home, and over 90 per cent of us are more likely to attend a viewing if the exterior of a home is well maintained.
Painting is one of the cheapest and most impactful ways to add value to your home, and spending £2,000-4,000 on repainting may offer returns of three times that when the house goes on the market. But make sure to choose subtle tones when repainting, as buyers look for a clean and crisp canvas onto which they can add their own style.
If you are not sure which colours to pick, or would like help repainting your home, then talk to a professional painter and decorator, who will likely be able to complete the task in half the time of anyone trying to do the work themselves, and will leave you with a cleaner and more desirable result as well!
Get a property MOT
If you want a house transaction to go smoothly then it is good to know exactly what condition your property is in, and this is where a property MOT can help. It includes 8 hours of a skilled BBOJ handyman visiting your property, investigating everything from the ceiling lights to the flooring and carrying out any basic fixes. At the end of the service, our handyman will provide a report and advise you on any issues that may need further attention or what can easily be improved upon to help boost the value of your home in the eyes of potential buyers.
If you are looking to add the most value to your home before a potential sale, then contact the handyman team at Bits Bobs and Odd Jobs for help with everything from repainting your property to building storage or fixing the pipes. Call us today on 0208 244 5070, email us at [email protected], or book using our simple online form.
