When people sell their homes with us at Andrea & Co, they often ask whether there are any common improvements they should make before they welcome viewers. Our advice is that if you are looking to sell your home, then it is definitely important to prep it beforehand. Small improvements can go a long way and, depending on the market, you might profit from renovating different spaces in your home. Knowing which rooms and which areas of your home to focus on first is going to help you stretch your budget and get the most value added to your home.
These fixes should be done before you put your home on the market. Unlike the options in the next section, they should be considered non-negotiable, as these improvements will make your home more attractive, are cost-effective, and perfect for attracting buyers.
Having a few personal items around can help make a home feel like a home, rather than a show home, but leaving all of your clutter out so that viewers cannot open cupboards and storage without it falling on top of them is not a good idea. No matter whether it is visible or stored clutter, it all needs to go. Be very critical when moving it, because this is the perfect opportunity to start packing. Get rid of what you don’t want or need by donating, selling, or recycling it.
Bring in a professional cleaning company to deep clean your home. It’ll be a huge selling point. A deep clean will involve steam cleaning carpets, professionally cleaning the oven and making everything sparkle from fabrics to solid surfaces.
Go outside and make a note of any flaws with your exterior. Unless there are structural issues you will need to deal with, chances are the brick might be grimy, paint may be peeling off or need a wipe down, and so on. Hire professionals or rent the necessary equipment to deep clean and refresh your exterior walls and remember to spruce up your front and rear gardens too.
Hiring a surveyor yourself to assess the structural integrity of your property is not required, but if you want to sell your home for the best price it could be a good move as it will let you know what, if anything, you need to have fixed before any issues get flagged by potential buyers.
These types of improvements are best done whilst you are living in the property and at the point where you intend to spend a few years living in it yourself. It is the best way to absorb the costs and to see the value of your home increase over time. These options can also be a good choice if the housing market is buoyant, and you expect to fetch a higher value from the renovation than that of the cost of the renovation itself.
A central heating system and a house that is designed to be efficient in its heating is a very worthwhile investment and should be done first thing when you buy your property. It will help you save a lot of money over the years and keep your whole home warm and comfortable. When the time comes to sell your house, this will be a further boost to the value and make it very appealing to potential buyers.
Adding a bedroom is one of the smartest ways to increase your home’s value, as it can put it in a higher price bracket. A loft conversion can cost almost twice as much as adding a lower floor extension, but if you have substantial space in your attic (24 metres), you could be looking at adding £38,328 to £101,125 in value. Costs of a loft conversion generally range between £35,000 to £45,000 so this means you can expect a 21% increase in the value of your home, or a 24% increase if you are in London.
The kitchen is the absolute best renovation you can do in your home, but you do need to be careful that the renovation is in line with the value of your property. You can install the most beautiful, expensive, and luxurious kitchen but make sure it will boost your property’s value to the same amount as you put into the renovation to ensure a healthy return.
Bathrooms are another renovation project that can boost property value. More than that, however, modern, renovated bathrooms can make it far easier and faster to sell your property as many potential buyers will be looking for a modern, clean and sleek design.
For expert advice when selling your property, please contact the friendly team at Andrea & Co. We will be delighted to assist you with the sale of your home.
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