If you don’t have a large budget, but you want to make some changes to your property then don’t worry. There are a couple of straightforward, and cost-effective things you can do that could help you to get a decent return on your investment, should you decide to sell in the future.
Garden Makeover
The front of your house is the first thing that people see when they approach it. Whether you have a small garden, yard or just a patch of grass, how it is presented matters. You don’t even have to be good at gardening to get it right. The following points are a great start:
- Mow your lawn
- Trim back any hedges or overgrown bushes
- Pull up existing weeds and spray weed killer to keep on top of re-growth
- Use a jet washer to pressure wash your path, decking or paving stones and give them a new lease of life
- Mend any broken fence panels and give them a lick of paint or creosote
- Clear away any rubbish that may have blown in or been left for a while
Get some Kerb appeal
Although the outside area of your property is important, it’s only one part of the overall bid to increase your kerb appeal. Making the actual facia of your property appealing is also important. Re-painting your front door to give it a new lease of life, repainting and repairing window frames and re-pointing brickwork will impress anyone who approaches the property. You don’t want to be the only house on the street that stands out due to be neglected.
Light and Airy
Natural light is the key thing that makes a property look and feel good. It will create the illusion of space that will make potential buyers able to visualise themselves living there amongst all of their possessions. Clean your windows, outside and in to really let the sunlight in. For the winter months, buy bright, energy efficient lights to emulate natural light when the nights draw in. If you have a bit more budget, think about installing a skylight or sliding doors to really let the outside in. If a friend or relative is a builder then they may offer you a discount.
Maintenance
Keep on top of maintenance. Don’t keep putting things off “for a rainy day”. Do little things, often, and you’ll realise just how amazing your property can be. We all have odd jobs that need attention. Here are the key ones to tackle sooner, rather than later:
- Replace missing or broken door and cabinet handles
- Re-paint walls, doors/door frames and skirting boards/cornices
- Replace missing tiles in the bathroom and kitchen
- Re-grout tiles or steam clean existing grout to make it sparkle
- Plaster over any cracks in the ceiling or walls, especially if it is an old house
- Fix leaking taps, faucets or toilet flushes
Hire a carpet cleaner every 6 months to a year in order to deep-clean any carpeted areas in the property. If you have pets then it might be worth seeing if there are any hard wood floors underneath your carpet that you could sand and varnish. Wooden floors are much easier to look after and they’re more hygienic. Remember – carpets in bathrooms and kitchens are a huge no-no. They will harbour bacteria in these particular rooms and it’s known to be a massive turn-off when people view a property that they are considering buying.
Loft Space
Insulating your property yourself is straight forward and relatively cheap. You can buy rolls of insulation for your loft from larger DIY stores. Hiring a professional means you’ll get a thorough job that will last for longer, but if you don’t have the budget for that then doing it yourself is easy enough. Certain properties are eligible for grants that can be used towards making your property more energy efficient. Contact The Energy Saving Trust who can et you know if your property is eligible and, if so, what you need to do to apply. Energy efficient properties benefit from reduced energy bills, as well as being far more appealing to buyers.
Storage Space
Clutter can build up easily, especially if you don’t have much storage space. You should throw things away or donate them to charity on a fairly regular basis in order to de-clutter. Incorporate clever storage solutions into the space that you do have, such as shelving units, under-bed storage and fitted wardrobes or hiring a storage unit. Make the most of cellar space for things you don’t use very often. Just make sure that your things are protected from any potential damp. You can add a door to your space under the stairs to keep hoovers, shoes and coats out of the way. If you have chimney breasts then these can be considered dead space, but they’re actually ideal opportunities to incorporate dressers or wardrobes that can sit flush to the wall and leave space throughout the rest of the room.
Considering the layout of your home, and using your imagination, will encourage you to get creative with making some big changes with very little budget. Not only will you add value to your property, you’ll be able to sell your house fast should you decide to move elsewhere or start another project because it will be so appealing.