People are always going to need somewhere to live and there are always going to be people moving up and down the property ladder. That’s why, whilst COVID-19 has decimated many business sectors, real estate has remained largely unaffected by the pandemic.
But with the market as competitive as ever, if you’re looking to put your home on the market this year, what cost-effective and safe home improvements can you do to make your home stand out from the pack and make it look and feel more valuable to prospective buyers?
Deal with structural problems
You should always start, quite literally, with the foundations and that means looking into the structural integrity of your home. This is going to be something that might set you back a fair amount but if there is a problem then it’s something you need to sort out ASAP.
Strip it back
People can’t imagine themselves living in someone else’s house if it has an overbearing whiff of the seller’s personality. There’s a reason why plain colors are always suggested when you’re selling a house – people want a blank canvas they can inject with their own personal touch, not a pre-packaged home. If your home is overly decorated and personalized, consider stripping it back before putting it on the market.
Update the antiquated
There’s a reason why people still liberally moan about colored bathroom suites; they might have been all the rage in the 70s but today they look cheap and tacky. If there is any room in your home that seems like it’s been beamed in from a bygone age then that’s where you should always start with your pre-valuation renovations. Maybe swap out that green bathtub for a luxury shower enclosure or take out those old wooden kitchen cabinets and invest in something more modern and practical?
Beef up the driveway
The doorway is not the entrance to your home – the driveway is. Prospective buyers will make their first impressions based on what the front of your house looks like and a major part of that is the driveway. It’s surprisingly affordable to have a driveway repaved, or maybe you want to add a few planters and pebbles to make it seem more like a welcoming front garden? There are dozens of practical ideas you could pull from here.
Utilities
Finally, one of the best ways to add value to your home is to update the utilities – the heating and the electrics. This could be as simple as adding extra plug sockets or sealing drafts and adding insulation, to completely rewiring your home and adding in a new plumbing system.
