5 Ways to Increase the Value of your Property

This year one of our top New Year’s resolutions is to be smarter with our money. And one of the ways we’re going to do that is by investing into our property. We spoke to Sarah Cassidy, founder of Place Estate Agents, who gave us her top five tips for increasing the value of our property.

house1. Start with the outside
January isn’t exactly gardening weather but it’s no excuse to leave leaves piled up and debris about the place. When you meet someone for the first time, you make an instant judgment about him or her. The same goes for your house! A smart front garden and good quality front door raises its value. If a buyer likes the look of it going in, they’re more likely to react favourably to the inside. The more they want the property, the more they will pay!

2. Kitchens and Bathrooms…
…are what most buyers focus on. You can easily slap a coat of paint on a bedroom wall or change its curtains, but it’s not so easy to change a bathroom or kitchen. If there are any jobs that need doing that you’ve been meaning to get round to: Polyfilla the wall, mending that leaky tap, now is the time to do it.

3. Paint is your friend
Don an old pair of trousers and an old shirt and make it painting week. A fresh coat of paint is like having a haircut, makes you look and feel a million times better. Do the front door (see point number one) and as many walls as you can manage. Go for neutral colours but keep some personality, i.e. don’t paint every single room in magnolia!

4. but Clutter is the enemy
The more cluttered a room is, the more difficult it is for a potential buyer to imagine his or her furniture laid out in the room. It also decreases the perceived size of a room, which translates into less ££. A good clear out not only does you the world of good (it’s very cathartic), you also help to stock local charity shops and win buyers over, hurrah! While you’re at it go on a cleaning frenzy. Scrub tiles, floors and walls to within an inch of their lives. De-scale taps so you can see your own reflection. Hoover curtains (yes, you can!) and sweep cobwebs away. Firstly, everything will look new and secondly, your house will look loved and cared for, making it an excellent buy. Nothing puts a buyer off more than a dirty house, except perhaps….

5. …a smelly one.
Smell is definitely not your friend. You will have hopefully eliminated this in point number three with all your scrubbing and cleaning, but if you can bear it, also leave the windows open for a couple of hours – yes, all of them – to get the house full of fresh air. Buy a beautiful bouquet of flowers every so often to display in your house, but lay off the artificial scent.

Even if you’re not planning on selling in the immediate future, you’re still lavishing some TLC on your home, and a well-loved home will attract more buyers. You never know when you might need to move quickly!

Need some more pointers? Give us a call and we’ll be only too happy to advise! Call Place if you’re planning a move in Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles, Gerrards Cross, Rickmansworth and Beaconsfield. Call us on 01494 873663 or visit www.a-place.co.uk.