How to Increase your Home's Value

Our homes are one of – if not, the – biggest investments that we make in our lives. It is only natural, therefore that you want to increase its value as much as possible. Whether you are looking to stay there for life or sell and move to a bigger – or smaller – house, it is important to make it worth as much as possible.

There are, of course, many reasons why a particular value is placed on a home. This can range from things that you cannot change, such as its location, to things that you can, such as its energy efficiency. Ultimately, however, the value of a property comes down to how much someone is prepared to pay for it, and that is closely linked to potential buyers being able to see themselves living the kind of life that they want, in your property.

With this in mind, there are a number of ways that you can make your property more attractive to potential buyers and therefore increase its value:

Make it Energy Efficient

With greater concern over the environment and the wastage of energy, we are seeing more and more people concerned with the energy efficiency of their property – for both ‘green’ reasons as well as changes in the law. Energy bills are also going up, so by selling a property with a good energy rating, you will almost certainly add value to it.

A domestic energy performance certificate (domestic EPC) can be useful for various reasons. The rating detailed on the EPC can give you a clear indication of how energy efficient the property is now, as well as a potential rating if you carry out some of the measures which are recommended (also on the EPC).

These measures include things such as insulating the property walls, roof, and floor, getting a more energy-efficient boiler, and ensuring that all of your windows are double-glazed. By carrying out these measures you will not only make your home more appealing through it’s ‘green-ness’ but also as it means that potential new owners won’t need to do it after they have moved in.

Add Extra Space

For most people, you can never have too much space, and you can do this by adding an extra room – be it a bedroom, office, playroom, or family room. You can decide on what’s best for you by your own needs, but also by imagining what kind of people you are trying to sell to – a family might need an extra bedroom or a playroom, whereas a young professional couple might prefer an office.

You could think about converting a loft, garage, or cellar, or even constructing something in the garden.

Open up the Downstairs

Open-plan living is desirable for many people. It means that busy people can spend more time with their loved ones regardless of what they are doing – it might be cooking, eating, doing homework or working, for example. An open-plan living area also screams ‘entertaining’ – something which many people would like to do more of!

If you are thinking about knocking down some walls in the downstairs of your property it is important that you speak to an architect to ensure that you are doing this safely and without compromising the structure of your home.

A Lick of Paint

It might seem obvious but a lick of paint can do wonders for rejuvenating a house and making it more appealing. Although you might love your paradise pink bedroom walls, if you are thinking about selling up, it would be a good idea to paint it with a more neutral colour. This takes personal taste out of the equation and allows viewers to let their imaginations run wild in terms of style and colour.

A tired-looking home isn’t selling itself and showing its potential, so a coat of paint and some touching up is a great way to add value.

First Impressions Count…

It’s true what they say – that first impressions are important – especially when it comes to houses. Make sure that the outside of your house is neat and tidy, well-kept and inviting. Removing rubbish, keeping the grass cut, giving the front door a touch of paint, and keeping the windows clean are all good ways to create a great first impression.

The key to making your property appealing whilst adding value to it is to make it so that potential buyers can imagine themselves living there and selling them the dream. Making your home eco-friendlier, creating extra space, decorating and creating a good first impression are important ways to achieve this.