How to Add Value to a Property with a View to Selling

When it comes to selling a property, you may feel that you have more than enough to be doing without having to crack on with essential DIY jobs. But it is important to remember that some tedious jobs could actually add value to your property, which unless you don’t care about money is not something to sniff at. So what DIY jobs are likely to add the most value to a property?

A Lick of Paint

The easiest way of improving the overall look of a property is to spruce up tired walls and woodwork with a fresh coat of paint. Most rooms benefit from being redecorated every five years, although if you are a smoker you may need to redecorate more frequently. Prospective buyers will use any excuse to knock money off the asking price; they are also likely to overestimate the cost of painting and redecorating.
To prevent this from happening, buy a load of cheap cream paint and paint the house from top to bottom. Your property will look clean and fresh, which helps to persuade buyers that you have looked after the place. Do be careful, however, to stick to neutral colours if you redecorate. Bold, dark colours are likely to be off-putting to the majority of potential buyers and could cost you a quick sale.

De-clutter Your Life

Unless you are a certified hoarder you really have no excuse for filling up shelves and cupboards with unnecessary items of bric-a-brac, books, ornaments, and general rubbish. And if you are a hoarder be prepared to give your property away for free!
De-cluttering and cleaning a property prior to selling it is very important. Buyers want to be able to project their own belongings into a property when they come to view and if your home is full of Barbie dolls or a collection of motorcycle memorabilia, it is going to be very off-putting. Try and box everything up and only leave out a few well-chosen ornaments or books. Uncluttered rooms look larger, which is always a good thing when you are trying to sell a ‘compact’ property.

Expensive Home Improvements

There are certain home improvements that will always add value to a property. These include:

• New kitchen/bathroom/en-suite
• Double glazing
• Replacement central heating boiler
• Loft conversion

Generally speaking, although such home improvements are a big expense, you can expect the value of your property to increase by twice what it costs you to have the work done. But there is a caveat to this rule. Isn’t there always?

Dodgy DIY Shenanigans

Unless you are an expert at DIY, do not be tempted to the work yourself. There is nothing worse than a poorly installed kitchen, leaky shower or dodgy tiling. In fact you could easily end up devaluing your property with sloppy workmanship. So unless you are confident that you can do a fantastic job, pay a professional to undertake the work instead.
Good examples of ‘what not to do’ include poorly fitted laminate flooring and tasteless fake fireplaces complete with fake stone effect wall cladding.
DIY projects don’t have to cost a fortune and if you only have a very small budget for home improvements, forget about installing double glazing or a new kitchen and opt for completing a few smaller jobs instead. So rather than replacing the entire bathroom, clean the grout, replace the floor and swap your old radiator for a smart new towel radiator instead—heated towel rails for small bathrooms are relatively inexpensive and will give an older bathroom a nice modern look. And give the room a lick of paint; it could help you sell your property quicker!
Bio
Vinnie Ozer is the owner of a towel radiator company. He understands the importance of essential home maintenance, particularly when the time comes to sell a property. Because of this, he always advises his customers to opt for a professional job rather than resort to DIY.