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Homeowners are becoming very sophisticated when it comes to buying and selling houses these days. Buyers expect more for their money and sellers are sprucing up their homes to make them a more attractive sales prospect. The best way to increase value is by building an extension to increase living space, but this can be an expensive and stressful option and out of the reach of many people. However, you can maintain or increase the value of your home simply by keeping it up-to-date with fresh décor and contemporary fittings – a much more affordable option. The biggest wow-factor for homebuyers is normally the bathroom and the kitchen. It’s important that these are kept well maintained and modern to appeal to the market when you sell. The bathroom used to be the least important room in the house. In fact, not so long ago most houses didn’t even have an inside toilet facility. However, with improved sanitation and increased average wealth, the bathroom has become a more important room in the house – not just for keeping ourselves clean, but for unwinding and de-stressing from our busy lives. More and more homebuyers are looking for luxurious features and contemporary designs: not just a bath, but a whirlpool bath; not just one sink, but two; not just a medicine cabinet, but a co-ordinated fitted furniture unit; not just a shower, but a walk-in wet room. This all sounds very expensive and space-intensive, but it needn’t be – there are lots of affordable, cleverly designed products on the market nowadays. For example, you can incorporate the toilet cistern into the fitted furniture, fit a corner sink or install a combined towel dryer/radiator. Even DIY shops such as B&Q and Homebase have a wide range of reasonably priced and easy-to-install materials. It was once popular to have toilet suites in a range of colours, from avocado to burgundy, but coloured suites have now gone completely out of fashion. Always install white sanitaryware as it’s neutral and will match any colour should a new owner wish to change the décor. Most new-build houses these days have at least one ensuite toilet as these are a very attractive feature for homebuyers. If your home doesn’t have an ensuite, you might want to convert a large fitted wardrobe or a corner of a large bedroom – as long as it doesn’t use up too much of the bedroom space. As we are on average wealthier and have more leisure time to relax at home and entertain family and friends, kitchens are also becoming more of a focal point in the home. A stylish and well designed fitted kitchen is a stunning feature in a home, but it can be quite costly. You can do it yourself and there are numerous affordable products available in DIY stores and the like, but sometimes it pays to have it done professionally in order to make the most of the space and get the best quality finish – a kitchen needs to be able to withstand a lot of wear and tear and needs to have sufficient and well positioned storage space. Homebuyers expect houses to have central heating, so if your property doesn’t, it could make it very difficult to sell and detract significantly from the value. Despite the cost, it could very well be worthwhile to have it done before you advertise your house on the market. It will make it more attractive to prospective buyers and will also increase the value of the property – you will more than likely get your money back. Another turn-off for homebuyers is tatty old windows, especially as these are always immediately visible when viewing a house. Rotten or damaged windows make a property look run down and badly maintained and they can also be draughty, making it more expensive to heat the home. It can cost several thousand pounds to replace windows, but it could make you a lot more money when you sell. Always fit double glazing and go for windows that are easy to maintain such as uPVC (although not in an older house as they will not be in keeping with the character of the property). Whatever project you decide to undertake to improve your home, especially if you’re planning to sell it soon, do a cost-benefit analysis before you start to work out whether it’s worth it and ensure you’ll get your money back. Of course, if you’re not intending to sell and just want to improve your home for your own enjoyment and comfort, this isn’t so much of an issue. Although home improvement projects can be expensive, there are ways in which you can obtain the necessary finances even if you don’t have enough savings, so that you can enjoy a modern and luxurious living space just like your neighbours or friends. There are mortgage brokers who can help you find a mortgage product to suit your needs, whether this means remortgaging, refinancing or taking out a personal loan. You can make the most of the capital that’s lying unused in your property and could easily be made available for you to make home improvements. Have a look on the Internet as there are many excellent brokers offering very competitive deals. However, if you’re not keen to spend a great deal of money on your property, it’s amazing what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make. It will really brighten up a room and what’s more it’s easy to do yourself and very cheap too. Soft furnishings are also very cheap nowadays, with shops such as B&Q and even large supermarkets selling stylish ranges of curtains, cushions and accessories at excellent prices. Replacing these can really update the look of your home. This article is copyright protected and is not for republishing |
