Thinking of selling in 2024? How to increase the value of your home without spending a fortune!
You’re dreaming of that area or house you have your eye on, you need to get the very best price for your lovely home. Part of my job is advising on how to ensure my clients are able to do this. So how do we absolutely maximise the sale price of your home?
I have 16 years’ experience and have sold over £175 million pounds worth of property in the Flintshire area - I’ve seen it all! I have visited some stunning homes over the years and have gained great knowledge on how to get the very best sale price.
Let’s start with first impressions. Kerb appeal is huge and really sets the tone for a successful viewing. The front elevation is often the main photo so it’s vital to get this right. Take a good look at your house from the other side of the road and try to imagine a buyer looking at it for the first time.
Front Door - really important and must tie in with rest of house. Great colours at moment are the dark grey, black, light green, slate blues...or wood/wood effect...If it’s UPVC make sure it’s clean. You can get special UPVC cleaner if it’s stained.
Windows - ensure they are clean. If you have wooden frames it may be worth giving them a lick of paint. If you need new windows or external doors give Gary a ring at G & S Windows.
Garden - it costs nothing to have a really neat and tidy garden. Make sure the lawns are cut regularly and garden is weed free. In plain patio areas it’s worth investing in some potted plants to bring some colour in.
Hedging - is it neat, tidy and low enough for someone to see the house? High hedging is a big turn off as it’s very uninviting unless there is plenty of garden space between.
Gutters/ Fascias - make sure these are freshly painted if wood. Make sure they’re regularly cleaned. There is nothing more off putting than weeds/grass growing out of gutters! On top of that if gutters are not regularly cleaned it can cause issues with penetrating damp.
Fencing/ Decking - freshly stained or painted is a must.
All of the above apply to the rear of your house as well. Gardens are really important and it’s worth spending the time and effort to make yours look amazing prior to marketing your house.
Internally my advice is the following...
Declutter! It’s an obvious one but you wouldn’t believe how many homes I go to that haven’t been! Rooms look much bigger when they are clean, tidy and free from all but the essentials. When people look at photos or viewing a property they are subconsciously trying to imagine themselves living there. If you have your personality all over it then it gets in the way of that and puts them off. Not everyone can “see through” all the mess and clutter. Make sure you pack up all your personal photos and only have odd pictures up that tie in with the decor of the room.
Clean and then Clean again! Its so important to have a house that smells fresh and is pristinely clean. If you have a dog ask a friend or neighbour to come around and be honest with you about whether the house smells or not. If you have a big dog and there are carpets then its quite likely it will but you won’t realise it as your sense of smell becomes accustomed to it. If you find out that poor old Rover has caused a smell then prior to marketing have a professional carpet cleaner to come out and give them a once over. We have a superb local carpet cleaner that does a lot of work for us – Colin Lightfoot at LCCS – 07900667415. He’s very reasonably priced and does a great job.
Redecorate - if you have old wallpaper especially wood chip etc then get rid! Buyers these days like to see nice smooth freshly painted walls. If you take the old wallpaper off and find the wall needs reskimming then I would recommend this. Give all the skirting boards a coat of satin white...shiny white gloss these days is a big no no.
Kitchen - the heart of your house. If you have an old Kitchen think of ways of giving it a face lift. Could the wall and base units benefit from being painted? There are lots of guides online on how to do this. You may even decide to replace the unit fronts which is far cheaper than replacing the kitchen all together. Quartz or granite Worktops from places like Grantech in Buckley are sometimes worth a consideration. Look at your floor - does it tie in with the units? If not there are some amazing tile effect vinyl floors out there now - speak to finneys carpets in Pentre, Billy there is very helpful. Golden rule again declutter, no fridge magnets!
Bathroom - There are plenty of ways to smarten up your bathroom without splashing out on a complete overhaul. Start by freshening up paintwork and updating towel and toilet-roll holders (you can’t go wrong with chrome). Then go for a deep clean, including scrubbing grout and removing limescale from the basin, shower and WC. Shop around for a coordinating bin and toilet brush holder try The Range or Screwfix in Queensferry. Store toiletries and shower gels etc out of sight. Think about replacing the toilet seat too: a new one could cost little more than £20, yet it can instantly make the bathroom look smarter. The same is true for the shower curtain, taps and shower head. Finally, invest in fluffy towels, calming pieces of art and a good diffuser to create a spa-like feel.
Hopefully you’ve found this guide useful. The very best way for me to give you personal advice is ask me out on a face to face valuation. Even if you don’t plan to move just yet and are maybe just thinking about it at the moment I can come out and offer you a plan on what to do to get the house ready for sale so together we can achieve the best possible price for your home. However if youre not quite ready for that we have other options to take things further....
Click here for our valuation options.
Kind Regards
Ben Roberts MD