Lifestyle -- 8 days ago
Words: Alex Woodhall
The housing market may be starting to pick up after the crash but that doesn’t mean selling up is an easy flip. Putting your property on the market can be daunting, it is after all, the single biggest investment most of us will make in our lifetime; getting the right price is paramount.
Squeezing every single bit of value you can out of a home is well worth the time and money it can take. A weekend’s work can put the price up by a few thousand, seriously. Targeting certain key areas for a spruce up and facelift can entice a buyer to part with even more of their cash, with very little in the way of outlay.
LIGHT
Dim and dingy rooms are a hard sell; a dark space immediately appears smaller and thus has a negative knock-on to the value of your property. A light space has the effect of visually increasing the square footage and with it the price.
Let in as much natural light, installing a sky light or sliding patio door is an extreme option but one that can pay dividends. Smaller steps would be to have the windows properly cleaned, clear out clutter and opting for a lighter neutral shade on your walls. Other tips are, well-positioned mirrors, swapping out the heavier curtains and moving shelf space off the floor and onto the walls.
WORK ON THE EXTERIOR
A bad first impression is hard to recover from, this goes for your home too. A buyer starts to make a decision in the first 7 seconds, if they’ve got a grotty, blemished exterior in mind as they go in, you can pretty much forget any chance of an offer. Start to update the paintwork of your outer walls, repair any damages and get to work on pruning the landscape for maximum impact the moment they pull up.
MAINTENANCE
Maintaining the outside is crucial but don’t forget the odd jobs that need doing elsewhere in and around your property. Honing back the hedges, clearing the gutters, replacing light bulbs and fixing all of those little quirks you’ve learnt to live with will make a big difference when prospective purchasers do their sweep.
APPLY FOR PLANNING PERMISSION
You don’t necessarily need to have a conviction to build anything but by getting the permission in the first place you’ll add value to the property, as a buyer knows they can extend if they so desire. A loft extension for example can add tens of thousands to the price, so whilst it’s not advisable to go and ahead get it built, have the plans in place to elevate your property in the eyes of those interested.
UPDATE YOUR KITCHEN
The kitchen is often described as the heart of a home. Buyers will gravitate towards it and a poor cooking area can terminate any interest immediately. Ensure you don’t lose that sale by modernising yours with a fresh lick of paint and some de-cluttering. Light, again, is key; you want to make the area feel as big as possible and cleaner looking cupboards, walls and appliances will certainly do that. Double check everything works as well, you may be coping without that fourth hob not working, but to a buyer that’s cause for a discount or worse, a lost sale.
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
