HOUSE prices are falling, with the UK’s average home valued at £373,493 in July, compared with £375,110 last month – a drop of 0.4 per cent.
According to Rightmove’s figures, if the trend continues this time next year that home could be worth £20,000 less.
To claw that value back, property expert Jonathan Rolande gives Kirsten Jones a dozen affordable tips that could see you add that £20k back to the price when you put your home on the market.
“A dirty great wheelie bin is no garden ornament. They ruin the appearance of your lovely home.
“Before your estate agent snaps their photographs, move them out of sight completely.
“Down the road, in your neighbour’s garden (with permission of course) – it doesn’t matter, just get rid.
“When viewings begin, invest in a cheap wicker or fake ivy screen (£11, Amazon) to distract from their ugliness.”
Worth: £1,000
“Almost 90 per cent of house searches are online and the front of your home is the first thing buyers see.
“If your kerb appeal is not up to scratch, they’ll scroll right past your weed-ridden driveway.
“First impressions count, so clean your windows, pop a lick of paint on your front door and spruce up the porch with a few bright pot plants.
“It’ll cost you about £20 and an afternoon of hard graft to speed up your sale.”
Worth: £2,500
“IF your property has a poor energy performance rating – say E or F – you may suffer from lower offers.
“Boosting that rating to a D is as simple as switching to energy-saving LED light bulbs – £9.99 for five on Amazon – or even insulating your loft, with foam from £32 a roll at B&Q.
“These little hacks can save hundreds on bills each year. Plus, an energy-efficient home that’s cheaper to run is appealing to buyers, so you’ll see more impressive offers rolling in.”
Worth: £3,000
“IT costs about £4,000 to recarpet an average house.
“Show buyers there’s no need for change by renting a carpet cleaner for the day.
“It costs about £25, refreshes and brightens every room and eliminates odours, too.
“Even if the colour isn’t to their taste, buyers will be happy to save money and live with fresh carpets for a few years.”
Worth: £3,000
“A £5 grout pen could be the difference between poor offers and a swift property sale.
“Spruce up dull or yellowing grout and re-mastic around your shower to freshen up an old bathroom suite.
“Buyers will see a perfectly clean, usable bathroom that doesn’t need a costly update anytime soon.”
Worth: £1,000
“You don’t need to go full ‘Monty Don’ to add value in the garden.
“Buyers want a space they can use without rolling up their sleeves – especially if they’re moving in the summer months.
“Get rid of that rusty trampoline and weather-beaten barbecue, mow the lawn and trim the bushes.
“A little effort goes a long way to getting more competitive offers.”
Worth: £1,000
“Accessorising can’t be overlooked and that includes binning your cracked – or worse still, stained – toilet seat.
“Spend a tenner on some fresh, fluffy towels and a shiny new soap dispenser, too.
“Buyers will overlook a slightly dated bathroom suite if you show them the appeal of a few cheap solutions.”
Worth: £500
“A few sprays of limescale remover will totally transform taps – and those gleaming fittings will stand out in your online property photos.
“Get to work on the kitchen kettle and the shower screen, too.
“A squeaky clean impression will see more buyers come through your front door.
“Plus, shiny taps reflect light and make rooms look bigger and brighter – win, win.”
Worth: £500
“Scuffs and scrapes are overlooked in daily life, but to a buyer, they’ll stand out like a sore thumb.
“Whether it’s sucker marks from baby gates, floor scuffs from pram wheels or grease spots from leaning bikes in the hallway, roll your sleeves up and clean them off.
“Eagle-eyed buyers will see scuffs and assume the property is hard to keep clean.
“So take a bit of time to cover them up.”
Worth: £1,500
“No one wants to shell out £10,000 on a new kitchen when they move in, so save buyers the stress.
“Choose a muted colour like olive green to give tired tiles a lick of paint, and replace wobbly cupboard handles with modern knobs in classy snow white or silver.
“It only costs a few quid to make a functional kitchen look fresh again.”
Worth: £3,000
“A house with heavy curtains can appear dark and drab, but it’s easy to fix.
“Buy a few packs of stick-on wall hooks (set of two, £8, Dunelm) and watch the light double when you tie the curtains back.
“Letting in more light gives buyers the illusion of more space.
“If you’re still struggling, buy a cheap mirror to distract from shadowy spots.”
Worth: £1,000
“A blood-red living room screams hard work for buyers, so try to keep your personality out of the decorating.
“Swap garish painted walls for a neutral hue – like grey or beige – but don’t be too bland.
“A splash of colour on a feature wall, cushions or cabinets will add a little interest.
The aim of the game is to allow buyers to move straight in and add their own stamp, without the month-long reno project.
Putting people off is never a good thing.”
Worth: £2,000
