Buying a home should be a celebrated life achievement, and whilst you’re building equity every month you pay your mortgage you can increase the value of your property by making a few small changes too. When you make these sometimes small, sometimes expensive changes to the home you’re essentially staking money to help you get a bigger return on your investment. These are some of the best tips on how to increase your property value, with some big and small changes that can be made to your home.

Redecorate The Areas That Need It

It’s amazing the effect that a fresh lick of paint can have on the home. Neutral colours are most appealing if you’re selling your home, so keep this in mind when it comes to selling up.

Invest In Energy-Efficient Appliances

If you’re not planning on taking certain appliances with you when you sell your home, investing in energy-efficient designs can help to increase property value. There is more emphasis than ever before on environmental impact so keeping this in mind and at the forefront of your home can be a big drawer for new home buyers. One easy way to do this is with the installation of a smart thermostat, there are numerous designs on the market now. These handy devices can help you save money on your bills too.

Apply Touch-Ups

Small, fiddly jobs like peeling paint, small cracks, mouldy sealant, and dirty walls are all worth fixing. Whilst they won’t increase your property value by huge amounts of money they will all work together to create a pleasant aesthetic that will add value. These small touch-ups are worth carrying out before your home is valued.

Consider Your Kerb Appeal

Take note of what your home looks like when you pull up outside, are there weeds that need pulling? Does your front door need cleaning or a fresh lick of paint? Improving your kerb appeal could mean a quick tidy around the front garden, or you could take things further with a new gate, a new drive or a new front door.

Don’t Forget The Garden

If you’re considering your kerb appeal and its impact on your property value, then you’ll also want to think about your back garden too. Making the most of outdoor space can add plenty of value to your property. A small decking area or patio can help to transform the space, it also gives the property an added living space.
If you’re not looking for huge amounts of work it can be beneficial to ensure that your bushes are trimmed and weeds are kept at bay too, this helps to keep the garden from not looking overgrown and overlooked.

Make The Living Area Open Plan

Whilst this is certainly a big job in the home, it can help to hugely increase your property’s value. Knocking down a wall to make the downstairs area of your home open plan is a great way to transform the home, plus it saves on the cost of an extension. Open plan living has become a huge drawer for homeowners, so by simply knocking down a wall that separates the kitchen and living room you’re creating a space that people will want to buy.
This type of job requires professional assistance, and you’ll need to ensure that the wall in question isn’t load-bearing. But once this has all been assessed you could be on the way to helping to boost the value of your home.

Give Your Kitchen A Makeover

A brand new kitchen is going to increase your home’s value but it’s also going to cost you a lot of money too. If a new kitchen isn’t in your budget then you might want to consider some cheaper and quicker ways to give your kitchen a new look.
Having the cabinets painted a new colour can make a big impact on the whole look of a kitchen, or you could replace the handles on cupboard doors too to make a small change. Installing some under-cabinet or plinth lighting in the kitchen too. These two lighting types work wonders for creating depth to the kitchen area, giving it a more modern look.
Try to keep kitchen countertops clear and clutter-free too, this can have a big impact on the whole look of the kitchen.

Freshen Up The Bathroom

The bathroom, like the kitchen, is another room that can have a big impact on your home’s value. Again, like the kitchen, it can be an expensive room to redecorate too. If a new bathroom isn’t in your budget there are small things that you can do to make a big difference.
Small changes can be regrouting the whole of the tiled area, replacing the sealant too – especially if it’s mouldy. Eliminate limescale buildup and you could even replace taps to be more fitting with the current interior trends.
You want to ensure that your bathroom looks bright and clean, so fresh, bright paint will make a huge difference and a clean shower curtain or glass screen can make a big difference.

Add A Loft Conversion

Most lofts can be converted into an extra room in the home, which can add up to 15% to the value of your home. It’s a considerable job, but the outcome will be worth the effort. It’s likely you will need planning permission for a loft conversion, but in some cases, you may only require permitted development.

Convert Your Garage

If converting your loft to add an extra room doesn’t sound like something you’d like to do and you have a garage you might want to consider transforming it into a living space in a simple way to add value to your home.
Whilst it’s unlikely you will need planning permission to do this, it’s important to check with your local authority before you start this type of work.
Your garage could make a great additional room to your home that could be used for a utility, a home office or even a toy room.

Get Planning Permission

Even if you don’t want to add an extension or conversion to your home, it could be beneficial to you to get planning permission from your local authority anyway. This can be a huge drawer for potential buyers if you already have planning permission in place and could help to drive up the value of your home. You would have to spend money on specialist drawings and getting a survey, but when it comes to a new buyer of your home you’re handing them the ability to start work almost immediately if they so wish.
Our top tips on how to increase your property value should all help to work to a better price for you and your investment. Whilst some of the tips are bigger and more costly than others, they’ll certainly make a difference when it comes to remortgaging or moving on to a bigger home.