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Saying goodbye to your first home is always bittersweet. The first house you purchased helped you to get your foot onto the property ladder. It was the first place you got to call your own. Whilst living there, you will have transformed each space by painting the walls, changing the flooring, adding photographs and designating a purpose for each room. All these changes would have helped you transform your first house into your home.
Over time, you will have considered the possibility of moving. It could have been fantasising about having more space, especially if you planned on starting a family. You might have wanted a bigger garden or a driveway for your car. After time deliberating, either with your partner or with friends and family, you have come to the conclusion that you want to move houses and into a bigger space.
Before you can do that, you need to ensure that your house is in a condition that is ready for the market. Understandably, you will need help selling your first home. Ask those you know for their advice, and speak with professionals about how to help move the sales process along. One thing they might suggest is making a few home improvements. Home improvements can add value to your property as they make your house more appealing to potential buyers.
If you are looking for property development to help add value to your property before you put it on the market, keep reading this guide to help you find out what is possible.
Home Improvements That Could Help You Add Value To Your Property
Maximising Kerb Appeal
Making a good first impression is crucial. Seeing the exterior of a property for the first time will create the foundation of a potential buyer’s opinion. It sets the tone for what they suspect the rest of the house will be like. If the exterior of your home looks appealing, with clean windows, cleared pathways and hedges trimmed back, it helps to create a positive first impression. Potential buyers will assume the rest of the house is as clean and well taken care of as the outside.
However, if the front of the house looks a little derelict with unwashed windows, pathways are hidden by leaves and litter and little maintenance of the hedges and grass, it could create a negative impression. Potential buyers will see the neglected exterior of the home and assume the rest of the house follows a similar pattern. This negative impression can be avoided by treating your home’s exterior with a little TLC. Sprucing the front of the home up could create a positive impression and possibly help a little extra value to your home.
Updating The Windows
Windows and doors are some of the first qualities of a house that potential buyers will notice. As mentioned, those initial impressions of a home count. Aside from ensuring that they are clean, consider how new they are. Newer windows are an attractive quality of a house to potential buyers. They view them as a renovation project they do not need to complete. Having new windows can help to increase the value of the property.
There are different types of windows for home available in the market. Updating the windows is an investment to make. However, new windows can be costly, and some might avoid investing in new ones if they choose to move. It is worth seeing how much the value of your home rises by having new windows. The answer could help you decide whether to move forward with your decision to update the windows.
Renovating The Bathroom
The bathroom is one of the key selling points of a property. Similar to the windows, the state of a bathroom will influence a potential buyer’s decision. If a bathroom is fairly modern, they will be happy to leave it for a bit before choosing to renovate – that is, if they purchase the property. However, if the bathroom is a little outdated, it could be an off-putting feature to potential buyers.
Consider if it is worth freshening up your bathroom a bit to appeal to potential buyers. You might choose to update the plumbing. Find a plumber and have them update the plumbing system in the bathroom if you are planning a mini bathroom renovation. Take your search online and use sites like MyBuilder and its ‘plumbers near me‘ section to find possible plumbers to complete this task. You can inform potential buyers that any recent plumbing work to the bathroom was completed by a professional, so there should be very few issues to be concerned about.
Fresh New Kitchen
Along with an updated bathroom, consider a fresh new kitchen. A modern kitchen can inject fresh life into the space. Seeing a new, modern kitchen could be an appealing factor to potential buyers. It could be removing the current cabinets and replacing them with new ones or adding a fresh coat of paint to the space could be worthwhile.
Similar to the windows, check to see how much value updating the kitchen and bathroom could bring to the house. If the value is worthwhile, plan out what updates you can make to these spaces to help add value to your home and attract potential buyers.
Repairing Any Faults
Potential buyers who are interested in placing an offer on your home will likely invest in a home inspector to look for hidden issues in the property, especially ones that could influence their choice to move forward. Some of the issues uncovered could easily be resolved on the weekend.
Take some time to look for any faults throughout your home that could impact the value. With this list, plan out when you will get each issue resolved. Some could be done by yourself or others, and you might even need help from friends or professionals. Making these changes could help increase the value touch and reduce the errors on the inspectors’ lists.
Adding Storage Solutions
Storage is a desirable feature that appears high on potential buyers’ lists for home amenities. Properties with good storage solutions are more likely to get offers from potential buyers. It means they will likely come off the market as soon as they enter. This is the ideal outcome for any sellers hoping to sell their first home.
Look for ways to add additional storage solutions to your home. Utilise all of the spaces available in your home and look for innovative ways to add extra storage. The more storage options available, the more interest in the property. Additionally, the more chances of the value of the property increasing.
Creating Garden Spaces
Along with storage space, gardens are also a desirable factor for potential buyers. Many homeowners want a garden with garden room they can use when the weather is warm and friends come to visit. Others want a garden in which they can decorate and grow vegetables.
If your property has a garden, spend some time clearing it up to help make it look appealing to potential buyers. Cut the grass, trim back the hedges and sweep the pathways to show potential buyers how much space there is in the garden. Create social spaces with benches and seating so they can envision themselves sitting in those areas when the weather is warmer.
Reap The Benefits
Before implementing any of these changes, consider when you are planning to move. If you are not planning to move for a few years to help build your savings, some of the bigger changes could be worth implementing. This is because you can reap the benefits of fresh new spaces.
However, if you plan to move soon, consider implementing some smaller changes. Either way, the changes you make could help to increase the value. When your property hits the market, it could be a touch higher than anticipated, but also great interest from potential buyers. Before you know it, your property will be sold, and you will be preparing to move into your new home.