WE all want our house to feel like home, but did you know there are certain things you could be do to add thousands to its value?
Buying a home is one of the most costly purchases you’ll make, so it’s no surprise that small imperfections can be an instant turn-off.
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But thankfully there are cheap ways to make sure your home hits the spot – and boost its value by thousands of pounds.
The Sun spoke to three estate agents – Luke Saywell, partner at Gascoines, Sam Mitchell from Purplebricks and David Smith at Martyn Gerrard – to find out the cheapest way to bump up the value of a property.
Add a lick of paint
We all know it’s what is on the inside that counts, but sadly this doesn’t apply to homes – and when it comes to selling, first impressions really matter.
Ensuring your property looks good on the outside is a starting point.
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Luke from Nottinghamshire estate agents Gascoines said: “A fresh look to the outside of your home can add thousands through enhancing its kerb appeal.
“By sprucing up your front door and window frames with a lick of paint, at a small cost from only £10 per tin, you can transform the front of your home.
“Using nice subtle colours also sets the tone for what’s inside, creating love at first sight for potential buyers before they have even set foot inside.”
He estimates this could add as much as £3,000 to a home’s value.
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Bathroom makeover
A bathroom is a room that can undergo a lot of hard use and can easily be one of the oldest looking rooms in your property.
This means potential buyers could be put off if they think they’ll need to spend a significant sum getting it up to scratch.
I bought the most run-down house on the street and transformed it into home of my dreams – with NO DIY experience
But thankfully, it shouldn’t cost to much to get it looking fresh, modern and ready for sale.
Sam Mitchell, chief executive office at Purplebricks, said: “Without spending a fortune, the ideal way to add a little boost to your property is to makeover your existing bathrooms.
“Some fresh paint and if possible cleaner looking tiles will go a long way here.
“Ensure that at least one of the bathroom has a new shower, ensuring it looks clean, modern and runs well.”
Kerb appeal
A poorly kept garden, damaged driveway, poor lighting or even just a broken gate can have a detrimental impact on the value of your home.
David Smith, director at Martyn Gerrard estate agents, said: “If you have a front garden make sure its tidy, keep the hedge and grass cut – paint the front door. Internally – tidy up and declutter.”
The best thing is, this shouldn’t cost you anything but a bit of elbow-grease to fix.
Panelling walls
DIY panelling is the latest home makeover trend that can be achieved for less to nothing – and it can add value to your home.
Luke from Gascoines said: “Panelling can often make your home look
more expensive for little cost.
“It can create depth and interest when looking at plain and square spaces and therefore stand out among properties with similar footprints.”
Luke said it can add around £2,000 onto the value of your property.
He added: “For less than £200 you can buy your chosen paint colour and materials needed depending on how big the space is.
“With DIY panelling you can improve modern spaces with touches of
character, that don’t require upkeep.
“Why not try painting the wall behind a bold colour to really make the natural tone of the wood pop?”
Storage space
When potential buyers view a property, they often picture themselves living there – and that’s hard to do when it’s full of your stuff.
Sam from Purplebricks said adding storage space will make your home look tidier, and show to potential buyers that there is plenty of room for their belogingins.
He said: ” We recommend that sellers consider installing shelves and create cupboards around their property.
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“Look for concealed nooks in corridors, under stairs space, space above sinks, space beneath the bath tub or alongside cisterns and unused wall space for mounted cupboards.”
Meanwhile, we reveal what will happen to house prices in 2024.
How to get the best deal on your mortgage
IF you’re looking for a traditional type of mortgage, getting the best rates depends entirely on what’s available at any given time.
There are several ways to land the best deal.
Usually the larger the deposit you have the lower the rate you can get.
If you’re remortgaging and your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) has changed, you’ll get access to better rates than before.
Your LTV will go down if your outstanding mortgage is lower and/or your home’s value is higher.
A change to your credit score or a better salary could also help you access better rates.
And if you’re nearing the end of a fixed deal soon it’s worth looking for new deals now.
You can lock in current deals sometimes up to six months before your current deal ends.
Leaving a fixed deal early will usually come with an early exit fee, so you want to avoid this extra cost.
But depending on the cost and how much you could save by switching versus sticking, it could be worth paying to leave the deal – but compare the costs first.
To find the best deal use a mortgage comparison tool to see what’s available.
You can also go to a mortgage broker who can compare a much larger range of deals for you.
Some will charge an extra fee but there are plenty who give advice for free and get paid only on commission from the lender.
You’ll also need to factor in fees for the mortgage, though some have no fees at all.
You can add the fee – sometimes more than £1,000 – to the cost of the mortgage, but be aware that means you’ll pay interest on it and so will cost more in the long term.
You can use a mortgage calculator to see how much you could borrow.
Remember you’ll have to pass the lender’s strict eligibility criteria too, which will include affordability checks and looking at your credit file.
You may also need to provide documents such as utility bills, proof of benefits, your last three month’s payslips, passports and bank statements.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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