National Home Improvement Month

National Home Improvement Month encourages home owners to see what they can do to improve their homes this April. Whether you are selling now or maintaining your home to sell in the future, there are many small home improvements you can address to keep your home in best shape for when the time comes to sell-up, advises National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)

Martyn Baum, president of National Association of Estate Agents, says: “Updating and improving your home can seem a daunting task for many, and while a new kitchen or fully fitted bathroom can add considerable value to a home, a lot of home owners simply don’t have a lump sum to spend – nor feel that it’s necessary. In the absence of any pressing structural repairs, there’s a huge variety of more manageable home improvements that home owners can carry out to increase the value of their home.”

NAEA’s top home improvement tips to increase the value of your home are as follows:

1.    The illusion of space
Spend some time reorganising your rooms to make the best possible use of the space. This can involve reorganising the furniture or building shelves to help tidy away clutter. Also be ruthless and do throw clutter away.

2.    Be your own gardener
You don’t need to employ a gardener or landscaper to spruce up your garden. Simply mowing the lawn, tidying up the patio or planting some flowers brightens up your garden, and this is always a draw for buyers.

3.    Be energy efficient
Fitting your home with energy efficient appliances can add value to your home by promising to knock the costs of bills. With a huge variety of new products on the market for this, it’s increasingly becoming a key feature for new homes

4.    Deep clean
Fixtures and fittings that look tired and in need of replacing can be brought to life again with a deep clean. Even the tidiest of home owners face inevitable wear and tear over the years so it is important to address this.

5.    Letting in the light
Fitting windows in dark rooms is an easy and cost-efficient way to expand the space in your home without spending a fortune.

6.    Small kitchen improvements
Fully refurbishing your kitchen is pricey and can take time. But small things can make a big difference. Pick out the most notable places to improve your kitchen, whether it is a new floor, cooker or cupboard doors, and replace these, rather than the full unit.

7.    Take on your own handy-work
There is a huge amount of DIY advice online or in guide-books. Don’t be afraid to pick up the tools yourself to fix small damages around the house – but be careful, anything too heavy or difficult should require a professional.

8.    Lick of paint
Painting the walls in your home really does give a fresh and clean feeling and will reduce the appearance of wear and tear. A tired home gives the impression that a new buyer is likely to spend a lot of their own time and money bringing it up to scratch so may encourage them to lower their offer.

The information and opinions contained in this blog are for information only. They are not intended to constitute advice and should not be relied upon or considered as a replacement for advice. Before acting on any of the information contained in this blog, please seek specific advice from Gilson Gray.