How To Preserve and Increase the Value of Your House

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Buying a house is the largest single investment you will ever make and it is important that you take measures to ensure that over the years your house holds its value. Many house owners want to increase the value of their property. Many studies have been made to establish which modifications can add real value to your house when you come to sell.

Here are 6 top ways to maintain and increase the value of your house:

1. Make your home energy efficient

Making your home more energy efficient is certainly important with global environmental issues currently firmly in focus. As well as reducing your carbon footprint, if you make your home more energy-efficient you will reap the benefits of much lower energy bills.

Good insulation is essential and is surprisingly cheap to install. Installing new loft insulation that meets the minimum thickness requirement of 270 mm is definitely a job that you can tackle yourself. You will definitely reap the benefits immediately, as up to 30% of heating is lost through the roof of a property. Insulation in cavity walls is also quick and straight forward when completed by experts and again, the difference in the cost of your heating bills will soon be noticeable.

To ensure that you are using your heating as efficiently as possible, why not install a smart meter? Each room can be heated at different times and to different temperatures by installing individual smart thermostats to the radiators. Other smart products that are popular include smart cameras and fire detectors. For convenience, all smart products can be linked to your smart phone. When proving your house’s energy efficiency, it is also worth investing in the most energy -efficient kitchen appliances too.

2. Be curb appeal aware

Over the years, the frontage of your house can soon look tired and dated so it is worth regularly checking the condition of the paintwork on window sills, the front door and the garage door and giving them a fresh lick of paint. Replacing the front door with a modern style can transform the look of your home as can adding modern outside lighting and a new-style house number.

To keep your property looking attractive, it is important to keep the front garden looking smart too. Keep an eye on new labour-saving trends that will give your garden a fresh new look such as covering the lawn area with a layer of shingle decorated with colourful planters.

3. Follow fashion trends for kitchens

The most important room for many house buyers is the kitchen and keeping yours looking spacious and modern can certainly add value. A simple way to update your kitchen is to change the work tops to trendy granite ones, clear away all the unnecessary clutter, paint the cupboard doors in one of this season’s trending colours and modernise the door handles too. If you want to invest in a bigger renovation, consider changing the floor to smart stain-resistant wooden flooring and modernising the lighting. If there is room, create a kitchen island with a breakfast bar at one end.

If you were to upgrade your kitchen, you would be able to recoup about 80% of your investment. For example, if you spend £15,000 you will be adding about £12,000 to your house value.

4. Follow fashion trends for kitchens

Another very important room to buyers is the bathroom. Bathrooms are often neglected by house owners but can be easily renovated too look smart and modern. If your bathroom suite is looking tired and dated, it is worth investing in a stylish new white one. If your bathroom suite is a dated avocado green or canary yellow, this is a real must! If you don’t have a shower, have an eco-friendly rain shower fitted over the bath and also add a storage cupboard under the basin so that surfaces can be kept completely clear.

5. Maximize your space

Modern homes are open plan, airy, spacious and very popular. This type of floor plan gives the family flexibility – especially as many people are still working from home. It may not be as expensive as you think to remove a non loading bearing wall to increase the floor area.

Adding an extra room in the attic will certainly add value to your property but it is essential that it is built to meet all building regulations otherwise you will have problems when you come to sell.

6. Keep your house well decorated & maintained

It is surprising how quickly a room is totally transformed by a fresh coat of paint. Fresh paint can make walls and other surfaces look really good. It is well worth spending time before you reach for the paint brush, preparing the walls as this will ensure that all wall surfaces are nice and smooth so the painting will look top class. While you are painting, replace any dated door handles and date switches to complete the upgrade.

It is a good idea to try and keep on top of all minor maintenance jobs. At the beginning of each season, it is a good idea to check walls and the basement for any signs of damp as well as the condition of all paint work inside and out.

A final word

Over the years, all of these ideas will certainly help build your wealth through home equity. These suggestions are also recommended by estate agents as the ideal ways to increase the value of your property if you are planning to sell.

The question posed by many house owners is whether it is essential to have at least completed redecoration and maintenance before putting their property on the market as they have heard that it is very hard to sell a property that is not in good condition.

The good news is that cash buyers advertise that they will buy your house for cash – whatever its condition or state of decoration. If you find this hard to believe, a read through ‘we buy any house reviews and scams‘ online, will soon reveal that this statement is absolutely true and that house owners wanting to sell without completing any work on their property are able to do so speedily to a cash buyer. As well as saving time and money on completing decorating and improvement jobs on their home, they will also be able to sell their house for cash quickly and totally stress-free.

Isn’t this an option that everyone should consider?

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