Design Buy Build Issue 46 2020 | Page 6

EDITORS CHOICE INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME WITH THESE SIMPLE HOME IMPROVEMENTS! But why stop there? If you want to truly up the value of your home, you should freshen up any wall that needs it. Maybe even modernize the colour scheme. CLEAN UP! Any house that gives off a great first impression to potential buyers is going to have far more saleability. A clean and tidy house is certainly going to help with this. This is, of course, something that needs constant upkeep throughout the selling process, but there are certain forgotten areas of your home that visitors may be far more likely to spot. Regardless of whether you're hoping to sell your home ASAP, or think you might want to in the future, it's well worth taking note of the multiple ways you can boost it's value. There's a multitude of ways you can do this - ranging from trimming your trees and building a deck to introducing more natural light to your space. Whilst major, expensive extensions and alterations will certainly add value to your home, it’s worth knowing the smaller things you can do that will bump up the price. Founder of Aliwood Roof Lanterns, Jonathan Hey, is no stranger when it comes to home improvements. Jonathan has provided us with some excellent ways to significantly increase your home's value! You may be looking to get your house on the market as soon as possible, or perhaps you just want to increase its value for the sake of your own personal luxury. Either way, this feature will include something for you! THINK OF THE LITTLE THINGS It’s not necessary to rip out and replace all your cupboards in an effort to add some value to your kitchen. Nor is it essential to have a whole new bathroom fitted in order to make your house worth selling. Sometimes a little change is all that’s needed to completely revamp a space and make it look as good as new! Try replacing the handles on all your kitchen cabinets with something sleeker and a little more modern. Installing new taps or a new showerhead are also excellent ways to give your bathrooms that new sparkly look that all homeowners strive for. FRESH COAT OF PAINT To build on the last point, it doesn’t matter how sleek and shiny your new handles are - if they’re attached to shabby cabinets, you’re not going to be able to bask in their full benefits. And nor will any potential buyers! Between transitioning from your old handles to your new ones, consider darning your old cabinets with a fresh coat of paint - if they call for it. Walls can get quite grubby, and we often won’t notice until we see the difference after cleaning them. The areas around switches, sockets and door frames are often ignored too and are certainly worth giving a good scrub. It’s also advisable to touch up any mouldy sealant in kitchens and bathrooms, and also remove any limescale build-up on the kitchen and bathroom fittings. Give your windows a wash too. Clean windows will help to attract potential buyers before they’ve even entered the house! ROOF LANTERN On the topic of windows, any opportunity you have to introduce more natural light into your space should definitely be taken. A roof lantern is the ultimate way to do this as, along with the benefit of more natural light, it will also give the impression that a room is bigger than it actually is. The architectural impact of a roof lantern alone will help to significantly up the value of your home. On top of that, it will ultimately help to reduce energy usage, which will be a huge selling point to potential buyers. CONSIDER YOUR GARDEN A great deal of value can be added to a property with a neat and tidy garden. Be sure to keep your borders trimmed, your pathways clear, and any overgrown trees and bushes trimmed back to an attractive shape. If you can make your garden feel like an extension of your living space, rather than just an empty patch of grass, you’re going to find it much easier to sell your home for a higher price. Adding a garden deck to your outdoor space will give any buyer more room to relax and entertain, and is sure to up the value of your home. There are always more things you can do to increase the value of your home - we’ve barely scratched the surface. Why not create a driveway, if you have the space to do so? (Or at least power wash the one you have). You could even double glaze all your windows, or incorporate some energy efficient tech into your living space. In short, anything that improves the appearance of your home, or the quality of living for any potential buyers, is sure to up it’s value. 6