Selling your home is bittersweet. On the one hand, you’re leaving behind memories of a place you have lived in for many years and created memories in. On the other hand, you get to start this brand new chapter. There’s nothing quite like moving house that makes you want to get things done in your life and improve things for the better. If you’re thinking of selling your home in the future, there are a few upgrades you could consider making. Not only will these be useful to use in the here and now, but when you put your home on the market, it will fetch a larger price and more interest. Here are a couple of things you could consider.
Off Road Parking
Many streets and homes were built long before just about everyone owned a car, and for that reason, many don’t have off road parking. But if you’re looking to make your house attractive to buyers, off road parking really does need to be included. Thankfully, there are a couple of ways you can go about this. If you have space at the side or front of your property, you could have a garage installed. You will need planning permission for this, but it’s a worthwhile upgrade to make. Buyers love it, and it will be useful to you for as long as you live there. Your car will be protected, far less likely to get stolen or vandalized which in turn brings down the cost of your car insurance. Another option is to turn your front garden into a drive. Even a driveway is far better than parking on the road, and you don’t have to spoil the aesthetic of your home. You could add flowerbeds each side of the drive, or lots of potted plants, so you still get that gorgeous, vibrant pop of color and plenty of curb appeal. If you have road access to the back of your property, you could even add a car garage or a simple lean-to in your back garden. You wouldn’t need planning permission, and you’d just need to replace an area of fence with gates so your car can drive through. This isn’t an option for all homes, but worth considering if your property and street are laid out in this way.
A Nice Garden
As well as looking at the house itself, buyers will also be interested in the garden. It’s important to make the very best of this space and showcase it to its best potential. Even a simple concrete yard can be dressed up to be a usable space. If you have more room to work with, a lawn is always attractive as it gives people somewhere to sit in the summer and a place for pets and children to play. Decking looks smart and makes an ideal patio area. You could even look into garden cabins– these make ideal storage spaces or even extra rooms for hobbies. It will certainly give your home an advantage, which is exactly what you want in this competitive market. Plant up some shrubs and trees, well maintained established plants are also desirable and will make your garden look pretty and appealing.
A Great Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home and will be one of the biggest points of interest to a buyer. You probably won’t want to install a brand new kitchen if you know you will be moving in the near future, but there’s plenty you can do to bring it up to scratch. You could replace the flooring- vinyl is cheap and looks effective. You could replace the cupboard door fronts to make the kitchen look brand new, and give it a coat of paint. New accessories like tea towels and decorative pieces will make it look homely and cheerful, but be careful not to add too many personal touches. Buyers need to be able to get a sense of how the home works, but also be able to picture themselves there. It’s difficult for them to do that when there are tons of personal photos and trinkets everywhere.
A Bright and Spacious Feel
Aim to create a home that feels light, bright and airy, and you won’t go far wrong. You can do this by making sure you have the correct window treatments up. Blinds for example allow you to control the light and let plenty in in the daytime, and shut it out in the evening. Curtains that are too heavy will block out a lot of daylight and can make the home look dark and dingy. Another way you can make the home look brighter is redecorating in a light shade. A light neutral like white, light grey or cream will appeal to the most amount of buyers, even if it’s not your personal style you need to be creating a home that appeals to others. It makes it look like a blank canvas allowing people to picture themselves there, and also looks clean and modern. Storage is another concern when you’re showing your home to buyers. If they can see that you’re struggling for space and bursting at the seams, they will assume they will have the same problem. You could move some of your items to a self storage lockup in anticipation of the move, which will make your home look less cluttered. Or you could go through and throw away anything you no longer use and that you won’t be moving house with. This will reduce the amount of things you have, making the home look nicer and moving easier. Keep out a few decorative items- plants, clocks, rugs, flowers. These will make the properly look homely without being too personal.
Make a couple of upgrades that you know buyers will love, and you will gain back whatever you’ve spent plus more when you sell your home. So it’s a wise investment which will really pay off later down the line.
What kind of things will you be looking for next time you buy a house?
XOXO
Debbie
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