Five simple and inexpensive tips to get your home sold despite Brexit jitters

Original source: DailyMail - Property

The housing market has had a significant slowdown as the Brexit repeatedly gets pushed back and now a General Election looms, so those who are looking to sell their home may require some help to get a deal over the line.

There are steps that those who is looking to sell a property can take to help entice a buyer.

These include making sure the property is presented in the best way possible and any outstanding jobs are completed.

As property website Residential People points out, ‘a large number of buyers won’t be willing to do work themselves, which is why it’s vital that you make as many improvements as you can to your property before potential buyers arrive to view it.’

It outlines five tips for renovating your home when selling so that buyers are drawn to it while searching for their next property to move to.

It comes as Nationwide Building Society revealed that house prices in Britain have barely moved, with annual growth remaining below 1 per cent for the eleventh month in a row.

Despite the modest levels of demand, average prices are still £800 higher than they were in October last year, or an increase of 0.4 per cent, at £215,368.

However, it represents a ‘significant slowing’ compared with recent years. For example, in the year to October 2016, just after the Brexit referendum, prices increased by £9,100, according to Nationwide.

Here are Residential Property’s five tips for renovating your home to help achieve that sale…

1. New cupboard doors and lighting in the kitchen
While a well-designed kitchen can go a long way to improving the value of your home and making it more attractive to buyers, you don’t necessarily need to go for a major overhaul.

Instead, one option may be to replace any damaged or tired cupboard doors and install new lighting.

This can give a kitchen a new lease of life at the fraction of the cost of a complete refit.

2. New bathroom taps and shower heads
Bathrooms may also be updated in a relatively simple way with new taps and shower heads, generating enough of a ‘wow’ factor to get your property sold.

Again, this is a much more inexpensive option than giving the bathroom a complete overhaul, while it is also important to freshen up any grimy tiles or mould-stained grouting.

Another simple tip is to box up any toiletries littered around the bathroom as it indicates a lack of storage and may put buyers off.

It may also be worth replacing anything that looks tired, but is easily replaced, such as shower curtains and toilet seats.

3. Jazz up your garden
A landscaped garden with decking and a stylish shed can help to enhance the value of your home.

A well-maintained garden can create a lasting impression on a buyer, offering an appealing space to relax, unwind and entertain guests.

Most potential buyers will want to see a manicured garden – so make sure the grass is cut and plants are tidy. If not, they may be put off by the thought of constant maintenance.

If you do have decking, consider giving it a lick of paint and if you have paving, a power wash.

4. Remove unnecessary walls
Attempt to make more space in your home by knocking down unnecessary walls and opening up space.

For example, you may be able to remove the wall between your living room and kitchen to create an open plan living and dining space.

Removing a partition wall can be relatively simple, but if the wall is load bearing you will need structural reinforcements such as rolled steel joists put in place. Make sure you comply with building regulations.

This is the biggest and most expensive job out of the five mentioned and will require an expert to come in and assess.

5. Improve energy efficiency
Improving energy efficiency, this can be done by installing double – or triple – glazed windows and fitting your home with insulation.

You can also potentially receive a Government grant to do certain energy efficiency changes in the home. This includes upgrading insulation.

Both of these options are expensive and time-consuming and unlikely to be the kind of thing that you would want to spend money on just before selling, unless you feel that you really need to do the work or have a high value property.

There are ways to improve the feel of a home, however.

When you do have viewers over, make sure your home is a good temperature, perhaps light a candle or two to make it seem warmer and cosier, and eliminate any draughts, with an inexpensive, but decorative excluder.