[Lauren]

Hey everyone,

Oh how the housing marketing is a competitive place!

Adding value is essential to capitalise on your investment and we want to give you a couple of tips for both internal and external for your home to increase it's value.

External:

• A new driveway: This can add around 5-10% to the value of your home! Location and nearby parking availability are one of the biggest factors affecting how much value a driveway can add to your property.
• Garden landscaping: This can help to increase the property price by up to 10% - especially in cities like London. Decking is known to be a particular favourite for buyers with a good amount of sunlight and seating, so consider investing in some landscaping to make the garden more attractive.
• Double glazing: Increased property value of up to 10%
• Solar panels: Between 14 and 38% depending on what area of the UK you live in
• An extension: up to 20% increase in the value of your home, due to the space they provide and the potential for an extra room - whether its loft, garage, kitchen, story up, basement, etc - all of which increases the value.

Internal:

• Restoration and repairs: This can come in all shapes and sizes from broken skirting, a shelf, light fixture to restoring original features like fire places giving it the history, character and authentic finish back.
• Internal doors: Doors dramatically changes the look and feel of a home, keeping up with the modern look and feel
• Renovate and redecorate: Trends are always changing! @Ajw created a post on Trend Paint Colours you can check out and chat to the experts to see what they advise!
• Adding an en-suite: These are very attractive features due to ease, accessibility, and privacy. Families are less keen on sharing these days so two bathrooms is far better than one.
• A new kitchen: Kitchens tend to be one of the most important rooms in the house but you must not spend more than its worth. You can start with a partial upgrade, painting or wraping kitchen doors, spraying or replacing handles all the way up to a full new upgraded kitchen and fit.
• A new bathroom

If you would like more information on each section please see the full article here explaining the potential value increase and why more in depth.

Summary of steps
- Identify the main issues in your home. Consider and surveyor if you're not sure
- Work out your budget and plan accordingly
- Fix foundational and structural issues first
- Fix any cosmetic issues last
- Always hire a professional to carry out the more complex works
- Ask a Trade a question here >>