How to Add Value to Your Home – Top 10 Ideas

It’s a lot easier to invest money in a property if you know that it will pay off in the long term.

With this in mind, we’re looking at some of the most popular ways you can add value to your home. Some of these are large scale projects that will require the help of a builder and possibly even an architect. But some of these steps could easily be DIY jobs. If you’re interested in adding to the value of your property, read on!

1. Add a garage

A garage can add around 5% to the value of your home. Not only that, but garages can also help homeowners to bring down their car insurance quotes. But only if you park the car in your garage. Many people prefer to use their garages as storage or as a utility room. Creating a DIY workspace in your garage can also help to attract buyers who are looking for a space for their hobbies.

2. Convert your garage

If you already have a garage, you could add value by converting it into a living space. A garage would make a perfect games room for teenagers, or a playroom for young children. It could also be used as an office or as an additional living space. Whatever you choose to do with it, a converted garage could add up to 10% to the value of your home.

3. Upgrade your boiler

The boiler is often the last thing sellers think about, but it’s often important to buyers. A new boiler with a warranty intact could be a huge incentive to buyers as they won’t have to think about replacing it for at least 15 years. A new boiler is often considered to be one of the most profitable home improvements in the UK. A new boiler is often more efficient, so home buyers will also save on their energy bills for years to come.

4. Conceal your boiler

If your boiler is in your kitchen, you could help to sell your home by simply concealing it in a cupboard. According to a recent survey, many home hunters would try to knock around £5K off the asking price if the boiler is out in the open. And others would avoid a property altogether. You could conceal the boiler pipes with boiler casing to start with. Or you could consider creating a bespoke cupboard to house your boiler.

5. Convert your basement

Adding more functional space to your home is one of the best ways to increase its value. Looking downward, if you have an unfinished cellar or basement, you could add value by converting this into a functional living space. Many Victorian homes have a labyrinth of cellar rooms under their home. These could be converted into an extra bedroom, a home cinema or a home office. If the cellar has separate access, a large home might even be big enough to create an entire living space.

6. Convert your attic

As with a converted cellar, a converted attic space is also very attractive to buyers. A buy to let landlord, in particular, would be more interested in a property with a converted attic as their rental yield would increase. To complete this job, you would need to properly insulate the roof, add floorboards and then install heating, lighting and power points. If you’re keen on DIY work, you might be able to complete this yourself, but it’s more often a job for the professionals.

7. Landscape the garden

An often overlooked part of selling your home is the garden. An unsightly garden could lead some potential buyers to write off your home before they’ve even had a look. Cutting back overgrown hedges and making sure the lawn is well maintained is a great place to start. Hiring a landscaping company to do their work might be even better. Some buyers are looking for low maintenance and would be more interested in an astroturfed or gravel outdoor space. If you’re working with a small paved yard, adding a few potted plants can make the space more inviting.

8. Replace your front door

An old front door makes a property look tired and outdated before the potential buyer has even made it across the threshold. Replacing your front door might seem like an arbitrary step, but it can help to increase the value of the property. Things like smart locks and smart doorbells could also be an attractive selling point. Make sure that potential buyers are aware that you’ll be leaving these items behind.

9. Apply for planning permission

You don’t even have to go through with any building work with this step. For some buyers, the presence of planning permission to make big changes can be enough to sway them. An excellent example of this would be to apply for planning permission to add a garage to your driveway, an extension to the rear of your home, or an annexe in the back garden. If you decide to stay, you’ll have the option to get underway with construction, but if you decide to sell, the planning permission will add value to your home.

10. Focus on curb appeal

Curb appeal is something that estate agents will always focus on. This is the appearance of your home from the street. This could involve any number of tasks, from replacing old blinds with wooden shutters to fixing a broken gate. Take a look at your house from the curb and try to see it through the eyes of a potential buyer.

An overgrown front garden, unwashed windows, unsightly wheelie bins or even just a hanging basket with last summer’s flowers in could be letting your property down. A shiny new gate, a lick of paint on the door and some new flowers for the hanging basket could be all you need to spruce up your home. As a general rule, you should aim to make your home the smartest looking home on your street.

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