Tips on improving value to my property

Deep_Ocean

Hi everyone

My issue is this, I seperated from my wife a year ago, we are now divorced but I have let her continue to pay the mortgage over the last 12 months so she could live in the property with her new boyfriend.

She is now allowing me to buy her out with a reasonable offer as the house has been on the market for 4 months with no leads.

After looking at the property today I realised the reason why its not selling, the home is looking very tired and neglected.

I would like advice of what things to do to the house which would increase the value enough to be able to get my money back when the house sells. Would a new kitchen and bathroom be a waste of time and money, how about new carpets and new windows.

Its difficult as the house is part owned with a housing association on a 50% basis so any value I add to the property will be shared with them.

Does anybody have any tips on improving the desirability as cheaply as possible.

Cheers

poppysarah

Add up the figures before you buy her out. It might be better just to get shut of the property.

Doozergirl

It depends on the price of the property. If you can do things quickly and in a cost effective manner then it might be worth it but having to share the cost with the HA I'm not sure - perhaps if the bathrrom is a white suite just replace tiles and flooring, paint the kitchen units, replace the worktop and taps; appliances if tired or unfashionable.

I think cheap and cheerful. Looking at teh in laws house right which is worth 230k tops right now and I think *trade* we will recoup the expense of new kitchen and bathrooms on a quicker sale for them. Not a 'profit', just a bit of an edge over others. We've got cheap and chic down to an art these days

You don't improve value without making the house bigger. Neat, tidy, clean and a few up to date touches sees optimum of what it is but you need the balance; people's perception of what needs spending with the reality of what it costs you to smooth the edges.