General tips for improving a house's saleability (or even value)

elsmandino

Hello.

I have very limited experience of moving house and would be really grateful for any advice on what can make or break a sale (and perhaps anything worth doing to improve a house's value).

I am looking to try and be in a new property within the next 18 months and any personal pointers would be appreciated.

One example - I am toying with the idea of adding TRVs to all my radiator, updating my heating system to smart (Hive) and increasing my loft insulation to 270mm, ahead of this year's winter.  Would any of these make economic sense?

Edit - just to say, I am going to get an estate agent round to comment specifically on my property.  I just wanted any general tips/pointers.

lika_86

Don't bother, price appropriately, declutter and get good photos.

BarelySentientAI

TRVs and loft insulation don't make or break a sale.  Very little (that you can change) does.

As lika_86 said - it's whether the price is appropriate for the property in the condition at the time of sale.  Spending a bunch of money almost never leads to a corresponding increase in sale price.

cymruchris

elsmandino said:

Hello.

I have very limited experience of moving house and would be really grateful for any advice on what can make or break a sale (and perhaps anything worth doing to improve a house's value).

I am looking to try and be in a new property within the next 18 months and any personal pointers would be appreciated.

One example - I am toying with the idea of adding TRVs to all my radiator, updating my heating system to smart (Hive) and increasing my loft insulation to 270mm, ahead of this year's winter.  Would any of these make economic sense?

Spend little to nothing, empty as much as you can, or hide it, get great photos and that's all you need. At a push if the paintwork is 'awful' you could freshen it up - but if it's average or thereabouts - I wouldn't bother.

Don't go spending money on things like Hive TRV's - your 'buyer' might have a preference for a different brand, or have absolutely no interest in TRV's in the slightest - and then they'd see 'expense' rather than 'benefit'.

If you already have insulation - don't spend money on more. It's not going to be a swaying factor.

Keep it simple (and low-cost)

Tucosalamanca

Loft insulation isn't expensive, it will make the house warmer and possibly assist with the EPC rating. when you come to sell.

user1977

Tucosalamanca said:

Loft insulation isn't expensive, it will make the house warmer and possibly assist with the EPC rating. when you come to sell.

And if the sale isn't for 18 months, you'll at least get the benefit yourself for another winter...

Nebulous2

I was in the fortunate position of having a lengthy overlap with two properties. We had been there for over 25 years, and had acquired a lot of stuff. 

We moved out about 2 months in advance of putting it for sale and dramatically decluttered, freshened up some of the emulsion and had some of the external woodwork repainted. 

We couldn't believe what a difference the reduction in furniture made to the house. I had always been slightly cynical about the advice to declutter, thinking it didn't make rooms any bigger, but it definitely worked.

Our solicitor couldn't believe how quickly it sold. 

Our neighbours said they wanted to sell, but didn't like the back garden. We advised they leave it, but they went ahead anyway, making fairly expensive changes.  The new people were there about 2 months when they removed all the newly paved area and laid turf. So their changes were a total waste of time and money.  

Flugelhorn

agree re decluttering being good and spending lots of money on improvements being bad 

housebuyer143

In the past I have just removed clutter, cleaned well, fix anything obviously glaring broken or in need and then price appropriately. 

Bigphil1474

It depends on the house you are selling and who you'd be selling to. If it's an attractive property to a first time buyer then you need to do as much as you can to make it sellable to them - they can be a bit skitty. If it's a potential letting property, a lot less as a landlord will need to do the work to get it ready for renting out. If it's neither then the minimalist approach might work. 

I would make sure you get things like electrical/gas certificates within the last 12 months before selling. They aren't required but pretty much everybody asked us. Also gas boiler service. I'd definitely do the insulation, and make sure you have some paperwork to show you've done it. The EPC is oft misunderstood by some buyers so anything you can do to boost your score is helpful. All our radiators have TRV's and I think it's a good thing to have and something positive to point out to the buyer. I wouldn't bother with the HIVE. Basically anything low budget that's fairly straight forward, get it done and it's one less thing for your buyer to have to think about. It also helps with the sales patter/story e.g. here's the 3rd bedroom which we had completely re-decorated last year, and there's the roof insulation that we fitted in the summer etc. Imagine if you were buying your house, what would you want done before you moved in.

Agree with everyone else on the decluttering. I'd start now if I were you.

gwynlas

As above decluttering  de personalisation and deep cleaning are key. Each room should be true to purpose eg beds in each bedroom, room for a table to eat at in kichen or lounge etc. If you need to then put things into storage borrowing space from a relative. You can keep a washing up bowl or basket if you have a lot of products in bathroom scoop them up and hide under a towel. Similarly kitchen counters should be relatively clear. Beds should be freshly made and towels hung in bathrooms. First impressions count so look at the outside of your property , front door should be clean as should windows,an appropriate planter looks good, In garden lawns and hedges should be trimmed and whole area tidy.childrens toys need to be stored in one area rather than look abandoned in the grass. If you have pets be aware of the smell. Do all this prior to letting an EA near the place as they set the price. Choose agent on their expertise in selling your knd of property, check their ads and photos look professional and clear of typos.