Is something devaluing your home?

Tackle poor maintenance

Keeping our home spick and span may seem like an obvious step to take, but it’s easier than you think to let your property’s maintenance take a backseat.  Sometimes the more urgent (or interesting!) parts of life take over, and repairs and upkeep fall to the side. 

For some quick wins, start by taking note of what needs the most attention within your property. Take action to fix it, and then ensure you regularly check if future maintenance is needed. Here’s some ideas of what to look at:

• Fix damaged walls and floors

• Repair failing pipework or worse-for-wear electronics, 

• Correct crumbling brickwork, 

• Maintain functional drainage and guttering, 

• Repair wind-damaged roofing 

These are all great ways of dealing  with critical areas of poor maintenance in your home and help to retain or improve its value.

Utilities upgrade

While the taps may run and the lights turn on, having an energy inefficient home can be merciless on your wallet and its overall value. Make sure your home is to a good standard when it comes to both your energy efficiency and water efficiency.

In an article by Zoopla¹, research by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found 40% of estate agents in the UK said they are seeing greater interest from potential buyers looking for more energy efficient homes, and 41% said that sellers charge more for homes with a high energy efficiency rating.

Your home’s energy efficiency is determined by an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which rates your property on a scale from A to G, with A being the highest and most energy efficient.  

There are various ways to improve your EPC rating. Consider finding ways to exclude drafts, insulate roof spaces and walls, or simply swap your lightbulbs out for more energy efficient alternatives. 

If you need to upgrade your water efficiency, start by identifying any issues, such as dripping or clogged pipes, and even consider upgrading your boiler if you feel it’s far past its best. 

Not only will having a more energy and water efficient home be more attractive to potential buyers, it will also limit potential hazards such as major leaks and electrical fires.

There’s also the added bonus of lowered utility bills!

Redecorate, renovate and reinvigorate

Tastes and style are in constant flux with new trends and bold design choices. Take a look around your home and question whether it’s time to redecorate certain rooms to make them more appealing to potential buyers and potentially raise your home's market value.

There won’t be much demand for an avocado bathroom or a hot pink bedroom, so take time to investigate up-to-date tastes and trends in interior decorating, picking elements that speak to you most, while always riding the delicate line between the personal and the attractive.

You can go beyond the fresh paint and new furnishings when it comes to updating your home’s interiors. Shoddy plastering and damaging woodwork should be the first thing to tackle before you crack open the paint can, and look at retiling, recarpeting, and correcting creaking or damaged floorboards.

The options are limitless when it comes to improving your home’s interior, but make sure to stay savvy and keep an eye on your budget.

Create an eye-catching exterior

Taking care of your outdoor space is also an important factor in maintaining and raising the market value of your home. After all, the exterior of your home is likely to be the first thing a buyer sees, so it pays to spend some time and money on elevating its appearance.

When it comes to your garden, simply mow the lawn, get rid of pesky weeds and give those flower beds some TLC. Pressure-washing paving and concrete can be a cost-effective way to add life back to your outdoor surfaces. If these surfaces are beyond saving through a good wash, perhaps it's time to consider investing in a new surface.

Make sure that windows, external doors, and buildings such as sheds and garages are shown some attention, even if it’s as basic as a good scrub. A combination of all these steps can lead to a visually stunning exterior which can help your home stand out, both on the street and in the eyes of potential buyers.

Deal with mould, smells and pests

We’ve left the worst, and perhaps most dangerous, problem until last - mould, smells and pests. Unfortunately, our homes can play host to some truly unwanted visitors if we don’t take steps to prevent it.

Research by furniture company Hammonds², found that mould or damp on the walls turned off 62% of potential buyers, with signs of a pest infestation turning off 57%. Not only can this have a negative impact on the value of your home, it can also be harmful to your health.

Take action to remove all traces of mould in your home with dedicated cleaning products, or call in a professional to tackle it for you. Make sure you keep your house well-ventilated, regularly use an extractor fan in the bathroom and kitchen, and avoid drying clothing inside to prevent mould from coming back. 

Smells can occur from various sources, with pets being the most common suspects. Make sure any animals in the house are regularly bathed, their bedding regularly washed / changed, and the areas they inhabit cleaned on a regular basis. For other smells, like cooking, keeping your home well-ventilated, use air fresheners and clean regularly.

There are measures you can take to remove unwanted pests, such as insects or rodents, but a more effective option may be to call in a professional exterminator if the problem persists or is too large to tackle on your own. Keeping a clean and tidy home and garden is a key factor in preventing pests occurring.