How to enhance your property's value

It’s funny that this website has been running for 7 years now, and I’ve never covered the topic of a house’s value. But it’s an important topic, and the value is something all of us are trying to improve.

We make changes, we DIY our homes, we extend, we improve. All in the pursuit of getting more money for our properties.

If you’re thinking about selling your property or want to increase its value for down the road, now’s the perfect time to think about sprucing it up. With the UK’s property market expected to remain fiercely competitive, it’s important to ask yourself the question, how does my property stand out?

The best place to start is by prepping your property for sale. This will ensure it attracts sufficient attention and interest once it hits the market.

Upgrading and improving a property before selling boosts its appeal and makes it more marketable. Whether you choose quick fixes or invest in more extensive changes, there are lots of options to explore to fit your budget and schedule. Below, you can find just a few of the ways you can improve the value of your home.

The quick route to enhance your home’s value
Long-term improvements to improve your home’s value
The true value of certain home improvements

The quick route

Below, you’ll find some of the easier and cheaper fixes you can make to lightly improve the value of your home.

1. Spruce up each room

Updating your rooms can make a huge difference in how appealing your property is to potential buyers.

People naturally gravitate towards homes that look good, so ensuring the aesthetics and style of your rooms immediately catch their eye will increase potential interest and improve your chances of getting the best possible market value.

Updating your rooms doesn’t have to break the bank either. Here are some ideas depending on your budget:

Brighten up dull rooms by repainting. You could consider using light, neutral colours, which create a fresh, spacious look. You can then introduce a pop of colour with fresh linens, towels, or small plants.
Maximise the natural light. If a room lacks natural light, think about your window dressings and whether they’re the best choice. White shutters can help to reflect light into the room, and may be better than large draped curtains.
Upgrade your flooring. Replacing old or damaged flooring will instantly enhance a room’s aesthetic appeal. Newer materials improve the rooms’ appearance and increase longevity, which is a great selling point for potential buyers.
Fix any obvious damage. Lightswitches hanging off the wall? Chips or cracks in the plaster? With a bit of DIY, these things can be fixed easily and at a relatively low cost. All these small changes add up so aim to improve as many as you can.

2. Change the kitchen accessories

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your house, and therefore the one potential buyers will look at first. Therefore, it’s the best place to try and add some value, and hopefully make a fast sale.

If you can’t afford to have a whole new kitchen fitted, then you can make a huge change just by switching up the taps and the cabinet handles.

This is a job you should be able to do yourself, meaning you’re saving money by not hiring someone to do it, and paying only for the products.

Worktops are another thing you can change easily. Though this will cost a little more, it could change the whole look and feel of your kitchen.

If you have the time, sanding down and painting the existing cabinets might be worth doing as well.

3. Clean your carpets

If your home’s carpeted, then simply having a professional come in and clean them all can make your home look more expensive.

If you hire a cleaning machine yourself, then it will cost you even less. I’ve always wanted to try out one of those Rug Doctor’s, they look amazing!

4. Deal with niggling problems

Home renovations are not just about the state-of-the-art kitchen or the spa bathroom: it is about the property as a whole. Frankly, your uber-modern kitchen with handle-less, soft-close cupboard doors will pale into significance if the gutter system leaks and there is damp in the back bedroom.

Some renovations and updating are unseen, akin to putting your money into a hole. But, telling your buyers the damp proofing has been re-done or the electrics updated are all examples of unseen but important renovations that make your property far more desirable than others in the same price bracket that can’t boast the same.

Renovations are about the smaller details and yes, the re-wire might not add 10% to the value of your home but it does add desirability, and that is just as valuable as a cash profit.

5. Improve the outdoor space

Enhancing your outdoor space isn’t just about creating a beautiful garden, it’s about adding real value to your property. Although you could invest in more costly improvements like adding a porch or installing weatherproof elements like a retractable roof, there are opportunities for quicker and cheaper alternatives.

Start by tidying up the garden. Remove weeds, trim overgrown bushes, and ensure the lawn is well maintained when marketing and showing your house.
Do some general landscaping. By sprucing up your outdoor spaces with well-placed plants, paths, and maybe even a cosy seating area, you can transform your garden into a charming retreat that buyers will love.
Planting colourful flowers in pots or flower beds can add instant charm and colour to your garden.

A tidy home in the UK with a large front garden and driveway

By maximising the appeal of your outdoor space, you’re making a smart investment that can set your property apart in a competitive market.

Long-term improvements

Space is undeniably one of the biggest factors determining a property’s value. If you have the time and resources to expand your property’s square footage, it’s a smart and worthwhile investment to consider.

Buyers are willing to spend more money for space, so by maximising your space, you not only increase the likelihood of securing a higher price but also ensure your property is getting the market activity it deserves.

If you decide to expand your property’s space and functionality, there are a few things you could do.

1. Loft conversion

The loft is an underutilised space in many properties, and it’s mainly used for storage or to house part of your heating system.

So what if you turned the loft into a useable room? Adding a bedroom adds around 10 to 15% to the value of your home, so a loft extension is a worthy idea if you have the funds and the energy.

2. Change up the layout

For older properties, the interior flow of the rooms was created that answered a need at the time they were built. Separate rooms were heated by fires in each one and it was only with the invention of central heating that becomes popular from the 1930s onwards, that we started to branch out from certain activities being confined to certain rooms.

Now, in modern life, we want big open spaces that are better suited to family life. No one really uses a private, closed in dining room anymore, so moving some walls could be a great solution to increase the value of your property and sell it faster.

Is hiring an architect a good idea?

If you are renovating your property, it can be worth hiring an architect to help you realise your vision. They can be involved as much or as little as you want or need them to be.

Extensions

Expanding your property to add more living space can be a great investment, but it’s essential to approach it thoughtfully.

First, your extension’s design should match what buyers in your area are looking for. Understanding these preferences is key. For instance, if your neighbourhood is popular with families needing extra bedrooms, turning your extension into another bedroom could boost your home’s appeal and value.

By meeting these specific market needs, you not only increase your home’s liveable area but also make it more attractive to a broader range of potential buyers. This strategy not only caters to current demands but also sets you up for a potentially higher sale price down the road. It’s a win-win for maximising both your space and your property’s marketability.

Conversions

Conversions offer a fantastic way to make the most of your property’s available space. Turning unused areas like a basement, loft or garage into something useful increases your home’s value and improves your property’s marketability as it offers something that other properties do not have.

You can transform these spaces into practical and desirable rooms, such as:

An extra bedroom
Home office
Fun recreation area
Personal gym.

However, it is important to make sure your conversion aligns with market preferences. If your property is in a family neighbourhood, there’s probably a demand for properties with multiple bedrooms. Therefore, creating an extra bedroom space would be the best way to boost your property’s value.

If your property has a particularly spacious bedroom, you can split it into two separate bedrooms. Just make sure the dimensions of the new bedrooms are well-planned to maintain their appeal and value.

The improvements will make your home more appealing and enhance its chances of achieving your ideal price when you decide to sell. It’s a great way of maximising your property’s potential and catering to the needs of future homeowners.

What is the true value of certain home renovations?

All homeowners want to make their mark on their property — and often this is through alterations, which can be expensive. Data from the Office for National Statistics has predicted that those in the UK collectively spend almost £30 billion on home improvements annually. That works out at £43 million each week.

But have you ever thought about the actual value home developments add to your home?

Switching up the kitchen

We gain a lot of inspiration from television shows like Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation, which has probably sparked the interest for us to make changes.

Presenter of these shows, Phil Spencer, was quoted saying to The Telegraph: “If you are only going to improve one room, make it the kitchen. This has now become the showpiece area of the home. We don’t just cook in it, we do homework in it, we watch television in it and hold dinner parties there.”

To have a clear understanding of the cost, you must take a look at the price bracket of a kitchen transformation as well as the price of the entire home. There’s not going to be very much value added to a house that’s valued at £170,000 if it’s fitted with a £25,000 kitchen.

But you can’t go wrong with investing into your kitchen. Phil commented further by saying that a new kitchen will add an estimated 4.6% to the value of your home. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) echoes this statement, acknowledging that a new kitchen will make a property more appealing and can add up to 4% to its overall value.

Switching up the bathroom

The Nationwide Building Society, who deal with homes every day, found that transforming a bathroom can add 5% to the value of your home. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the main bathroom or an en-suite that is renovated. Could you afford to miss out on this opportunity?

However, Phil Spencer said that any changes made to the bathroom must be simple. He points out: “You don’t need to do a lot with the room, it’s all about the features that you put in, such as a set of new taps, a heated chrome towel rail, a big new shower head, a power shower, and a glass screen or glass door instead of a shower curtain.”

Switching up the loft

If your home was constructed before 1975, or has a maximum headroom of 2.3 metres, you could definitely make changes. The Nationwide Building Society estimates that a loft conversion may be able to add up to 21% onto the overall value of a home. However, Nationwide indicates that adding a double bedroom to your property — to which the loft can be transformed into this suitable space — can add over 10% to the property’s value.

As there are a lot of regulations in place when it comes to converting a loft, you must seek professional advice before accepting the project.

Converting a garage

By adding a double bedroom, you could be adding 10% to the value of your property. If a loft conversion doesn’t work for your property, or you’re looking for another room to convert, consider transforming a garage.

According to Phil Spencer, 90% of garages in the UK do not contain a car and could be used as something else. In general, the British media personality and television presenter says that the value added can be calculated by multiplying the square footage gained by local price per square foot.

Installing a conservatory

Managing Director of the National Association of Estate Agents, Mark Hayward, had some strong words when it came to homeowners installing a conservatory on their property. He commented: “Conservatories will add value to a home, but they need to be made with quality materials and provide a lot of light in order for the value to be significant.”

Opposing uPVC alternatives, your conservatory should be made up of glass. A high-quality conservatory can add as much as 5% to the home’s overall value, according to property valuation providers Yopa. But Phil Spencer is confident that 11% will be added to the value if the conservatory is part of a full-blown extension.

Investing in your garden

Although you might be considering a conservatory, you don’t want this to take up too much space. This is because a property’s outdoor space can also add substantial value.

Garden improvements can be a difficult job to get done, but you must ensure that any changes made are accessible for all and can still be enjoyed. For this, consider fitting glass doors which open out into the garden and install high-quality outdoor lighting throughout the garden.

Consider adding decking to your garden, as this can increase the value of your property by up to 2%.

Whether you’re preparing to sell or aiming for future value appreciation, implementing upgrades can optimise your property’s potential in the competitive UK property market.

From quick fixes to long-term investments, each improvement enhances your property’s appeal and marketability. If you prefer a hassle-free selling experience, a service like We Buy Any House offers a convenient alternative route to sale, regardless of your property’s condition.