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Avoidable things that can reduce the value of your house
We all know that every house has a value that is based on a variety of factors. Starting from the location up to its square footage, the number of bedrooms/bathrooms as well as their overall condition, there are a lot of things which come to play.
Now, although most of these factors are not easily changed, some actually are under your control. Most importantly, there are a lot of things that you can focus on to maximize the value of your house when selling – or renting it.
In times when the real estate market is making a comeback almost everywhere in the country, sellers should be wise enough to avoid some of the common pitfalls that can hurt a home’s value.
Below, we are listing the most avoidable things that can cause the value of your property to decrease.
1. Neglecting Your Home’s Exterior
Your home’s exterior should be one of your biggest focuses when enhancing your curb appeal.
The truth is, your architectural design plays a vital role in making a buying decision since it is the first thing that visitors and potential buyers see. As such, your home’s exterior can make or break a first impression.
If you are ready to re-design your home’s exterior, it is essential to consider all the factors involved.
For example, if you are starting from scratch, you must decide what architectural designs you prefer, what is their cost, and what materials and colour to use.
According to WhatPrice.co.uk, the average price of exterior painting ranges from £20 to £35 per m2.
2. Clutter And Dirt
This one is actually a no-brainer, but there are a lot of homeowners who don’t take clutter and dirt into account when selling their property.
The best way to tackle this issue is by simplifying it and dividing the decluttering process to one room at a time.
You don’t need fancy items to declutter your home.
What you need is a plan that should look like this:
Put Away: All the things that have crept out of their storage spaces.
Recycle: Throw everything that can be recycled in your bin and help your environment!
Fix: Put all the things that can be repaired in the ‘Fix’ basket.
Trash: Designate another basket for items that are trash and things that you don’t need anymore.
Donate: It is wise to donate all the items that can be used again. These are basically the items you can imagine another person wanting or needing.
As soon as you do the above mentioned, your living room, bedroom(s), bathroom(s) and kitchen will immediately look more organized and clutter-free.
Smoking Or Pet Smells
Believe it or not, smell is an influential factor when buying a property. If you are a smoker or a proud pet owner, you should identify the smells, their odours and the potential stains they have left out on your walls, furniture, and other items.
To add an extra layer of freshness to your air after you remove the smells, you can:
- Wash all bed covers and was or dry-clean your drapes
- Have your carpet thoroughly cleaned or if necessary, replaced
- Scrub your bathrooms top to bottom
- Store all of your old shoes in plastic boxes with lids
- If possible, move your pet stuff and litter boxes to your garage or away from your living areas
- Use a scent like orange, lemon, pine, basil, cedar, vanilla or cinnamon which are all recommended by professionals to help you sell your home
At the end of the day, a ‘homely’ aroma is endearing to many would-be buyers, and the opposite obviously has a vice-versa effect.
The Devil Is In The Detail
You probably know that most of the times, it is the details that reveal the most about a person, an item or in our case, a property.
The best thing about this is that details are usually easy to fix and can significantly increase the value of your property.
Speaking of, some of the most important things you can do to remove all the unwanted details and help sell your property faster are:
- Repairing all broken items
- Interior and exterior paint jobs
- Kitchen cleaning and re-organization
- Cleaning the bathroom grout
- Fixing your lighting
- Refinishing your floors
According to a report from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) titled “What Home Buyers Want: Attitudes And Decision Making Among Consumers,” richness of detail is what every buyer wants.
However, you should limit the amount of detail to what actually works and what is functional enough to help the next homeowner see its value.
Final Words
As this year’s reports from The Guardian showed, home ownership in England has fallen to the lowest level in 30 years. Even though there are a lot of economic factors involved in this trend, you can help yourself by ensuring your home is taken care of.
In the end, the goal is to transform your property from a dated one to a functional, clean and pleasant one.
We hope that this guide helped you avoid some of the common pitfalls when seeing how much your home is truly worth.
If you are looking for the best mortgage deal or are struggling to get one, do not hesitate to get in touch with us today.