Homeowners are generally always aware of the value of their home, and they look at things they can do to improve this. This is specifically relevant if they are looking to sell the house. Potential buyers are impressed by straightforward words, and although people have their taste on the interior, there are some simple things they are looking for, and if the home does not have it, they will move on.
The prices of homes fluctuate quite regularly but, in the UK, generally, these are always on the rise. London specifically has high prices that outdo the rest of the UK, and affordability for first-time buyers is still a challenge.
People can do simple things in terms of home improvements to try and increase the value, or they can do some more advanced projects that could potentially change structure to the home. Below are a few things that you could consider doing to help increase your home value.
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Change Of Flooring
According to Stories Flooring, there is certain flooring that increases the value of your property. Wooden or laminate flooring has overtaken carpets as the most popular thing to have in your home versus rugs that used to be the norm.
Flooring is not only now popular in hallways or living areas, and you will find these in other rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. One of the significant benefits of flooring is that it takes minimal effort to maintain, and it has a long lifespan if treated with respect. Carpets generally must be maintained, and it is easy for them to begin to look worn after just a year or two.
If you decide to go for the flooring option in the home, then you should consider engineered oak flooring. This type of flooring is of a much higher quality of laminate and can be installed easily. The expenditure connected to this is pretty much the same as you would spend on a high-quality carpet. If you want to learn how to clean laminate and what solutions you need to use, you can visit Picked For Home.
This could hurt your home value is if this is installed to poor quality, and you have no or thin underlay underneath it. As soon as someone stands on it, they will immediately know (or hear the creaks). The engineered oak flooring gives an immediate high-quality impression.
Efficiency
People are nowadays more and more conscious of their carbon footprint and the importance of energy (and wastage connected to this). Therefore, having an energy-efficient home can add a lot of value to it. There are a lot of things that people can do to support this, which include:
Upgrade your windows – It is usually pretty standard that any new home built in the UK has double glazed windows, which is something that generally anyone looking to buy a home has on their list of “must-haves”. If you do not have this, then it is certainly worth getting done. If you go to a window sales company, this is sometimes not a cheap option. Therefore, it could be worth purchasing the windows on your own and then getting an expert to fit them.
Doors – Similar to windows, people look for right secure doors and ones that do not let out any draught. This does not only include the main entrance, but considerations should be made to any other doors that are directly externally facing – conservatory, patio, or back doors as an example.
Heating systems – Inside the home, generally, people are looking for an excellent central heating system. If you upgrade your current one to one that is as energy efficient as possible, this could have a positive impact on home value. Make sure you also consider any heaters in the rooms.
Solar panels – Over the last few years, there has been a lot of focus on solar panels. These are usually installed on the roof of a home and can help either partly or wholly heat up your home. The government also has initiatives to help support the costs of installation of these as ultimately, it helps support their energy savings targets.
Externals
The external of the home is the first thing that people see, and this leaves an impression on people. If you are looking to sell your home, then this is important even to drive people to arrange a view initially. Some things to consider are:
Gardens – If you have gardens, could they do with an overhaul? If so, then you maybe should investigate getting an expert garden company to look at changing or modernizing the garden.
Driveway – If your home doesn’t have a driveway, then this could be something that has a massive improvement on your home value. If doing this, it should be completed to a high quality otherwise very quickly weeds will start to appear from underneath within a short period. Permissions from the authorities may be required to do this project so best to check out in advance.
Roofing – If you live in an old house, then it may be worthwhile looking at the condition of the roofing. Ultimately if there are any repairs needed, then this will show up in the survey report that will be completed; therefore, maybe pre-empt this.
Summary
The overall feeling around home improvements is that you can do some pretty simple things that will make an immediate impact on the total house value. Ultimately people looking to buy a home may have their specific taste, but the whole, people are looking for energy-efficient, modern, and well-kept houses. If you decide to change your flooring, make sure to consider woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk for the job.
You can check how changes to your home will make an impact on your home value by using various sites online. If funds are not available immediately to make any of these improvements, you could also always consider borrowing money against the house specific to home improvements.