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How to Add Value to Your Home While You’re Isolating

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With people all over the country currently working from home or self-isolating, now could be the perfect opportunity for homeowners to do all the jobs they’ve been meaning to do around the house and add value in the process.

Here, we speak with Andrea Gardner, Sales and Marketing Director at luxury Birdgend-based housebuilder Waterstone Homes, to get her take on how to make your home the best version of itself so that it’s post-COVID-19 market ready:

During these uncertain times, many of us will have extra time on our hands so this could be the perfect chance to do (almost) all of those things you’ve been promising to do around the house but never got around to. Take advantage of the downtime and get your home looking like a show home or better still, ready to be put on the market when lockdown, isolation and social distancing ends. Here are some top tips to improve and add value to your property:

De-clutter:

When prospective buyers view our homes, they are always complimentary about the clean lines and open spaces. People like to imagine themselves living a better life in a fresh, open space and being faced with lots of clutter prevents them from doing that. If you want to sell your home, get decluttering. That doesn’t just mean removing mess but also means taking away any distractions, such as family photographs. I always recommend removing photos ahead of a house viewing as it helps buyers imagine the property as their home.

Get decorating:

A key tip is to stop picturing yourself in your home and instead picture a stranger wanting to live in your home. You need to be objective – make your rooms look fresh and enticing so that they’ll appeal to a broad number of people, not just people who share your tastes. Choosing a neutral colour scheme, such as greys or taupes, is a great way of achieving this and, while it’s been said a million times before, adding a pop of colour such as bright pink, orange or yellow can help bring room to life. Be careful not to go overboard with colour though – if you’re uncertain, don’t do it as you can always add more at a later date.

Try out some DIY:

More time at home means many of us will be trying out some handy work at home, which is great,  but whatever you do, don’t attempt anything you’re not confident in that could result in injury – we can’t afford to put any extra pressure on the NHS. But, with that said, but there’s still a lot that you can do yourself regardless of your skillset.

From our experience creating luxury family homes, attention to detail is critical when it comes to making a good impression, so make sure you focus on doing one thing at a time and do it well. If that means you just sand and paint your front door or banisters during lockdown, great – that will still add value to your property. Afterall, when a prospective buyer comes in through your front door and sees an immaculate staircase with no thick paint, scuffs or paint drips, that first impression will last.

Unsure how to do this properly? Look it up online. There are hundreds of resources, tips and tricks on how to sand, prep and paint wood. Be as much of a perfectionist as possible and don’t start the next job until you’ve finished the first.

Give your home some kerb appeal:

It’s often in the first three seconds that most buyers make their decision on whether they like a house or not. Look at the exteriors of your house – both front and back – or if you’re living in a flat, take a look at the entrance. Ask yourself, could you do better?

Get weeding and tidy your garden, trim back overgrown plants, clean windows and frames, spruce up decking and give walls and fences a fresh lick of paint. Lay some bags of chipped bark, plant flowers and make the outside space the best version it can be.

Don’t cover things up – buyers are not fools and can tell when things have been hidden and what’s a quality job. Get down to the bone and start afresh, it will look a million times better for it. Don’t forget to check out online lessons and tutorials on how to do things well.

Research how you’ll sell your house now:

Start looking into how you’ll sell your home now. Speak with your local estate agents and take advantage of their wealth of experience and that fact that they may be quieter than usual. Do some research on what reviews they are getting and don’t forget to ask for quotes telling them you are shopping around, as well as looking for special offers. Housebuilders will be keen to offer deals during these difficult times, so start shopping around.

I hope this has helped make you market ready and market savvy. Keep safe and good luck!

Waterstone Homes builds luxury family homes in the South Wales area. For some interiors inspiration, take a look at its luxury style here: https://www.waterstonehomes.com/

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