Top 5 improvements to make before putting your property on the market for sale

Well presented properties gain more buyer interest and receive offers quicker than properties that are less visually appealing to potential buyers. Quite often the changes that a seller can make prove to be fairly inexpensive and only cost a fraction of the value that the works will add to the property.

There are some obvious quick-fixes that take little more than a trip to the hardware store and a weekend’s work, such as decluttering and spring cleaning, but the real money can be made by investing in some slightly more involved improvements. In this article we look at five of the best…

Decorating

Forget personal preferences and redecorate with a neutral palette that will not only avoid putting buyers off, but will give a luxurious feel to your home. We suggest focusing on your master bedroom and main living space, as these are the rooms that often sell a property. Aim to use two complimentary colours in each room and avoid bland colours (white/magnolia) and garish tones (orange, lime, deep purple etc). We suggest taking inspiration from a property that we recently sold in Streatham SW16 where the vendor used earthy neutrals on the main feature wall of each room, complimented by a lighter shade of the same colour on the other three walls. The Dulux colour mixing range offers a great selection of colours and we challenge anyone to tell the difference between ‘Rum Caramel 4’ and Farrow & Ball’s top selling ‘Elephant’s Breathe’! Cost: Budget £250 + materials per average sized room.

Period Features

Period properties are appealing to buyers for their curb-appeal, but there is often disappointment once inside to find that the interior period features have disappeared without trace. Inject some character back into your property by adding a feature fireplace in the reception room or installing cornicing in the lounge and bedrooms. Cost: A Victorian style fireplace and surround could start from as little as £600; for cornicing expect around £400 for an average size bedroom.

Carpets & Flooring

Nothing beats the feel of new carpet under foot and replacing old carpet in bedrooms is a quick way to give your property a real lift. We recommend ‘Supreme Feelings’ in ‘Alpine Stone’ from Carpetright as it feels very luxurious and goes with most neutral paint colours. Cost: Assuming you already have underlay and grippers you are looking at about £250 for a 3m x 4m room.

Internal Doors

Old, cheap and flimsy internal doors can make your home feel somewhat unloved. Invest in new oak doors finished in a natural varnish and your room will come to life. We recommend the 4-panel oak Shaker from Howdens. Cost: Around £90 per door, £30 for new hinges and handles, and an hour’s labour to fit.

Garden

Take a trip to B&Q and stock up on some pots, planters and hanging baskets. Even the most uninspiring of back patios can be brought to life with a dozen or so colourful blooms. Cost: Around £200 should be enough to liven up a small patio garden.

Contact Us

If you live in South London and are looking to sell your property we would be happy to hear from you. Our Brixton office primarily serves the SW2, SW9, SW4 and SW11 postcode areas, our Streatham office deals with property in SW16, SW17, SE27, CR4 and CR7, and our Camberwell office handles property in SE5, SE24, SE15, SE17 and SE21. Click here for full contact details of your local branch.