With more time indoors, Brits have been turning to DIY during the pandemic. It’s perfect for filling the time but, choose the right project, and it could add value to your home too, and it doesn’t have to be a huge renovation project. So, where should you be investing your time?
1. Refresh the garden
Summer is almost here, and people will be hoping to spend more time in the garden. Did you know an attractive outdoor space could boost the value of your home by as much as 10%?
If you’re not confident with DIY, even simple tasks of making sure the garden is neat, fences are freshly painted, and the space looks inviting can help. For those wanting to take on a project, laying a patio area or decking can help make a garden part of a home’s living space.
2. Think about your kerb appeal
It’s not just the back garden that you should think about if you’re hoping to raise the value of your home. How your property looks to those walking past matters too.
The front of your home is usually the first image the appears on estate agents’ websites and gives an impression of what the rest of the home will look like. Spending a bit of money on painting the front door and making your front garden or driveway attractive can be valuable. If you are planning to sell in the future, it can help you grab attention from the beginning and boost your asking price.
3. Update the kitchen fixtures
We all know that investing in a new kitchen can add thousands to the price of property. A modern kitchen can work wonders when it comes to how long a property takes to sell. But installing an entire kitchen is ambitious for the average DIY enthusiast.
However, you can give a kitchen a new lease of life with a few small tasks. Updating dated or tired fixtures can lift the whole room and, in some cases, painting cabinets can make them look almost as good as new.
4. Add storage
Ample storage is something potential home buyers look for, especially if they’re hoping to purchase a family home. It’s an area where many houses fall short. If your home doesn’t have much in the way of storage, you may want to think about where you can add it and the appeal it would have to prospective buyers.
DIY projects such as adding floating shelving to the living room or installing bathroom cabinets can help people see how their possessions would neatly fit into your home.
5. Modernise light fixtures
Old fashion lighting can date a whole room, whilst harsh lighting can highlight flaws too. If you’re comfortable and have the knowledge to deal with electrics, modernising light fixtures can help you update every room in the house if needed. Whilst fluorescent lights have been popular in the past, softer options are now more in style. Choose a contemporary fixture to bring a room up to date.
6. Add a fresh lick of paint
Painted walls can become marked and dull over time without us even realising. If you’ve got time on your hands for a project, this can really help add value to your home with little financial investment. Where plaster has cracked or chipped away, take the time to fill these in. Then add a fresh lick of paint to cover marks and brighten up spaces. It’s a step that can add value by appealing to buyers that want to be able to move straight in without undertaking any DIY themselves.
If you’re hoping to sell soon, keep in mind what buyers will be looking for. Neutral colours that offer a ‘blank canvas’ for prospective buyers to put their stamp on are ideal.
7. Update internal doors
Much like your front door adding kerb appeal, your interior doors set the scene for the rooms and can make all the difference when potential buyers are looking through photos and viewing in person. If you really want to update the look of rooms, installing fresh doors may be an option. But, in many cases, a fresh coat of paint or varnish, along with replacing handles, can have just as much of an impact.
