SELLING houses is harder than ever especially if you want to make a hefty profit.
House prices in some areas across the country are falling by as much as 2.7% according to Zoopla which means you have to get ahead of the competition to set your home apart from the rest.
But that doesn't mean you have to fork out for expensive home improvements, especially if money is tight.
There's many simple, cheap ways you can there are to boost your home’s appeal.
Knowing what will draw potential buyers in and what will put them off could increase the pulling power of your home by as much as £10k, and you can achieve this with items you already have in the home – without having to spend any money.
Presenter and property developer, Georgina Burnett, who is often seen on ITV This Morning, has given 10 hacks to help improve your gaff’s pulling power on a budget.
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Kick off with kerb appeal
9Many potential buyers will do a drive-by before booking to view so it’s paramount your kerb appeal is top notch. This means thoroughly weeding your driveway.
If it’s neat and tidy out the front, it will be a strong indicator for the rest of the house.
To keep the weeds at bay, sprinkle washing powder in the cracks and you won’t be forever needing to keep on top of them.
It’s also worth giving your drive a power wash to make it feel fresh and new.
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Car clout
9It might be a sub-conscious thing, but did you know the car sitting in your drive could affect the amount people are prepared to pay for your home?
You want your home to offer a certain lifestyle to buyers, so if you have a banger it might cause a clanger. It’s best to park it down the road.
If you have a vehicle befitting your home, make sure it’s clean and bump free.
And if your mate with an Aston Martin happens to be parking out the front, that’s no bad thing!
Desirable doorstep
First impressions really do count so make sure your front door and doorstep are pristine.
If you have a yellowing UPVC door, a simple DIY solution of half a cup of vinegar, two cups of water and a few drops of washing-up liquid will bring it back to sparkling white.
For older wooden doors, it’s definitely worth giving them a lick of paint in a modern colour.
Make sure its appeal is wide though. Pink front doors may be Instagrammable, but they are likely to be like marmite when it comes to potential buyers.
Warm reception
With the recent hike in energy prices, buyers are more aware than ever of how much a place is going to cost them on a monthly basis.
Eliminating draughts will not only help your bills whilst you’re living there, but also increase how much people are prepared to pay for the place.
If you have chimneys, you can zap those draughts by stuffing newspaper into a plastic bag to create a DIY chimney balloon.
Old floorboards can be draught-proofed by gluing string into the grooves and staining with a wood stain.
Tricky touch ups
You might not notice the scuffs on your walls anymore, but potential buyers will.
Ideally, you’d give your home a lick of paint, but if you don’t have the funds for this you can refresh its look with simple touch ups.
Hopefully you saved some paint when you last decorated, in which case it’s easy to give it a refresh.
Rather than using a paint brush which will leave brush strokes, opt for either a mini roller or even an old sock to camouflage your handy work.
Wowee windows
Sounds simple, but clean windows could add hundreds to the value of your home.
Firstly, they let in more light which is what most people value. This extra light flooding in will also make rooms appear bigger and more inviting.
At the most basic level, dirty windows can tarnish the overall impression of a property. The same goes for mirrors and shower screens.
To eliminate streaks, always clean from top to bottom with a lint free cloth.
Carpet call
When you view a house, you tend to tot up what you will need to spend money on so you can come up with a realistic offer.
Replacing carpet in a home can cost thousands when sometimes all it needs is a thorough clean.
Ideally you would shampoo your carpet when selling but spot cleaning can also be effective.
For synthetic carpets mix one cup of white vinegar with two cups of water.
If your carpet is made with natural fibres use a quarter cup of white vinegar with a quarter cup of water.
If after vacuuming your carpet it still just doesn’t seem clean, it may be that dust and dirt is trapped under an invisible layer of hair. This is a common issue for pet owners.
Use a window squeegee to scrape along the carpet and you’ll be amazed at how much you retrieve. Then give the carpet a vacuum for maximum effect.
Tidy house, tidy profit
It goes without saying that when selling, your home needs to be immaculate, but a thorough declutter will also make all the difference.
As homes are getting smaller, space is at a premium, and yet so many of us hold onto stuff we simply don’t have the room for.
A ruthless declutter will mean you can also remove furniture that will be making rooms feel crowded. The overall impression of a clutter-free home is that it has more space for potential buyers to fill with their own stuff.
If it’s broken… fix it!
According to Feng Shui, broken items attract negative and stagnant energy. Whether you believe in this or not it, even chipped items on display will distract visitors from the property’s perks.
It’s an easy win to fix or get rid of anything broken, and leads to a more harmonious and inviting environment.
Flower power
Greenery is not just the finishing touch to an Instagrammable backdrop, it could also add oodles of pulling power to your property.
Awkward corners and lifeless box rooms will be resuscitated by our green friends.
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There’s no need to invest in lots of expensive house plants, simply picking foliage from the garden to dot in vases around the home will make an impact.
Don’t forget to remove dead leaves from your house plants as well.
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