6 Home Improvements To Do Whilst House Prices Drop & You Put Off Selling

Figures support predictions that the housing market is taking a dip, which is causing many of us to put off selling our homes until a fair asking price is likely to be achieved. In the meantime, there are some home improvements and actions that you can do to not only make your home more aesthetically pleasing and functional, but potentially increase its value, too. Why not enhance the home whilst you know you won’t be moving house, but in the knowledge that it is part of your plan within the next year or two? To help you enhance your home whilst you wait for better housing market conditions, here are 6 home improvements to consider: 

1. Declutter

Decluttering can sometimes be assumed to be a minor home improvement, that doesn’t really do much more than get clutter sorted out. However, it can be transformational and it can greatly improve your quality of life, and the potential for your property to be sold when the time comes to finally list it for sale. 

The good news is that because you have no speedy requirement to declutter, you can very much take it at your own pace and tackle it in bite size pieces. Whilst following a general pattern of sorting items to sell, keep or give away (you can also throw items away but for eco-friendly practises do only do this if you have to) you can sort out a drawer, a cupboard, your wardrobe – whatever is the most manageable task for you on the day. The chances are, once you get started you’ll be on a roll with it, especially as you 

2. Stage A Home Office

Working from home is something many people do at least some of the time. Statistics from the UK tell us that 16% of people have worked 100% from home in the last week, and 28% have enjoyed a hybrid way of working (some time working from home, some time in the office). To accommodate many working people, try turning that awkward extra bedroom or converted garage into a home office – particularly if your target market is young professionals. 

3. A Loft Conversion

Loft conversions are incredibly popular when it comes to home improvements because they don’t take up any garden space, which is ideal if you are one of the 1 in 5 homes in London without a garden (1 in 8 across the UK) or you simply don’t want to eat into precious garden space with an extension. Instead, you can create more space in the home with a loft conversion that simply turns the space already available into your loft, into a usable, safe room. You can also create extra room in the conversion with options like Mansard conversions and Dormer conversions. Is it a substantial investment? Absolutely. However, if it is all done correctly it counts as an additional bedroom, which could add thousands to the value of your home. In some parts of the UK the money that would be paid by buyers to trade up from a two to a three bed home is over £120,000. So with a simple loft conversion you could be asking a lot more for your home when the time comes to sell, making it a really savvy home improvement if you do have money to spend on the work. 

4. Depersonalise

When you settle into a home for a while you make it your own. This is all well and good for your own experience living in the home, but those looking to buy will need a blank slate so they can imagine themselves living in your place in the future. If you have some heavy personalisation like very busy wallpaper, unique features that could put people off, and even just a lot of home items that fill the space up, now is the time to start to neutralise. Move things into self storage in London, paint, strip the walls, work around features to make the aesthetic more neutral – whatever it takes to remove your visual mark on the house, ready for the next family to make adventures. 

5. Get Eco-Friendly

Any improvements you make should be as eco-friendly as possible so that your home will be healthier and your bills will be lower. The work will also be of interest to potential house buyers who tend to care more about their potential new property being eco-friendly. 

6. Improve The Garden

During lockdown we all absolutely loved spending time in our gardens because it was our one little slice of the fresh air we were allowed to enjoy. Post pandemic gardens have continued to hold that high value, as many of us worry we may end up with only that outdoor space to enjoy time in again one day. 

To attract buyers who want to enjoy a beautiful outdoor space attached to their new home, consider improving your garden. Clear away any clutter, place any large toys that aren’t being used into your London self storage unit, and brighten up the fences and shed with a lick of paint. 

Importantly, make it so the garden is as low maintenance as possible – many people don’t want to take on a garden that uses up a lot of energy and time to maintain. You might even consider investing in a new patio or a covered area to encourage outdoor socialising. The right garden could be the make or break when you do sell your home, and in the meantime you get to enjoy a beautiful outdoor space that you love. 

It’s Time To Get Started!

The housing market is changeable, and if you’re waiting to sell, now is the time to get stuck into any of the suggestions above and start enjoying your home. When it comes to selling, the improvements you make can only enhance your chance of getting your asking price, and lots of interest.