3 easy ways to... boost your home’s value to sell

For ways to make your house more attractive to potential buyers, here are some tips from Homeowners Alliance’s Angela Kerr

1 SPRUCE IT UP

‘Give your walls a fresh coat of neutral paint; it will make your home seem lighter and bigger,’ advises Angela. ‘Another benefit is that if a potential buyer thinks the recent redecoration will save them a job when they move in, it may make it a more attractive property to them. And spend time decluttering; this will make your rooms appear to be more spacious,’ she adds.

2 HAVE A DEEP CLEAN

‘If you’re putting your house on the market, give it a deep clean first,’ says Angela. ‘If your carpets have marks such as muddy shoe prints, you could see a huge difference if you get them properly cleaned. Do you have a friend with a carpet cleaning machine they’ll lend you? If not, you could hire a machine or call a professional in to do it,’ she says. ‘Clean everything until it sparkles, get rid of any limescale and clean and repair tile grout.’

3 CONSIDER YOUR KITCHEN

‘Many buyers see the kitchen as the most important room when viewing properties, so consider if yours could benefit from an update. Would simply changing the handles on your cabinets and drawers make a difference? And, depending on what your cabinets are made from, could you paint them to get a new look?’ says Angela. ‘For a bigger change, you could consider replacing cabinet doors or even the worktop. These aren’t cheap options, but it would cost much less than replacing the whole kitchen.’ For more tips, visit hoa.org.uk.